CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle football team went punch for punch with West Chester in the final game of the 2022 season, but Clarion was unable to make the game-tying field goal as time expired in a 36-27 loss to the Golden Rams at Memorial Stadium.
 
Clarion finishes the season with a 3-7 overall record, a three-win improvement on last year. Strangely, all three wins came on the road, as the Golden Eagles finished the year with a winning record (3-2) away from home.
 
The game was a slugfest from the opening kick, as both teams seemingly traded scoring drives at every opportunity. The largest lead of the day came midway through the second quarter, when the Golden Rams opened up a 17-6 advantage. Clarion pulled back into it though, and had the opportunity to send the game into overtime after a strong fourth quarter.
 
Trailing 30-20 after a 29-yard field goal by West Chester's Sean Henry, Clarion responded with a five-play, 70-yard touchdown drive. Michael Akinleye broke the drive open with a 14-yard run through the right side, but the play of the drive belonged to quarterback Will Alexander and receiver Zack Kindel. Facing a 3^rd-and-4 from the Clarion 45-yard line, Alexander was flushed from the pocket by David Blay but kept his eyes down field. He uncorked a throw down the left sideline to Kindel, who found a soft spot in the coverage and hauled it in at the 30-yard line before taking it all the way to the WCU five-yard line. One play later, Khalil Owens burst through the left side of the line for his sixth rushing touchdown of the season, and Jarrett Esposito's point-after try made it 30-27.
 
The teams exchanged five three-and-outs on the next five possessions, with Clarion shutting the door on the Golden Rams every time the latter attempted to run out the clock. The Golden Eagles got the ball back on their own 19-yard line with 1:51 remaining in regulation, and Alexander worked his team down the field. Facing a 4^th-and-11 from his own 45-yard line, Alexander converted with a 13-yard run into West Chester territory. He eventually worked the team into potential field goal range, connecting with Owens on an eight-yard screen pass to reach the West Chester 27-yard line. With three seconds remaining, Esposito's field goal try was blocked by Sterlen Barr and returned 66 yards for a touchdown by Oscar Uduma.
 
Both teams showed exceptional ability to run the ball, with the teams combining for 487 yards on the ground. Clarion accounted for 235 rushing yards, led by a 79-yard effort from Alexander that included two touchdown runs. Owens carried 17 times for 75 yards and a touchdown, and Akinleye toted the ball six times for 64 yards and a score. Alexander also had his best game throwing the ball as a Golden Eagle, completing 16-of-24 passes for 233 yards. Owens finished with 230 all-purpose yards, as he recorded 75 rushing yards, 58 receiving yards and 97 kick return yards.
 
Alexander scored the Golden Eagles' first touchdown of the game, breaking off a 38-yard scoring run on an option play to give Clarion a 6-0 just 2:08 into the contest. The Golden Rams responded with a one-play, 43-yard touchdown drive on the next possession when Cooper Jordan hit Rahiem Bowens for a score, and West Chester eventually took a 17-6 lead late in the half. The Golden Eagles responded with a six-play, 79-yard drive that started with a 13-yard run from Alexander and included two long completions to Owens. Owens took the opportunity to rip off a big run of his own, going off right tackle for a 33-yard scamper down to the 10-yard line. Alexander scored his second touchdown of the game from 10 yards out, sprinting into the end zone to make it 17-13.
 
The teams traded long touchdown runs early in the third quarter, with Phil Poquie scoring from 54 yards out to give West Chester a 24-13 lead, and Akinleye ripping off a 41-yard scoring run on the ensuing drive.
 
The Clarion defense tightened up in the late moments of the game, forcing a number of three-and-outs in the fourth quarter as the Golden Eagles attempted to come back. Kareem Hamdan finished with 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass break up, while Alex Huzicka have five tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Jack Lauer also recorded a sack. Read Full Article