Box Score CLARION GRIDDERS DEFEAT LOCK HAVEN 30-13
(CLARION, PA.): Clarion tailback
Bobby Thomas (Jr. Reading) rushed 17 times for 147 yards and 1 td, while teammate
Travis Day (So. Jeannette/Hempfield) posted 10 caries for 77 yards and 1 td on Saturday night to lead the Golden Eagles to a 30-13 win over Lock Haven in NCAA Division II football.
A PSAC inter-divisional game, Clarion upped its season record to 2-0, while Lock Haven dropped to 1-1.
After a scoreless first quarter, Clarion took a 3-0 when freshman placekicker
Phil Esposito (Brockway) booted a 27-yard field goal at 12:37 of the second. The field goal capped a five play, 30-yard drive that started at the Lock Haven 40 after the Eagles
Jared Davis recovered a Brandon Brader fumble.
Clarion made it 10-0 at 6:21 of the second quarter when senior quarterback
Ben Fiscus (Indiana) tossed a perfect 18-yard td pass to
Mark Nicholas (Export/Franklin Regional) on a post-pattern in the back of the endzone for the score. The 50-yard scoring drive was setup by sophomore safety
Malik King's (Coraopolis/Cornell) interception of a Dillon Mazzoni pass.
Clarion took a 17-0 lead late in the first half when
Travis Day broke several tackles and ran 22-yards for a Golden Eagle touchdown.
Phil Esposito's PAT at 1:25 of the second quarter gave Clarion a 17-0 lead. Day's td run came on first down, after King caused a David Cook fumble and then recovered the fumble at the LH 22.
Lock Haven scored with 35 seconds before halftime when Brandon Brader scored on a `14-yard pass from MAzzoni. The PAT failed and Clarion led 17-6 at halftime.
Clarion red-shirt freshman quarterback
Darelle Carson (Pgh – Perry) played the entire second half after senior
Ben Fiscus was injured late in the second quarter. Fiscus suffered a leg injur and his status his unknown.
Carson led Clarion on an 87-yard, 12 play drive for a key touchdown on its first possession of the third quarter. Carson completed 2 of 3 passes for 12 yards, and rushed 4 times for 25 yards, including a 3 yard td run to give Clarion a 23-6 lead with 6:26 left in the third quarter. The snap on the PAT bounced to holder
Enrico Canello, who tried a two-point pass but the attempt failed.
Lock Haven came back to draw within 23-13 when Brandon Brader broke a 45-yard td run early in the fourth quarter. Alex Boumerhi's PAT was good and Clarion led 23-13 at 14:03 of the fourth.
Clarion drove 61 yards in 5 plays for its final td. Carson tossed a 15-yard completion to Nicholas, Thomas and Carson rushed 4 and 5 yards respectively, then Thomas broke a 37-yard td run to give Clarion its 30-13 win.
Clarion gained 369 yards of total offense including 293 rushing and 76 passing. Fiscus completed 5 of 12 passes for 46 yards and 1 td, while also running for 23 yards. Carson meanwhile, in his first action of his career, completed 4 of 8 for 30 yards and rushed 11 times for 38 yards and 1 td.
Thomas rushed 17 times for 147 yards and 1 td, while Day had 10 carries for 77 yards and 1 score.
Clarion's defense was led by
Matt Long (Sr. Pgh – North Catholic) who had 11 tackles, while
Malik King posted 5 hits, 1 tfl, 1 fumble caused and recovered and 1 interception. Noseguard
Andrew Fragale (So. Emporium) had 2 sacks and 4 tfl's with6 stops in the game.
Lock Haven had 312 yards of offense including 128 rushing yards and 184 passing yards.
QB Dillon Mazzoni completed 12 of 23 passes for 149 yards and 1 td. Brandon Brader had 121 rushing yards and 1 td on 20 carries.
Clarion returns to Memorial Stadium next Saturday to host Mercyhurst in the PSAC-West opener. Kickoff is set for 6pm.
CLARION NOTES: Clarion's 2-0 start is the first time Clarion has started a season 2-0 since 1996.. the same season the Golden Eagles went 11-3 overall and advanced to the NCAA semifinals before losing to Northern Colorado…
