Sports
Clarion blows early lead against Mercyhurst
Chris Wilson (Courtesy Photo / The Clarion Call)
Coming into the game against Mercyhurst, Clarion had momentum. Winners in three of their last four games, the Golden Eagles looked to knock off a good Mercyhurst team.
In the first quarter, Chris Wison had two huge interceptions that haulted two nice Mercyhurst drives.
His second interception off quarterback Travis Rearick was returned for a 97-yard Clarion touchdown.
At the beginning of the second quarter Clarion was driving.
A mixture of passes from Ben Fiscus to Jacques Robinson, and tough, hard nosed, runs by Alfonso Hoggard, brought them to a first and goal at the nine-yard line.
Hoggard ran three straight times and on third and goal, he punched it in from three yards.
A 12-play, 85-yard touchdown drive put the Golden Eagles up 14-0 on the No. 17 team in the nation.
Mercyhurst countered with a long drive of its own.
Rearick started to pick the Golden Eagles defense apart, driving the ball 57 yards on 11 plays.
Rearick hit Jeff Groene for a six-yard touchdown pass, cutting the Clarion lead in half, 14-7.
With 3:13 to go in the half, Mercyhurst got the ball back on its own 49.
On their first play Rearick threw a 51-yard youchdown pass to Terrance Coon.
The game was tied up at 14. Clarion didn’t do much on offense for the rest of the half.
Wilson came up with another interception, making it his third of the game.
The score was all even at half 14-14.
The second half was nothing but a disaster for the Golden Eagles.
Mercyhurst scored two touchdowns in the third quarter making it 28-14.
They then added another touchdown and a field goal in the fourth quarter, and showed why they were one of the best teams in the nation.
Mercyhurst won the second half 24-0, and more importantly won the game 38-14.
“Unfortunately we kept making mistakes and they’re a really good football team,” Coach Foster said.
“There’s a reason they are ranked where they’re ranked right now, and they did not make mistakes for the rest of the game, and we did.”
Hoggard ran for 78 yards and a touchdown. Fiscus was 7-22 for 68 yards and an interception.
Robinson caught five passes for a total of 52 yards.
Clarion falls to 3-7 on the season, and will host Millersville in the last game of the season this Saturday.
It will be senior day at Clarion’s Memorial Field.
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