CLARION 71, A-C VALLEY 0

Sept. 2, 2005

CLARION – Clarion scored the third-most points in its illustrious history beating A-C Valley 71-0 in the season opener for both teams Friday night at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium.

The only two games that saw the Bobcats put up more points were Sept. 29, 2000, when Clarion defeated West Shamokin 82-0 and in 1966 when Clarion toppled Moniteau 75-0.

"We did a nice job," Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. "The offense did a nice job. We got the ball to a lot of different people. Everyone played well. From a defensive standpoint, I am so happy."

Clarion (1-0 overall, 1-0 KSAC) averaged 9.5 yards per play (419 yards on 44 plays) and 10.4 yards per rush (32 carries, 334 yards) while scoring once on defense, seven times on the ground, twice through the air and once on a kickoff return.

"I was surprised how explosive we were on offense," Wiser said. "We didn’t make a whole lot of mental mistakes."

Meanwhile, the Bobcat defense limited A-C Valley to 87 yards of offense including negative 11 in the first half.

"There is no question that our goal coming into the game was to set the tone on defense," Wiser said. "I think we have to kind the speed on defense this year that we can be that kind of shutdown defense."

The defense set the tone by blowing up the A-C Valley offensive line not allowing the Falcons to get anything going while putting pressure on quarterback Brad Rembold the entire night.

That pressure led to Rembold going 5-for-20 for 39 yards and six interceptions.

"Wow!" Wiser said when informed the Bobcats had picked off six passes. "That has to be a school record, I think. We forced (Rembold) to put the ball up thanks to our pressure."

Chris McSwain had a big night for Clarion on offense carrying the ball eight times for 152 yards and four touchdowns.

One of McSwain’s touchdown runs was a 55-yard plow that included him breaking two or three tackles at the 20 and then carrying an A-C Valley defender on his back the final 10 yards. The run brought the crowd to its feat in the loudest reaction of the night.

"That is one of the better runs I have seen in the number of years I have been coaching," Wiser said. "He was dragging people into the end zone."

McSwain wasn’t the only weapon on offense. Nine different Bobcats ran the ball, and 11 touched it.

Elliot Fabri had eight carries for 55 yards and a touchdown, Brad Rapp contributed five totes for 48 yards and a score and Tony McMillen had four carries for 45 yards and a touchdown.

Sean Wolf was 7-for-11 passing for 47 yards and a score while also running for six yards, while Adam Bevevino was 1-for-1 passing for 38 yards and a touchdown.

Manny Carpin had six catches for 36 yards and a score and two runs for seven yards. He also returned an interception for a touchdown.

Larry Stout added one catch for 38 yards and a touchdown, while Jake Fleeger returned a kickoff for a touchdown.

On defense, Fleeger and Blake Lantelme each had two interceptions, while Carpin and Fabri had one apiece.

Rocco Crapis provided most of the Falcon offense rushing for 67 yards on 15 carries, but 41 of those yards came on his final two carries against Clarion’s backup defense.

Lantelme’s first interception set up Clarion’s first touchdown which came on a 35-yard run by McSwain with 7:44 left in the first quarter making it 6-0.

Clarion’s next possession saw the Bobcats drive 77 yards in 10 plays before scoring on a 2-yard run by Fabri making it 13-0 with 2:59 left in the opening quarter.

Then with 17 seconds left in the quarter, Carpin returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown making it 20-0.

Clarion’s first second-quarter drive lasted just two plays with McSwain scoring on the dazzling 55-yard run making it 26-0 with 10:16 left in the half.

A-C Valley’s next possession ended in disaster when the snap on a punt attempt sailed way over punter Mark Hart’s head. Hart was able to recover the football, but Clarion took over on downs at the A-C Valley 25-yard line.

A couple of plays later, Rapp sprinted 15 yards to pay dirt making it 32-0 with 7:06 left before halftime.

Clarion’s next drive saw Wolf hit Carpin with a 7-yard scoring pass making it 39-0 with 1:44 to go in the half.

A-C Valley then fumbled the ensuing kickoff with Clarion recovering.

Two plays later, McSwain scored on a 31-yard run to make it 46-0 with 1:22 in the opening half.

On the play, McSwain ran through a hole so big that a car could have driven untouched through it.

Fleeger started the second half in electrifying fashion returning the kickoff 80 yards for a score making it 53-0.

Fabri then picked off Rembold on A-C Valley’s first play from scrimmage in the second half, and Clarion turned that into a touchdown when McSwain scored on a 4-yard run with 6:08 left in the third quarter making it 59-0.

A-C Valley finally got a drive started late in the third and early in the fourth quarter moving from its own 38 to the Clarion 27. But the interception bug hit again as Fleeger picked off a Rembold pass at the 10-yard line and returned it for what would have been a 90-yard touchdown. But a block in the back on the return called the touchdown back.

It didn’t matter.

A few plays later, Bevevino tried to run an option play to Stout, but Stout got in front of Bevevino. Bevevino shoveled the ball forward, Stout caught it and ran 38 yards for another touchdown making it 65-0 with 9:03 left to play.

Once again A-C Valley drove deep into Clarion territory getting to the Bobcat 23-yard line on its next possession.

But once again, the interception was the Falcon undoing. This time it was Fleeger picking off a Rembold pass inside the 20 and returning all the way to the A-C Valley 29 before being caught from behind by Crapis.

Four plays later, McMillen scored on a 1-yard run to make it 71-0 with 2:37 to play.

NOTES – Clarion returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday at Keystone (0-1). A-C Valley hosts Clarion-Limestone (1-0) at 7 p.m. … Clarion University’s TV 5 will show a replay of the game at 5 p.m. Sunday. The station can be found on Channel 15 for subscribers of Adelphia Cable in Clarion and on Channel 5 on campus. TV 5 is planning two additional Clarion football broadcasts this season including the Redbank Valley game at the Clarion-Limestone game. Clarion is now 28-4 all-time against A-C Valley last losing in 1998.

Score By Quarters
A-C Valley 0 0 0 0 – 0
Clarion 20 26 13 12 – 71

C – Chris McSwain 35 run (kick failed), 7:44

C – Elliot Fabri 2 run (Dan L’Insalata kick), 2:59

C – Manny Carpin 24 interception return (L’Insalata kick), :17
Second Quarter

C – McSwain 55 run (kick failed), 10:16

C – Brad Rapp 15 run (run failed), 7:06

C – Carpin 7 pass from Sean Wolf (L’Insalata kick), 1:44

C – McSwain 31 run (L’Insalata kick), 1:22
Third Quarter

C – Jake Fleeger 80 kickoff return (L’Insalata kick), 11:47

C – McSwain 4 run (kicked failed), 6:08
Fourth Quarter

C – Larry Stout 38 pass from Adam Bevevino (kick failed), 9:03

C – Tony McMillen 1 run (kick failed), 2:37
A C

First Downs 7 23
Rushes-Yards 26-48 32-334
Passing Yards 39 85
Passes: Comp-Att-Int 5-20-6 8-12-0
Total Yardage 87 419
Punts-Average 3-31.0 1-43.0
Fumbles-lost 5-1 1-0
Penalties-Yards 5-25 10-74
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing – A-C Valley: Rocco Crapis 15-67, Keith Yute 4-3, Brad Rembold 5-(-10), Mark Hart 1-3, Team – 1 – (-15). Clarion: Chris McSwain 8-152, Elliot Fabri 8-55, Brad Rapp 5-48, Tony McMillen 4-45, Larry Stout 1-12, Eric Grejda 1-7, Manny Carpin 2-7, Sean Wolf 2-6, Jon Dietz 1-2.

Passing – A-C Valley: Rembold 5-for-20, 39 yards, 6 interceptions. Clarion: Wolf 7-for-11, 47 yards, 1 touchdown; Adam Bevevino 1-for-1, 38 yards, 1 touchdown.

Receiving – A-C Valley: Hank Heeter 3-24, Crapis 2-15. Clarion: Stout 1-38, Carpin 6-36, Nick Hager 1-11.

Punting – A-C Valley: Mark Hart 3-93. Clarion: Paul McGinley 1-43.

Interceptions – Clarion 6 (Blake Lantelme 2, Jake Fleeger 2, Carpin 1, Fabri 1).