By Andy Close 
 
DUBOIS - Balance has been the staple for the Clarion offense all season and Saturday’s District 9 Class A semifinal against Brockway was no different. 
 
Junior quarterback John Katis threw for 176 yards and two touchdowns and the Bobcats amassed 244 yards rushing in a 35-14 win that sets up a showdown with fellow unbeaten Port Allegany for the District 9 championship. 
 
“He (John Katis) played an outstanding game,” said Clarion head coach Larry Wiser. “He was awesome.” 
 
What was also awesome for the Bobcats was the way they dominated the second half. 
 
Nursing a 20-14 lead at the break, the Bobcats came out on their first offensive possession of the second half and drove the ball 80 yards on 12 plays, chewing 6:08 off the clock. Damien Slike, who rushed for 77 yards in the game, capped the drive with a 1-yard plunge to make it 27-14. 
 
“They are a good offensive team and we want to keep them off the field,” Wiser said. “The offense did a great job on some key third down runs.” 
 
The 6:08 drive was included a Michael Martino interception of Katis that was called back on a holding penalty.  
 
“We got a tough call,” Brockway coach Frank Zocco said of the interception. 
 
Brockway drove the ball down to the Clarion six on the ensuing possession, but T.J. Armstrong, playing through pain, came up with a big stop on Kyle Titler that proved to be the beginning of the end for the Rovers. 
 
“I thought that fourth down stop was a big play,” Wiser said.  
 
Brockway actually controlled play for much of the first half. After a Camron Kirkland 24-yard screen pass for a touchdown made it 7-0, the Rovers went to work. 
 
Alec Shaffer-Doan connected with Anthony Benson for a 19-yard score, capping a 13-play drive that took 5:28 off the clock. 
 
Most of Brockway’s first half work, however came on the ground. Chad Melillo, who rushed for over 100 yards in the first half, scored on a one-yard run on the Rovers’ ensuing offensive possession to make it 14-7. 
 
“We felt we could push them around a little bit and we did, especially early on,” Zocco said.  
 
The Brockway lead was short-lived, however, as Clarion, more specifically John Katis and the passing game, made sure of that. 
 
Katis, Clarion’s single-season record holder for yardage and touchdowns, needed just one play to tie the score, as he threw a perfect pass to Hearst, who took care of the rest for a 72-yard score. 
 
“There’s no question the perimeter was a good area for us to hit,” noted Wiser.  
 
A couple of big pass plays to Camron Kirkland and Ian Corbett set up Katis’ two-yard run on the following Clarion possession to give them a lead they wouldn't relinquish.  
 
Next up for Clarion is the showdown everyone in District 9 has been waiting for all season — Port Allegany vs. Clarion. 
 
“I’ve been thinking about that kid (Port Allegany’s Matt Bodamer) for a year now,” Wiser chuckled. “I’m excited. It’s a great opportunity for the kids.” 

The game will take place Saturday at 1 p.m. at Bradford's Parkway Field.

 

CLARION 35, BROCKWAY 14

Score by Quarters

Brockway 7 7 0 0 – 14

Clarion 7 13 8 7 – 35

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

C – Camron Kirkland 24 pass from John Katis (Antonio Troese kick), 7:40

B – Anthony Benson 19 pass from Alec Shaffer-Doan (Phil Esposito kick), 2:09

Second Quarter

B – Chad Melillo 1 run (Esposito kick), 9:33

C – Cody Hearst 72 pass from Katis (Troese kick), 9:11

C – Katis 2 run (Kick blocked)

Third Quarter

C – Damien Slike 1 run (Ian Corbett pass from Katis), 5:47

Fourth Quarter

C – Kirkland 48 run (Troese kick), 7:21

            B         C

First Downs    20        17

Rushes-Yards  40-179 43-244

Passing Yards 174      176

Passing: Comp-Att-Int            12-18-1            7-10-0

Total Yardage 353      420

Fumbles-Lost  0-0       0-0

Penalties-Yards           4-45     5-49

Punts-Avg.      2-41.5  2-38.5 

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing – Brockway: Chad Melillo 20-131, Anthony Benson 6-37, Alec Shaffer-Doan 10-7, Kyle Title 4-4. Clarion: Camron Kirkland 12-111, Damien Slike 15-76, Ian Corbett 11-53, John Katis 2-8, Team 3-minus 4.

Passing – Brockway: Alec Shaffer-Doan 12-for-18, 174 yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception. Clarion: John Katis 7-for-10, 176 yards, 2 touchdowns.  

Receiving – Brockway: Jacob Perrin 7-110, Anthony Benson 3-36, Chad Melillo 1-16, Anthony Isabella 1-12. Clarion: Cody Hearst 3-85, Camron Kirkland 3-69, Ian Corbett 1-122.

Interceptions – Clarion: Ian Corbett