Box Score FISCUS TD PASS ON FINAL PLAY - CLARION TOPS LH 30-28
LOCK HAVEN, PA.: Clarion junior qb
Ben Fiscus tossed a three-yard td pass to tight end
Anthony Becoate on the game's final play, culminating a 90-yard drive in 1:21, to lead the Golden Eagles to a 30-28 win over Lock Haven on Saturday afternoon.
The win vaults Clarion to a 4-4 overall record and a 2-3 mark in the PSAC-West, while Lock Haven dropped to 0-8 overall and 0-5 in the PSAC-West.
Lock Haven, who suffered their 50 straight loss, took the lead with 1:26 remaining in the game when qb Jarrett Kratzer tossed a 22-yard td pass to Jesse Hoover. The PAT gave the Bald Eagles a 28-24 lead.
Clarion started the final drive with 1:21 left on the clock and the ball at its own 10-yard line after a blocking in the back penalty on the kickoff.
The drive started with a three yard run by Fiscus, then Fiscus hit
Aaron Barlow for 11 yards to the 24. After a 12-yard pass to Becoate to the 36, and a 5 yarder to
Nick Perry to the 41, Clarion faced a fourth and 5 with only 21 seconds remaining. Fiscus hit Perry with a 24-yard strike to the LH 35.
With 10 seconds left in the game Fiscus scrambled in the backfield and threw across the field to his right to Barlow to the 3 yard line just in front of the pylon. Clarion called its final timeout with 2.3 seconds left on the clock and setup its final play. Fiscus took the snap in the shotgun and looked left, then scrambled right, scrambled to the left hash, and again turned back to his right – this time seeing Becoate alone in the right side of the endzone. The pass was on the mark and Clarion took the win on the game's final play.
“I was looking for Anthony right off the snap, but he was covered,” said Clarion's Fiscus. “I rolled left looking for another receiver, but they were covered too. After scrambling back and forth I spotted Anthony – and just fired it to him. We're really happy to get the win,” added the Clarion qb.
“After Ben didn't hit me on the first read – I kept going into the endzone,” said Becoate. “When he started scrambling – I ran to the right to an open spot and just hoped he'd find me. It was a heckuva play by Ben.”
Lock Haven opened the scoring when Bernard Smack returned the opening kickoff 88-yards to take a 7-0 lead.
Clarion scored 17 unanswered points to take a 17-7 second quarter lead.
Becoate caught an 11-yard pass from Fiscus at 4:13 of the first to tie the game, then
Nathan Conway booted a 28-yard field goal at 11:31 of the second for a 10-7 advantage.
Rob Irwin caught a 17-yard td pass from Fiscus at 2:41 of the second for a 17-7 lead.
Lock Haven narrowed the gap to 17-14 when Kratzert hit Hoover with a 60-yard td pass with 1:57 left before intermission.
Clarion appeared to take control of the game when
Travis Day rushed for a 31-yard td with 5:27 left in the third quarter. Clarion led 24-14.
Lock Haven came back to score on an 18-yard td pass from Kratzer to Ian Smith with 2:18 left in the third at Clarion's lead was narrowed to 24-21.
Clarion drove to the Lock Haven 10 late in the fourth – with a chance to secure the win, but the Golden Eagles turned the ball over on downs at the 12 with 4:39 remaining– setting up Lock Haven's final drive and the game's final ending.
Clarion had 458 yards of total offense including 134 rushing and 324 passing.
Ben Fiscus completed 26 of 42 passes for 324 yards and 3 td's. He also ran for 13 yards. Day rushed 7 times for 60 yards and 1 td. Becoate grabbed 8 passes for 69 yards and 2 td's, while Barlow had 5 catches for 77 yards.
Lock Haven had 321 yards of offense including 54 rushing and 267 passing. Kratzer completed 14 of 27 passes for 267 yards and 3 td's. Jesse Hoover had 3 catches for 100 yards and 2 td's.
Clarion's defense was led by
Brian Palmiere who had 10 tackles and 1 sack, along with
Julian Howsare who had 6 tackles, 1 sack, 1 fumble caused and two punt blocks.
Clarion visits IUP next Saturday.
TEAM CELEBRATES AFTER GAME WINNING TD PASS
