Sports

Clarion Blows Double-digit Lead in Loss to Mercyhurst

The Clarion football team took the field to face Mercyhurst on Saturday to celebrate Senior Day.

Clarion took the lead with 10:24 left in the second quarter on a six-play, 84-yard drive, and cashed in a 16-yard touchdown run by junior running back Patrick
Graham-Murphy.

On their next drive the Eagles drove 71 yards on eight plays capped off once again by Graham-Murphy taking a 24-14 lead with 5:49 left in the second quarter.

Graham-Murphy finished the game with 107 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries. Coach Jay Foster considered Graham-Murphy a “pleasant surprise” considering
that he has only had nine practices at the position.

Sophomore quarterback Ben Fiscus finished the first half completing seven of 11 passes for 122 yards and rushed for 77 yards.

However, Fiscus suffered bruised ribs at the end of the half and was unable to return for the second half.

The beginning of the second half continued to roll in Clarion’s favor.

The Mercyhurst deep man fumbled the second half kickoff, and Andrew Paronish returned the fumble for the Eagles to the Mercyhurst 38-yard line.

A personal foul on the play set up the Eagles on the Mercyhurst six-yard line.

Graham-Murphy fumbled the ball going into the end zone only to be scooped up by teammate Jon Reid giving the Eagles a 34-14 lead with 14:04 left in the third
quarter.

After a fumble by sophomore quarterback Ryan Voisey, Mercyhurst was set up at the 10-yard line.

On the opposing drive Mercyhurst quarterback Anthony Vednemia’s fourthdown pass was deflected into the arms of Clarion’s senior corner Chris Wilson who returned
the ball 99 yards for the Clarion score giving the Eagles a 38-14 lead midway through the third quarter.

Wilson also has a 97 yard interception in the game last year against Mercyhurst. Clarion then dodged another bullet after they recovered a fumble at the
one-yard line and ran it out.

However Foster felt that this turn of events was the game changer.

“At that moment we thought the game was over. We dodged that bullet and we felt the game was over.”

The momentum then shifted over to Mercyhurst who accumulated a total of 412 yards compared to the 136 yards in the first half.

Life without Fiscus proved to be too much for the Eagles only being able to accumulate a total of 36 yards in the second half.

Mercyhurst scored 28 unanswered points in the fourth quarter with the last coming off a one-yard run with 32 seconds left in the game.

Clarion had one final push starting with the ball at mid-field with 25 seconds left.

Helped with yet another Mercyhurst penalty the Eagles set up at the Mercyhurst 35 yard line.

With third team quarterback Anthony Omogrosso in the game after replacing second teamer Voisey in the third quarter because of injury, the Eagles drove to the
five yard line with seven seconds left. Omogrosso’s final attempt was picked off to preserve the win for Mercyhurst.

Barrington Morrison led the Clarion defense with three tackles for loss and two sacks.

Senior Shawn Sopic led the team with 11 tackles and one tackle for loss.

The Eagles will end their season with a game at Millersville.