CLARION – Clarion scored 43 first-quarter points on its way to a 63-8 win over A-C Valley in the Bobcats home opener Friday night at Clarion University’s Memorial Field.

The 43 points in the opening 12 minutes were Clarion’s most in a quarter in nearly nine years, as were the 57 in the first half. Clarion scored 48 second-quarter points in a 62-0 win over Keystone Oct. 20, 2000, and had 68 first-half points in an 82-0 win over West Shamokin Sept. 29, 2000.

“I don’t quite know what to say,” said Clarion head coach Larry Wiser. “I thought we were real sharp. I was hoping we would come out after last week’s big win (over Moniteau) and play hard.”

A week after using its passing attack to get a 46-14 win at Moniteau, the Bobcats (2-0 overall, 2-0 KSAC) used a strong running game, great special teams play and balanced scoring to beat the Falcons (0-2, 0-2), who fell for the 33^rd straight time. Clarion gained 316 of its 369 total yards of offense on the ground while using a blocked punt to set up a touchdown and returning a punt for another score. The Bobcats also had nine different players score touchdowns and two different players score touchdown passes while emptying the bench by halftime.

“It was a good to get those JV kids in there,” Wiser said. “They got three quarters of playing time, and there will be a lot of film for to look at with them. Some of those kids we are going to rely on, so it gave us a chance to look at what kids we can count on.”

Clarion scored six touchdowns in the first quarter including three on the ground,  two in the air and one on a punt return while adding a safety for good measure.

Bubba Rue started the scoring with a 5-yard run after a blocked punt by Gavin Griffin, Cody Renninger followed by returning a punt 45 yards and Dan Walters hit Erik Hartle with a 28-yard touchdown pass to make it 20-0 with 5:05 left in the quarter. Kevin Grejda (2 yards) and Kris Burkhart (18 yards) each scored on runs before a safety made it 36-0 with 1:22 left in the quarter. Brandon Heeter then hit Brandon Samulewski with a 9-yard touchdown pass with 11 seconds left to make it 43-0.  

Clarion’s 50^th point came on a Cameron Slike extra point that followed a 1-yard scoring run by Marcus Smerker, and Heeter finished off the first-half scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run. The Bobcats then made it 63-0 in the third quarter on a 2-yard Cameron Kirkland touchdown run before Mike Orrvick got A-C Valley on the board with a 9-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter that was followed by a 2-point conversion run by Lee Russell.

The Falcons managed just 30 yards of total offense in the first half and 114 for the game, all on the ground.

Lewis Armstrong led Clarion with 79 yards rushing, Bubba Rue added 49 on just four carries and Kevin Grejda had 32 on four totes. Walters was 2 of 3 passing for 44 yards and the touchdown, while Heeter was 1 of 1 for nine yards and the score.

Justin Look paced A-C Valley with 26 carries for 79 yards, while Orrvick had nine for 25 and the touchdown. Loll was 0-for-2 passing and Orrvick 0-for-11.

Clarion returns to action at 7 p.m. Friday at unbeaten Keystone, while A-C Valley hosts Clarion-Limestone also at 7 p.m.

“We’ll just get ready for Keystone and go from there,” Wiser said. “They have a good football team. (Dan) Reed is a big-time player, and (Brett) Zuck is a heck of a receiver.”

NOTES – The 63 points were the most by Clarion since scoring 71 in a 71-0 win over A-C Valley Sept. 2, 2005, and the second most since the record-setting 2000 season that saw the Bobcats score over 500 points … Speaking of 2000, that was the last time Clarion score more combined points in its first two games than its 109 this year. In 2000, the Bobcats combined for 122 in their first two contests. It was also in 2000, that Clarion last scored more than the 109 combined points in back-to-back games. That year they put up 116 in Weeks Seven and Eight … Clarion is 2-0 for the first time since going 5-0 to start the 2005 campaign … The win is Wiser’s 138^th in his 22^nd year at Clarion. He is the winningest coach in school history. A-C Valley first-year head coach Chris McNany is waiting for his first career victory. McNany is the seventh A-C Valley head coach in the last 12 season – since 1998. In comparison, Clarion has had 11 head coaches in its program history, which started in 1927 including three since 1969 – John Reish, Ray Austin and Wiser.

Andy Close and Chris Rossetti contributed to this story

CLARION 63, A-C VALLEY 8

Score by Quarters

Clarion 43 14 6 0

A-C Valley 0 0 0 8

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C- Bubba Rue 5 run (Slike kick), 9:40

C- Cody Renninger 45 punt return (Kick Failed) 7:49

C- Erik Hartle 28 pass from Dan Walters (Slike kick) 5:05

C- Kevin Grejda 2 run (Slike kick) 3:43

C- Kris Burkhart 18 run (Slike kick) 2:40

C- Safety (Orrvick knee in end zone) 1:22

C-  Brandon Samulewski 9 pass from Brandon Heeter  (Slike kick) 0:11

Second Quarter

C- Marcus Smerker 1 Run (Slike kick) 7:20

C- Heeter 10 run (Slike kick) 3:48

Third Quarter

C- Cameron Kirkland 2 run (Conversion failed)\

Fourth Quarter

AC- Mike Orrvick 9 run (Lee Russell run)

Team Statistics

                                    C                     A

First Downs                17                    7

Rushes-Yards              33-316             40-114

Passing Yards             53                    0

Comp-Att-Int              3-4-0                0-13-0

Total Yards                 369                  114

Penalties-Yards                       0-0                   3-11

Punts-Avg.                  0-0                   5-24.0

Individual Statistics

Rushing- Clarion: Bubba Rue 4-49,  Kevin Grejda 4-32, Dan Walters 1-15, Brandon Heeter 1-10, Lewis Armstrong 4-79, Cameron Kirkland 5-12, Marcus Smerker 6-61.  A-C Valley: Justin Loll 26-79, Mike Orrvick 9-25, Lee Russell 3-10, Jared Uncapher 2-1.

Passing- Clarion: Walter 2-3  44 yards, Heeter 1-1  9 yards.  A-C Valley: Orrvick 0-11, Loll 0-2

Receiving- Clarion: Cody Renninger 1-16, Brandon Samulewski 1-9, Erik Hartle 1-28.