BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – The Clarion football team kept it close throughout against a top PSAC East school on the road, but the Golden Eagles were haunted by miscues in falling 35-20 to Bloomsburg at Redman Stadium.  Clarion (1-1) will play the second in a series of three straight road games next Saturday when they take on Shippensburg on Sept. 17.
 
The usually potent Clarion offense was held in check to the tune of 356 offensive yards, nearly half of which came on the ground.  Delrece Williams rushed 20 times for 99 yards and a touchdown, while quarterback Connor Simmons added 44 yards on the ground himself.  Simmons completed 17 of 38 passes for 210 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.  Tyrone Cromwell had a team-high nine tackles while four other players totaled seven stops apiece.
 
The Huskies struck first in the game as Clarion tried to find its traction on offense, with Chris Palubinsky connecting with Jake Scott for a 38-yard touchdown midway through the first quarter.  Bloomsburg would approach the end zone again later in the half, but Adam Lynch intercepted Palubinsky in the endzone to quell the attack.
 
The score remained 7-0 through the first but the Golden Eagles found their rhythm in the second with two quick touchdowns.  Facing a 3rd-and-13 from his own 43, Simmons hit Lehman for a first down to keep the drive alive. 
 
Lehman got the Golden Eagles down to the Bloomsburg 6-yard-line with a 38-yard reception on the next play, and the senior receiver hauled in an impressive score on the very next play to cut the lead to 7-6.  Phil Esposito's point-after attempt was blocked to keep it that way.
 
The Golden Eagle defense held Bloomsburg to a three-and-out on the next drive, with Layne Skundrich sacking Palubinsky to punctuate the stand, and Kyle Evans' delivered an electric play on special teams to set up the next Clarion score.  Evans received the Husky punt at his own 43-yard-line and shimmied his way out of a tackle, returning the kick 47 yards to the Bloomsburg 10-yard-line.  Delrece Williams bullied his way into the endzone for his second rushing touchdown of the year on the next play, scoring from 10 yards out to put Clarion ahead 13-7.
 
Bloomsburg scored on a quarterback sneak with 25 seconds remaining in the first half to take a 14-13 advantage, and the Huskies scored on their first two drives of the second to open up a 28-13 advantage over the Golden Eagles.
 
Simmons and Kevin Genevro capitalized on a short field on the last drive of the third quarter, pulling the Golden Eagles back to within one score with a highlight reel grab in the endzone.  On 1st-and-10 from the Bloomsburg 34-yard-line, Simmons lofted a long ball to Genevro, who dove fully outstretched to bring it in and cut it to 28-20.
 
Miscues plagued the Golden Eagles in the fourth quarter, though, as Clarion turned the ball over three times in the last period of play to scuttle their comeback attempt.  The capper came after Williams fumbled with 3:52 remaining and Clarion driving for the tying score; the ball was picked up Jerrin Toomey and returned 37 yards for a touchdown to make it 35-20.  Simmons was intercepted on Clarion's next offensive drive to officially give the game to the Huskies.