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BROOKVILLE 25, CLARION 20 |
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Nov. 3, 2006 |
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By Chris Rossetti CLARION – In one of the best games of the season, Brookville drove 66 yards in nine plays to score the winning touchdown with 1:19 to play in a 25-20 win at Clarion Friday night. Joe Galbraith scored the winning touchdown on a 5-yard end around. It marked the fifth lead change in the game and the fourth of the second half. "The offense didn’t panic," Brookville head coach Chris Dworek said. "It was probably the best drive we executed all night. "Clarion is a good team. I knew that. I thought our kids showed they had heart and price. It was a lot of little things they can be proud of tonight." Brookville (9-1), which clinched the top seed in the upcoming District 9 Class AA playoffs with the victory and Karns City’s loss to Forest Hills, was the benefactor of a questionable pass interference call against Clarion (5-5) on the final drive. The Raiders were facing a fourth-and-8 from the Clarion 29 when Shane Heschke threw a pass along the Clarion sideline. The Clarion defender appeared to hit the Brookville receiver after the ball had reached the receiver knocking the ball loose and giving the ball back to the Bobcats. But a late flag from the official came in after the play giving Brookville the ball at the Clarion 14. "You don’t make a call like that," Clarion head coach Larry Wiser said. "One, it wasn’t interference. Two, you don’t take a game out the kids hands there after they have played their hearts out. Their kid fell down and our kid came across the front and slapped the ball down. The guy, who couldn’t even see the call , couldn’t make the call from where he was it. Why didn’t they communicate. He did hit him, but he had the ball." The Raiders needed three plays after the penalty to get the touchdown. Clarion had one last chance to win the game taking over at its own 35 following a short kickoff. But an 18-yard holding call on the Bobcats sabotaged the drive, and Tyler Ross intercepted an Adam Bevevino pass with 40 seconds left to seal the win. "I think this win will help us heading toward the playoffs," Dworek said. "The momentum will keep going. Its just something to make ourselves stronger emotionally. It was a good team uniting game, I think, the way it happened." Clarion led 20-19 before Galbraith’s scoring run thanks to a third-and-goal 5-yard pass from Bevevino to Tyler Schwab with 6:25 left to play. It was Bevevino’s third touchdown pass of the game and came one play after Clarion was whistled for a false start from the Brookville one-inch line. The Bobcats actually had the ball first-and-goal from the 1-yard line before Brookville stuffed two straight Bevevino quarterback sneak attempts. Schwab’s touchdown came on a drive that started after Clarion made a big defensive stand on Brookville. The Raiders, after taking a 19-14 lead late in the third quarter on a Ross touchdown catch, got the ball right back when James Seidle fumble the ensuing kickoff at the Clarion 30-yard line. But Clarion’s defense stiffened and forced Brookville out on downs. The Bobcats took over from their own 27 and proceeded to mark 73 yards in 12 plays on a drive that took 5:28. It was the third scoring drive of the game for Clarion that was longer than 10 plays and more than 60 drives. "We stayed patient," Wiser said. "Physically we matched up with Brookville. Our kids played with their hearts out. A win would have been great. We made some dumb, stupid errors at times, but I thought Adam threw the ball well and we had some great catches." Brookville looked like it was going to run away with the game scoring 13 points on its first two possessions while racking up 123 yards to Clarion’s negative two in the first 8:10 of the first quarter. Heschke (1-yard run) and Ross (2-yard pass from Heschke) scored the touchdowns for the Raiders. But Clarion answered back after Ross’ touchdown catch made it 13-0 with 3:50 left in the first quarter going on a 13-play, 60-yard drive that extended into the second quarter. "I knew there was a lot of time left, and I knew Clarion’s capability," Dworek said. "But I’m not playing. Once they scored, you knew it was going to be on." The Bobcats cut the lead to 13-7 on an 8-yard scoring pass from Bevevino to fullback Tony McMillen, one of two touchdown catches on the night for the senior who took the place of the injured Eric Grejda. "He’s made some super catches," Wiser said. "He has three touchdown catches in the last two weeks. He is a highly emotional, charged kid. He came in and did a nice job filling in for Eric tonight." Clarion had a couple of chances before halftime to take the lead, but Brookville stopped the Bobcats on four plays inside the 7-yard line late in the quarter. The Raiders then got a break when Bevevino fumbled a snap at the Brookville 26 three plays after James Seidle picked off Heschke for the second-time in the quarter. "That (the fumble) was miscommunication," Wiser said. "When we get into our two-minute offense, we don’t go with snap counts. We had actually come out of the huddle, and the center felt we were still in our two-minute offense when we weren’t. That (drive) could have been a big momentum switch." The Bobcats finally took the lead on their first drive of the second half marching 62 yards in 14 plays scoring on a 5-yard pass from Bevevino to Seidle. "That was a big drive," Wiser said. Brookville, though, answered in controversial fashion. The Raiders drove 66 yards in 10 play scoring on a 14-yard pass from Heschke to Ross on fourth-and-goal. Many in the stadium including one of the spotters for the Brookville radio station believed the Raiders got a call on the play as the ball skipped into Ross’ hands. "That one is a tough call," Wiser said. "From my perspective it skipped on the ground. There were plenty of other opportunities where we could have won the ball game." Galbraith led Brookville with 19 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown, while Max Kutz had 12 totes for 65 yards. "That is the great thing about having a one-two punch like those guy," Dworek said. "It is a combination of those guys running hard and blocking hard for each other." Heschke was 8-for-14 passing for 102 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, while Ross had six grabs for 24 yards and two scores. On defense, Levi Singleton had 11 tackles, one sack and three tackles for a loss, while Alex Kerr had 11 tackles. Eli Morres added nine tackles including a sack and three tackles for a loss. Bevevino had a big night for Clarion going 12-for-20 for 123 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. In the process he tied his brother Ben, one of Clarion’s coaches, for the school’s all-time single-season touchdown record with 13. He will have a chance to break that record next week in the District 9 Class A Playoffs. Schwab had five catches for 58 yards and one score, while McMillen had two grabs for 13 yards and two touchdowns while carrying the ball nine times for 33 yards. Larry Stout had 17 carries for 65 yards. On defense, Brad Rapp had 11 stops including one for a loss, while Jake Fleeger and Jon Kemmer each had seven tackles. Two of Kemmer’s were for a loss. Seidle had six tackles, two interceptions and two passes defended. NOTES – As the No. 1 seed in the Class AA playoffs, Brookville will host fourth seeded Brockway most likely in two weeks … Second seeded Karns City will host third seeded Moniteau … Clarion is the No. 8 seed in Class A and will play at the winner of Saturday night’s AML Title game between Curwensville and Coudersport. BROOKVILLE 25, CLARION 20 Score by Quarters Brookville 13 0 6 6 – 25 Clarion 0 7 7 6 – 20 Scoring Summary First Quarter B – Shane Heschke 1 run (Ian Petardi kick), 10:56 B – Tyler Ross 2 pass from Heschke (Petardi kick failed), 3:50 Second Quarter C – Tony McMillen 8 pass from Adam Bevevino (Jon Kemmer kick), 9:12 Third Quarter C – McMillen 5 pass from Bevevino (Kemmer kick), 6:03 B – Ross 14 pass from Heschke (Heschke rush failed), 2:18 Fourth Quarter C – Tyler Schwab 5 pass from Bevevino (Bevevino pass failed), 6:25 B – Joe Galbraith 5 run (Heschke pass failed), 1:19 B C First Downs 16 16 Rushes-Yards 39-207 41-141 Passing Yards 105 123 Passing: Comp-Att-Int 9-16-2 12-20-1 Total Yardage 312 264 Fumbles-Lost 0-0 2-2 Penalties-Yards 8-60 4-42 Punts-Avg. 1-24 1-30 Individual Statistics Rushing – Brookville: Joe Galbraith 19-118, Max Kutz 12-65, Shane Heschke 6-14, Tyler Ross 1-11, Team 1-(-1). Clarion: Larry Stout 17-61, Brad Rapp 9-33, Tony McMillen 5-29, Jake Fleeger 1-6, Adam Bevevino 7-6, James Seidle 1-5, Team 1-1. Passing – Brookville: Shane Heschke 9-for-15, 105 yards, 2 touchdowns, 2 interceptions. Team 0-for-1. Clarion: Adam Bevevino 12-for-20, 123 yards, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception. Receiving – Brookville: Tyler Ross 6-24, Hank Truman 2-69, Alex Kerr 1-12. Clarion: Tyler Schwab 5-58, Paul McGinley 2-18, Tony McMillen 2-13, Brad Rapp 1-20, James Seidle 1-7, Jake Fleeger 1-7. Punting – Brookville: Tyler Ross 1-24. Clarion: Paul McGinley 1-30. Interceptions – Brookville: Tyler Ross. Clarion: James Seidle (2). Sacks – Brookville: Levi Singleton, Eli Morres.
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