Box Score
GAME SCORING SUMMARY
(Shippensburg, Pa.): Clarion tailback
Brandon Akins (So. Erie/Strong Vincent) rushed for 101 yards and 2 td's and
Patrick Graham-Murphy (Jr. Pgh – Brashear) returned a kickoff 68-yards for a td but it wasn't enough as the Golden Eagles dropped a 54-24 decision at Shippensburg in a PSAC crossover game.
Held at Seth Grove Stadium, Shippensburg raised its record to 2-1 overall, while Clarion dropped to 0-3.
Clarion scored on its opening possession driving 49-yards in 8 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Graham-Murphy returned the kickoff 45-yards to the Ship 49. QB
Ben Fiscus completed 2 of 2 passes for 12 yards in the drive, and on first and goal at the Raider 2, Akins ran off right tackle for the score and a 7-0 lead with 11:13 left in the first.
Ship's Drew Newcomer booted a 20-yard field goal to narrow the lead to 7-3 with 7:51 remaining in the first, and then the Raiders took a 10-7 lead on a 9-yard run from Zach Zulli with 9:46 to go in the second.
A penalty on the td forced Ship to kickoff from its 15, and
Patrick Graham-Murphy took the boot at the Clarion 38, ran up the middle, cut to the right sideline, cut back into the middle of the field at about the Ship 35, then cut back to the right sideline at the 25 and ran to the endzone for an electrifying td.
Tyler Ruark's PAT put Clarion back in the lead 14-10 at 9:36 of the second.
Ship drove 68 yards on the ensuing kickoff and scored on a 1-yard run from Kevin Herod to jump back in front 17-14 at 6:38 of the second.
Zach Zulli scored on Ship's next drive on a 1-yard run, capping a 65-yard scoring drive for a 24-14 lead with only 2:04 left before halftime.
Clarion drove from its own 40 to the Ship 18 in 8 plays. The big plays were a 12-yard pass from Fiscus to
Tarrean Barrett, and a 14-yard run from Fiscus to the 18 with 7.5 seconds left in the half. The Eagles had a shot to the endzone and Fiscus completed a pass to
Anthony Becoate inside the left pylon for an apparent td, long with a flag for pass interference on Ship. But a penalty on Clarion negated the play and forced the Eagles to try for a 35-yard field goal on the last play of the half, but the attempt went under the crossbar and Ship led 24-14 at halftime.
Shippensburg went 42-yards in 6 plays to start the second half and scored on a Mike Frenette 6 yard run to put the Raiders in front 31-14.
Frenette put the Raiders ahead 37-14 on a 44-yard run with 5:20 left in the third, then went ahead 44-14 when James Brennan intercepted a Fiscus pass and returned it 31-yards for a td at 5:05 of the third.
Clarion came back and scored on a 44-yard run up the middle by Akins, who broke three tackles to get to the endzone, narrowing the lead to 44-21 at 3:32 of the third.
After Ship's Newcomer booted a 30-yard field goal early in the fourth, Clarion scored its final points on a 36-yard field goal from Ruark at 5:42 of the fourth.
Ship's Roshaan McCain made it 54-24 when e ran 65-yards to score at 5:28 of the fourth.
Clarion gained 294 yards in total offense. Akins rushed 11 times for 101 yards and 2 td's, plus caught 1 pass for 7 yards.
John Fuhrer rushed 12 times for 61 yard. Fiscus completed 9 of 20 passes for 74 yards, and junior
Eric Coxon came on in the third quarter to complete 7 of 13 passes for 53 yards.
Nate Sipes led the Clarion defense with 12 tackles and 1 fumble recovery, while All-Region end
Barrington Morrison had 8 tackles and 2 tfl's, plus 1 fumble caused. Graham-Murphy had 3 tackles, intercepted a Ship pass and returned it 25 yards out of the endzone, and returned four kickoffs for 140 yards and 1 td.
Ship collected 563 yards of total offense, including 356 rushing. Mike Frenette rushed for 106 yards and 2 td's on 17 carries, while Roshaan McCain had 91 yards and 1 td on 6 tries.
Quarterback Zach Zulli completed 20 of 28 passes for 207 yards.
Clarion opens PSAC-West play next Saturday at California. Kickoff is set for 3:30 pm. Shippensburg opens PSAC-East play at C.W. Post.
