CLARION 55, UNION 6

Sept. 29, 2006

CLARION – Behind three touchdowns from Brad Rapp and two from Larry Stout and Jake Fleeger, Clarion rolled past Union 55-6 in KSAC action Friday night at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium.

"I was real proud of my kids," Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. "Coming (off the loss to Redbank Valley last week) they could have gone the other way."

Rapp ran 13 times for 88 yards and three touchdowns, while Stout had seven carries for 91 yards and a score and one catch for 22 yards and another touchdown. Fleeger had three catches for 58 yards and a touchdown and one run for 14 yards and a score.

Overall, the Bobcats (3-2 overall, 2-2 KSAC) used a balanced offensive attack to out gain Union 366 yards to 94. Ten different Clarion players handled the ball on offense.

"That was the game plan to spread the ball around," Wiser said. "We were able to run our script."

What was ever on that script, Clarion might want to frame it. The Bobcats had the ball 11 times and ended eight of those trips in the end zone with touchdowns. Two others were ended by the halves running out meaning the Bobcats punted just once the entire game.

"We moved the ball well," Wiser said. "We didn’t punt until the second half."

Indeed the Bobcats didn’t punt until the second half scoring on their first six drives to build a comfortable 41-0 halftime lead.

Twenty-one of those points came in a span of 3:48 midway through the second quarter helping Clarion expand a 20-0 lead into the 41-0 advantage that ensured that the second half would be played under the Mercy Rule and a running clock.

Clarion’s defense was every bit as good as its offense limiting Union (1-4, 0-4) to the 94 yards including just 14 when the Bobcats first team was in the game. Eighty of Union’s yards came on the Golden Knights lone scoring drive that lasted 12 plays and 7:36 against Clarion’s second team.

"We got back to team defense," Wiser said. "We stayed in our lanes, and I think we jammed at the line."

The Bobcats, who have won 12 in a row over Union, led 12-0 at the end of the first quarter thanks to touchdown runs of two and three yards by Rapp.

Clarion then made it 20-0 31 seconds into the second quarter when Adam Bevevino, who was 5 of 14 passing for 100 yards and two scores, hit Jake Fleeger with a 29-yard scoring pass and then found James Seidle on a two-point conversion pass.

The fireworks really started for the Bobcats with 6:07 left in the half when Stout scored on a 22-yard screen pass from Bevevino with Clarion facing a second-and-goal from the Union 22 following a penalty and a play that netted minus-8 yards.

Clarion then took advantage of a short field following a 16-yard Union punt to make it 34-0 on a 10-yard run by Rapp with 3:13 left before halftime.

Next, Rapp recovered a fumble at the Union 12, and Fleeger made it 41-0 on a 14-yard run with 2:19 to play before the break.

In the third quarter, the Bobcats lead grew to 48-0 thanks to a 15-yard scoring run by Stout with 6:10 to play on a running clock.

Union finally reached pay dirt thanks to a 12-yard run by Nate Boltz (8 carries, 25 yards; 3 catches, 28 yards) 1:33 into the final frame.

Clarion backup quarterback Matt Smith closed the scoring with a 1-yard run with 4:01 to play.

Colby Davis led Union with 15 carries for 57 yards.

Clarion now hosts Karns City (5-0 overall, 3-0 KSAC) in a big Autumn Leaf Festival Game Friday night at Memorial Stadium (7 p.m.). Union faces A-C Valley at home next week.

NOTES – Clarion played with two news members of the offensive line. Riley Gudakunst got the start at center replacing Adam Dolby, who was lost for the year last week with a torn ACL and MCL, and Derrick Cherico got the nod at tight end for Theron Miles, who dressed but didn’t play with a sprained ankle. Miles is expected to play against Karns City … The Bobcats were also without starting cornerback Todd Goble, who was sick … Sophomore kicker Jon Kemmer was 5-for-7 on extra points making his final five after missing his first two. That included a 30-yard extra point following Clarion’s final touchdown because the Bobcats were flagged for holding on the original two-point conversion try.

CLARION 55, UNION 6

Score by Quarters

Union 0 0 0 6 – 6

Clarion 12 29 7 7 – 55

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C – Brad Rapp 2 run (Jon Kemmer kick failed), 7:24

C – Rapp 3 run (Kemmer kick failed), 2:57

Second Quarter

C – Jake Fleeger 29 pass from Adam Bevevino (James Seidle pass from Bevevino), 11:29

C – Larry Stout 22 pass from Bevevino (Kemmer kick), 6:07

C – Rapp 10 run (Kemmer kick), 3:13

C – Fleeger 14 run (Kemmer kick), 2:19

Third Quarter

C – Stout 15 run (Kemmer kick), 6:10

Fourth Quarter

U – Nate Boltz 12 run (Aaron Paulden kick failed), 10:27

C – Matt Smith 1 run (Kemmer kick), 4:01

U C

First Downs 6 18

Rushes-Yards 30-66 35-249

Passing Yards 28 117

Passing: Compt-Att-Int 3-10-0 7-16-0

Total Yardage 94 366

Punts-Avg. 5-19.6 1-37.0

Fumbles-Lost 4-2 4-0

Penalties-Yards 3-30 6-61

Third-Down Conversions 2-10 9-10

Individual Statistics

RUSHING – Union: Colby Davis 15-57; Nate Boltz 8-25; Trent Switzer 1-minus 3; Kasey Kriebel 5-minus 3; Zach Himes 1-minus 10. Clarion: Larry Stout 7-91; Brad Rapp 13-88; Jon Deitz 2-22; Matt Smith 4-16; Jake Fleeger 1-14; Eric Grejda 3-13; Vince Mazzocchi 3-11; Jon Kemmer 1-2; Tyler Schwab 1-minus 8.

PASSING – Union: Zach Himes 3-for-9, 28 yards. Matt Gaggliano 0-for-1, 0 yards. Clarion: Adam Bevevino 5-for-14, 100 yards, 2 touchdowns. Matt Smith 2-for-2, 17 yards.

RECEIVING – Union: Nate Boltz 3-28. Clarion: Jake Fleeger 3-58; Jon Kemmer 2-17; Larry Stout 1-22; Tyler Schwab 1-20.

PUNTING – Union: Zach Himes 4-96. Team 1-2. Clarion: Paul McGinley 1-37.

SACKS – Clarion: Paul McGinley.