CLARION, Pa. – The Clarion football team claimed its first win of the year in hard-fought fashion, defeating Seton Hill 33-28 in front of a packed house at Memorial Stadium on Saturday.  The Golden Eagles (1-5, 1-2 PSAC West) will be back on the road to take on California (Pa.) next weekend.
 
The Golden Eagle defense was at its ball-hawking best, intercepting three passes and recovering two fumbles to post a +5 turnover margin against the Griffins.  Those takeaways proved to be the difference as Clarion outscored Seton Hill 14-0 off turnovers.  Sophomore safety Sam Fareri factored in two turnovers, forcing a fumble and picking off a pass.  The forced fumble came at a crucial time in the game as it ended the Griffins' final offensive drive of the day and ensured the victory.
 
Asiantii Woulard got into a rhythm on offense, completing 19-of-35 passes for 267 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions.  Jeff Clemens also saw time at quarterback, going 3-of-6 for 57 yards and a touchdown of his own.  All three scoring passes went to Mason Standard, who finished the day with eight catches for 117 yards.
 
The ground game was effective in wearing the Griffins down as the day went on, with 45 carries going for 165 yards.  Kyle Evans had the bulk of that, rushing 27 times for 103 yards.
 
Clarion struck first, scoring on their second drive of the first quarter.  Faced with a short field after a fair catch interference penalty against the Griffins, Clemens moved the team into the red zone and eventually got to a 1st-and-10 from the Seton Hill 12-yard line.  On second down Clemens whipped a pass to Standard in the end zone to go up 6-0.
 
Seton Hill's Jarvis McClam ripped off a 76-yard touchdown run on the Griffins' first play of the next drive, giving the Griffins a 7-6 lead.  However, a major miscue on Seton Hill's part put Clarion back in the driver's seat.  On the first play of the second quarter, Griffin quarterback Christian Strong couldn't handle a high shotgun snap that clanged to the turf.  The Golden Eagles scrambled to recover it, with Samuel Payne coming up with the loose ball in the end zone to go up 13-7.
 
The Griffins responded with a touchdown on their next two drives, though, with Michael Elardo scoring from 14 and 31 yards out to give his team a 21-13 lead.  Clarion responded, cutting it to a one-point game before half thanks to an interception by Colton McKay.  McKay jumped in front of a pass at the 45-yard line to give the Golden Eagles a short field with 1:07 left to go.  Woulard connected with Cameron Jefferies for a 35-yard catch-and-run, and then found Standard in the back of the end zone to make it 21-20 at the break.
 
The Golden Eagles took the lead for good on the opening drive of the third quarter, scoring on a methodical 67-yard drive.  The big play of the drive was the 33-yard scoring pass from Woulard to Standard, completing the hat trick for the latter with a well-placed ball.  James Metzgar booted field goals of 37 and 20 yards the rest of the way to complete the scoring.
 
Deron Wharton snuffed a potential Seton Hill comeback with 13:36 left in the fourth quarter, picking off Strong in the back of the end zone.  Cinque Sweeting cut it to 33-28 with a 37-yard touchdown catch, but Fareri's forced fumble sealed the deal late in the half.