CLARION, Pa. --- The Golden Eagle football team played evenly with Seton Hill for four quarters, but a handful of special teams miscues proved to be the difference as Clarion fell 24-17 to the Griffins on a rainy Saturday afternoon.
 
The numbers showed that the teams taking the field at Memorial Stadium were evenly matched. Total offensive yards were 319-300 in favor of Seton Hill, with Clarion out-rushing the Griffins while the latter was more effective moving the ball through the air. The sharpest difference came on special teams, which accounted (either directly or indirectly) for 17 of Seton Hill's 24 points.
 
The Golden Eagles lit up the scoreboard first, rushing the ball five straight times for 73 yards and the touchdown. Quarterback Zach Benedek ripped off a 26-yard rush on 2^nd-and-1 from the Griffins' 42-yard line to put his team in the red zone and Corahn Alleyne terminated the drive on the next play, rushing around right end for a 16-yard touchdown. Seton Hill tied it up on the ensuing drive, with quarterback Hayden Teska connecting with Cody Rubrecht on the left side of the end zone from 10 yards out to even the score.
 
Neither team got much going offensively for the remainder of the second quarter, though the Griffins would take their first lead of the game just 12 seconds into the second half. Taz Morris returned the opening kickoff 101 yards for a touchdown, pulling down the ball a yard deep in his own endzone and busting through the middle of the field for a long score. Clarion countered with an 11-play, 58-yard field goal drive, with Andrew Kurtas booting it through from 34 yards out to cut the deficit to 17-10.
 
Clarion's defense was largely able to keep the Griffin offense in check for the rest of the game, holding them to just 68 yards of total offense in the second half. However, Seton Hill took advantage of two key special teams fumbles to build upon their lead. The Golden Eagles forced a three-and-out on Seton Hill's first offensive possession of the second half but a muffed punt by Ty Corbin gave the Griffins the ball at the Clarion 45-yard line. The defense stood tall with their backs to the goal line, though Seton Hill's Luke Hauger kicked a 22-yard field goal to make it 17-7.
 
The Golden Eagles evened up the score midway through the fourth quarter, fighting through worsening rain and benefitting from crucial penalties taken by the Griffins that extended the drive. The play of the game came with 6:29 left on the clock, with Clarion facing a 4^th-and-19 from the Seton Hill 25-yard line. Benedek escaped pressure and heaved the ball toward the back of the end zone, with Alleyne toe-tapping in the righthand corner to pull the ball down for the tying score.
 
The defense held up on the next possession, forcing another three-and-out, but this time Alleyne was the guilty party, muffing the punt at his own 24-yard line and giving the Griffins excellent starting field position. Ky'Ron Craggette rushed it in from two yards outs four plays later, putting the Griffins ahead 24-17. Clarion was able to get two more possessions to try and even up the score, but Seton Hill held on for the win.
 
Alleyne finished with 140 combined rushing and receiving yards as well as two touchdowns, and also added 66 total return yards for a 206 all-purpose yardage total. Benedek rushed for 55 yards and threw for 90 and a score. Griffin Buzzell had a game-high nine total tackles, Alex Huzicka forced a fumble and Johnny Hutton picked off a pass.
  Read Full Article