Clarion Golden Eagles (4-0, 0-0 PSAC West) at Edinboro Fighting Scots (1-2, 0-0 PSAC West)
Saturday, September 27 // 12:00 PM
Edinboro, Pa. // Sox Harrison Stadium

Quick Notes

• The Golden Eagles will open PSAC West play on the road against longtime rival Edinboro on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Sox Harrison Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon.
• This will be the 95th meeting between Clarion and Edinboro, with the Fighting Scots leading the all-time series 50-42-2. However, the Golden Eagles have won each of the last two meetings, including the last game in Edinboro.
• Clarion improved to 4-0 last week with 51-38 home win over Shepherd, marking their first 4-0 start to a season since winning seven straight games to open the 2015 campaign.
• The win over the Rams marks Clarion's first four-game win streak since winning four straight during the 2018 season en route to a 4-1 start.
• Quarterback Anthony Guercio earned D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week honors after exploding for 413 passing yards, two touchdowns and 60 rushing yards in a win over Shepherd on Sept. 20.
• Guercio leads Super Region 1 and ranks sixth in the nation in points responsible for, accounting for 78 points.
• Running back Khalon Simmons rushed for four touchdowns in the win over Shepherd, marking just the eighth time in program history that a single player has rushed for four touchdowns in a single game.
• Simmons leads NCAA Super Region 1 with eight rushing touchdowns in four games.
• Receivers Davon Jones and Holt Egan both went over 100 yards receiving in the win over Shepherd, the first time two Golden Eagles eclipsed the century mark receiving in the same game since 2021.
• Nearly 16 percent of the Golden Eagles' offensive plays run this year have fit in the "explosive" play category as either a 10+ yard run or a 20+ yard pass.
• The Clarion defense has forced more third downs (55) than all but one team in the conference, and are allowing opponents to convert at just a 32.7 percent success rate.
• The Clarion offense has scored more touchdowns than any team in the PSAC to this point, logging 22 trips to the end zone in four games.
• Clarion is one of just three teams in the PSAC to have one or fewer interception thrown to this point, and the only one to have played four games already.
• Defensive back Zay Brisbane leads the PSAC with nine passes defended in 2025.
• Punter Frankie Passantino III currently leads the PSAC in punts downed inside the 20-yard line (7) and has kicked just one touchback.
• Kicker Andrew Kurtas has been a perfect 4-for-4 on field goal attempts so far this year, the only player in the PSAC to be at 100 percent with at least four attempts.

 
Series History

• This will be the 95th meeting between the Golden Eagles and the Fighting Scots, making it the most-played rivalry in the history of Clarion football. The series dates all the way back to the 1926 season. Edinboro leads the all-time series with Clarion 50-42-2.
• Clarion led the rivalry for many years, going 18-14-1 against the Fighting Scots from 1926-1958. Since then, Edinboro has led the all-time series 36-24-1.
• The Golden Eagles have won each of the last two meetings with the Fighting Scots, the first time that has happened since back-to-back wins in the 1997-98 seasons.
• In last year's game, Clarion rallied back from a 19-point fourth quarter deficit, outscoring Edinboro 20-0 in the fourth quarter for a stunning 29-28 win at Memorial Stadium. Anthony Guercio threw for 372 yards and three touchdowns, while also rushing 19 times for 88 yards and a score. Griffin Buzzell and Christopher Shackleford both recorded interceptions, and Mathew McGregor carried on a successful fake punt for a 30-yard gain.
• The Golden Eagles also won the most recent meeting at Sox Harrison Stadium, winning 34-20 on Oct. 21, 2023. The game was not even that close for 45 minutes, as Clarion led 34-7 entering the fourth quarter. Guercio tossed touchdown passes to Zack Kindel and Ray Jackson and rushed for another, as did current Golden Eagle assistant coach Will Alexander.

 
Scouting the Fighting Scots

• Edinboro was predicted to finish sixth in the PSAC West in 2025 after going 3-8 in 2024. The Fighting Scots returned eight starters on the offensive side of the ball, including four offensive lineman.
• The Fighting Scots are under the direction of first year head coach Matt Scott, who previously spent six seasons as the defensive coordinator at Super Region 1 power New Haven.
• To date the Fighting Scots are 1-2 overall, winning their season-opener on the road against PSAC East contender East Stroudsburg by a 29-14 score before losing to Kutztown (34-0) and Bloomsburg (34-17).
• In the win over the Warriors on Aug. 28, Jaret Frantz caught six passes for 78 yards and three touchdowns, including the first two scores of the game to put the Fighting Scots ahead 15-0, en route to earning PSAC Offensive Athlete of the Week honors.
• In that same game, Ricco Sastoque averaged 52.0 yards per punt including a long of 62 and pinned the Warriors inside the 20 twice to earn Special Teams Player of the Week Honors.
• Edinboro is the least penalized team in the PSAC West and sixth-best in the nation in that respect. They are averaging just four penalties per game for an average of 31.7 yards per game.

 
Golden Eagles Picked Seventh in PSAC West
The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference announced their 2025 preseason football coaches' poll on August 7. Clarion was predicted to finish seventh in the PSAC West division in 2025.
Clarion returns 13 total starters from last year's team that went 3-8 overall with a 1-5 record in the PSAC West division.
 
2025 PSAC Football West Division Preseason Poll

1. Slippery Rock (4)
2. IUP (3)
3. California (Pa.)
4. Gannon
5. Seton Hill
6. Edinboro
7. Clarion

 
2025 PSAC Football East Division Preseason Poll

1. Kutztown (7)
2. East Stroudsburg (1)
3. West Chester
4. Shepherd
5. Bloomsburg
6. Lock Haven
7. Shippensburg
8. Millersville

 
About the Coach
Raymond Monica, a two-time American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 1 Coach of the Year and two-time Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Coach of the Year with more than 30 years of experience at the college level, became the 14th coach in Golden Eagle history on Feb. 17, 2022. He enters his fourth season at the helm of the program
 
Al Jacks Field Dedicated on August 28

• As a coach, administrator and professor, the late Al Jacks was an indelible part of the Clarion community for six decades. Now, his name will officially become a permanent part of Clarion athletics, when the playing surface at Memorial Stadium is officially renamed Al Jacks Field at Memorial Stadium.
• With Jacks at the helm of the football program, the Golden Eagles went 128-46-5 for a .729 winning percentage, and his 128 wins rank eighth all time for a head coach at a PSAC school. The team captured six PSAC West division titles (1966, 1967, 1969, 1977, 1978, and 1980) and three PSAC Championships (1966, 1977, 1980). Clarion's 1980 team was named the ECAC "Team of the Year."
• Jacks was inducted into the Western Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame – now named for another Clarion graduate, Robert "Tick" Cloherty – in 1979, and in 1980 the Golden Eagles were named the ECAC Division II Team of the Year. In Fall 2022 he went into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame.
• The Golden Eagles did Coach Jacks justice with a shutout victory over Wheeling.

 
Larry Wilson Comes to Clarion

• The Golden Eagles will feature a new offensive coordinator in 2024 as veteran assistant coach Larry Wilson joins the staff. Wilson was the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at IUP from 2022-24, and he made an immediate impact upon his arrival at IUP.
• The Crimson Hawk offense ranked among the top five in the PSAC in nearly every major statistical category, including third in scoring offense (31.6), third in passing offense (249.1), fourth in rushing offense (161.7) and second in total offense (410.8).
• Prior to that he spent 17 years at California (Pa.), Including a stretch where the Vulcans hit double figures in wins six times, made five straight NCAA Division II playoff appearances and three consecutive national semifinals.

 
Golden Eagles Return Trio of 2024 Captains
The Golden Eagles selected their 2024 captains at the conclusion of last season, with three of the five players returning to the fold in 2025. Quarterback Anthony Guercio and linebackers Griffin Buzzell and Dillon Tingle were selected as captains, alongside Trevon Tate and Jake Tarburton.
 
Egan, Shaffer Recognized for Strong Spring Season

• Clarion head coach Raymond Monica handed out Most Improved awards at the conclusion of the 2025 spring practice schedule, honoring one player apiece on offense and defense.
• The offensive representative was wide receiver Holt Egan. The most improved defensive player over the spring was linebacker Luke Shaffer.

 
Buzz at Linebacker

• Linebacker Griffin Buzzell earned his second consecutive Second Team All-PSAC West honor, as the linebacker continued his development into a leader not just on the defense but for the team. He ranked fourth in the PSAC with 90 tackles while also contributing 4.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
• The senior 'backer is off to a quick start in 2025, ranking second in the conference with an average of 10.8 tackles per game. He is third in the league with two forced fumbles.
• The team's best run stopper through the first four games of the year, Buzzell has made a team-high 30 tackles on rush plays.

 
The Offense by the (Conventional) Numbers

• Through three games, the Golden Eagles lead the PSAC West division and rank second in the overall conference with a scoring average of 41.0 points per game.
• That jibes well with their total offensive numbers; the Golden Eagles are first in the West and fifth overall with an average of 439.5 yards per game.
• Clarion has scored 22 touchdowns this season, more than any other team in the conference, and their average of 5.5 touchdowns per game is just a smidgen above IUP (5.3), who has played one fewer game.
• The Golden Eagles rank sixth in the conference and second in the PSAC West in third-down conversion at 43.4 percent. This week's opponent Edinboro leads the PSAC West with a 50.0 percent conversion rate.

 
The Offense by the (Nerdy) Numbers

• The offense has been effective at getting yardage in big chunks; through three games the Golden Eagles have totaled 26 "explosive" runs (10+ yards) and 17 "explosive" pass plays (20+ yards) for a total of 43 "explosive" plays.
• Clarion has achieved 92 first downs in their first four games, an average of 23.0 first downs per game. That total leads Super Region 1 and ranks ninth in the nation overall.
• The Golden Eagles' 6.5 yards per play average is their best since 2015, when they also averaged 6.5 yards per play.
• Clarion has run 270 offensive plays in four games, the highest total in the PSAC so far this season.
• The offense has reached the red zone more than any other team in the PSAC, and by a wide margin, scoring 15 touchdowns on 21 trips inside the opponents' 20-yard line. By comparison, only one other team - Millersville - has even reached the red zone 15 times.

 
Digging Into Defensive Stats

• Through four games the Golden Eagles defense has allowed an average of 20.5 points per game, sixth in the conference and fourth in the West.
• In those four games, the Golden Eagles have allowed just nine opponent trips into the red zone, surrendering four touchdowns and two field goals in that span.
• Clarion has forced opponents into 55 third down attempts in four games, one behind leader Seton Hill and 11 more than third place California (PA). Their third down defense has allowed opponents to convert at a 32.7 percent pace, third best in the PSAC West.

 
Simmons Busting Out on Offense

• Through four games, running back Khalon Simmons leads the PSAC with eight rushing touchdowns, a total that also leads Super Region 1.
• Simmons ripped off a 44-yard touchdown run against Shippensburg on Sept. 13, the longest run of his career and the longest run for any Golden Eagle since the 2023 season.
• In the last five seasons, there have only been seven runs of 44 or more yards by a Golden Eagle:

 
                  Khalon Simmons vs. Shippensburg (9/13/25) - 44 yards
                  Anthony Guercio at Edinboro (10/21/23) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens vs. Bloomsburg (9/9/23) - 45 yards
                  Zach Benedek at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 55 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Mercyhurst (10/15/22) - 56 yards
                  Corahn Alleyne vs. Gannon (9/24/22) - 65 yards
                  Khalil Owens at Edinboro (11/6/21) - 52 yards
 
Four of a Kind

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, Khalon Simmons did something that very few Clarion players have ever done, scoring four rushing touchdowns in the win over the Rams.
• It was the first time any Clarion player scored four rushing touchdowns in a game since Patrick Graham-Murphy tied the school record with five scores against Millersville on Nov. 12, 2011.
• Simmons' game marks just the eighth time in program history a Golden Eagle player has rushed for four or more touchdowns in a single game.

 
Accolades Pile Up for Anthony Guercio

• Quarterback Anthony Guercio has continued to earn recognition for his strong start to the season, with the ripples now reaching the national level.
• Guercio was named the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, as well as the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week, after his standout performance against Shepherd on Sept. 20.
• Guercio completed 26 of 35 passes for 413 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, marking the first 400-yard passing game for a Clarion quarterback since Oct. 17, 2015. It was the fifth-highest single game total in program history. He also rushed 13 times for 60 yards.
• Guercio led the Clarion offense to 603 yards of total offense and 51 points, with both of those totals the best in a single game at Clarion since the 2015 season.
• He previously won the PSAC West Offensive Athlete of the Week Award on Sept. 8 after putting up five total touchdowns in just 33 minutes of play in the Golden Eagles' road win over West Virginia Wesleyan.

 
Guercio in 2024

• The 2024 season featured an explosion from quarterback Anthony Guercio. He threw for 2,001 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, and then ranked second in the PSAC in total touchdowns with 12 rushing scores on the year.
• That was complemented by 645 rushing yards, giving him an average of 264.3 total offensive yards per game to rank third in the PSAC and sixth in Super Region 1.
• Guercio's 12 rushing touchdowns were the most for any Golden Eagles since Alfonso Hoggard's school record 17 touchdowns in 2009, and are tied for fifth in a single season in program history.
• When it came time to make a big play on the ground, Guercio was tops on the team in 2024. He led the team with 44 rushes for either first downs (32) or touchdowns (12). Logan Kent was second on the team with 15 such plays.

 
Climbing the List

• With two more rushing touchdowns against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 4, Guercio became the fifth player in Golden Eagle history to rush for 20 touchdowns in a career. He is three rushing scores away from tying Hall of Famer Elton Brown (23) on the career rushing touchdown list.
• Last year Guercio finished the season with 12 rushing touchdowns; if he matched that total this year, he would surpass Robert Walker (27) and Alfonso Hoggard (27) for second on the program's career rushing touchdown list.

 
That's 34.2 Percent of a Mile, You Know

• Clarion's win over Shepherd on Sept. 20 saw the team explode for 603 yards of total offense, one of the best single-game marks in program history.
• That yardage total represented the best single-game total since putting up a record 676 yards against Seton Hill in the 2015 season.

 
Holt and Catch Fire

• After putting up modest, even minimal numbers, in his first year as a Golden Eagle, Holt Egan has jumped onto the scene as a dangerous target in the Clarion passing game.
• The senior wide receiver has 17 receptions for 329 yards and two touchdowns in the first four weeks of the season, catching scoring passes against Wheeling and West Virginia.
• Egan ranks fifth in the PSAC in receiving yards per game (82.3) and seventh in yards per reception (19.4).

 
Two Over the Century Mark

• Against Shepherd on Sept. 20, both Holt Egan and Davon Jones went over the century mark in receiving yards, with Egan catching six passes for 121 yards and Jones eight for 103 yards.
• That is the first time two Golden Eagles went over the 100-yard receiving mark in the same game since Quinn Zinobile (107) and Terrell Ford (115) did it against Shippensburg on Sept. 18, 2021.

 
Nose for the End Zone

• Redshirt freshman Ja'Tawn Williams and redshirt sophomore Davon Jones have shown an early knack for finding their ways to the end zone, tying for the team lead and third in the PSAC in touchdown receptions with three apiece.
• Since getting on the field against West Virginia Wesleyan on Sept. 4, Jones has been heavily targeted, averaging 5.3 receptions per game in that span.
• For Williams, a high percentage of his catches have led to scores. Of his 11 total receptions this year, three of them have resulted in touchdowns.

 
Not So Static Kling

• Defensive tackle Owen Kling was the anchor of the Golden Eagles' defensive line in 2024, earning Second Team All-PSAC West honors.
• The numbers were not gaudy – 16 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 0.5 sacks – but the cumulative effect was noticeable as he demanded regular double-teams on the interior.
• Clarion held opponents to a 3.9 yards per carry average for the season.

 
Brisbane Named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week

• Zay Brisbane was all over the field in the win over Wheeling on Aug. 28, recording four tackles and swatting away a career-high four passes.
• Four passes defended in a single game is the best total for any Golden Eagle defender since the 1992 season.
• For his efforts, Brisbane earned PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honors for Sept. 2.
• With two more pass break-ups against Shepherd, Brisbane now leads the PSAC with nine passes defended in four weeks of action.

 
Defense Pitches Shutout in Season Opener

• Clarion kicked off the season with a rare feat, shutting out Wheeling 34-0 in the 2025 opener.
• The goose egg represented the first shutout for the Clarion defense since Aug. 30, 2012, when the Golden Eagles beat Fairmont State by a 7-0 score.
• That marked a span of 130 games between shutouts, as well as a 130-game span between shutouts at Memorial Stadium.
• The Golden Eagles have not had a road shutout since Sept. 9, 1995 at Westminster.
• Clarion didn't just keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard, but also from doing much of anything on offense. They limited Wheeling to 180 yards of total offense, their lowest total since permitting just 111 yards to Lincoln on Sept. 15, 2018.

 
Coming Up Next

• The Golden Eagles will off next week -  thanks Mercyhurst! - before heading back on the road to take on Gannon on Oct. 4. Kickoff is set for noon.
• The Golden Knights have won each of the last five meetings between the teams, with Clarion's last victory coming during the 2018 season.