GREENSBURG, Pa. – The Golden Eagle football team took advantage of key Seton Hill miscues and turned them into points, with Clarion routing the Griffins 40-13 at Offutt Field on Saturday. Despite being outgained offensively by Seton Hill, the Golden Eagles used every tool in the kit to come away with their second road win of the year.
Clarion scored at least once in all three phases of the game, including two special teams touchdowns and a safety. The Golden Eagles got out to a quick lead and limited the Griffins' ability to come back, holding them to one score late in each half. Neither team moved the ball particularly well, but Clarion excelled in the other facets to snatch the win.
Quarterback
Zach Benedek scored three total touchdowns on the afternoon, rushing for one and catching two on passes from receiver
Corahn Alleyne. The first came on the Golden Eagles' opening drive of the game as Clarion marched down the field, including converting a 3
rd-and-9 from the 43-yard line to get it deep into Griffin territory. Benedek converted another third down with a rush to get it in the red zone, and two plays later the quarterback found paydirt. He faked a sweep handoff to Alleyne and busted toward the goal line, with Alleyne stopping and throwing across the field for the 19-yard score.
The two sides traded punts on the following possessions, but the Golden Eagles struck by thwarting what was nearly a Seton Hill scoring drive.
Shane Kemper and
Drew Blon combined to stop the Griffins short of the first down sticks, giving kicker Luke Hauger a 29-yard field goal attempt.
Connor Lyczek busted through the line and blocked the kick, with
Legend Davis picking it up and breaking several tackles en route to a 67-yard touchdown return. That proved to be the turning point of the game as the Golden Eagles played firmly in control the rest of the way.
The other special teams touchdown came late in the second quarter, and that one also came with a little trickery. After the Golden Eagles were halted short of the goal line, the team lined up for a 28-yard field goal. Benedek took the snap and immediately broke for the end zone, scoring from 10 yards out to take a 21-0 lead on the Griffins.
Benedek struck against the Griffins for his second receiving score of the game in the third quarter, this time with Clarion faking the reverse before Alleyne found him from 20 yards out for a touchdown.
Having scored on offense and special teams, the Golden Eagles added defensive points to the troika in the fourth. The Griffins were backed up on third down in the shadow of their own goalposts when Eddie Scott's potential 98-yard touchdown pass to Mark Bails was called back for an illegal block in the end zone. Seton Hill was charged with a safety, turning a potential 27-13 score into a 33-6 rout.
Another turnover allowed Clarion to tack on one more score before the end of the game, with Seton Hill fumbling on a punt return to give the Golden Eagles the ball just nine yards from the end zone.
Khalil Owens scored in just one play, rushing up the middle for the score.
Owens finished the game with 15 carries for 59 yards and a score, as well as four catches for 42 yards.
Shane Kemper had a team-high 10 tackles, while
Jordan Villafane had five stops and an interception.
