Sports

Hoggard carries Eagles to victory

Clarion’s Alfonso Hoggard carried the football team to a 42-21 win over visiting Gannon on Saturday at Memorial Stadium, on Homecoming Day.
The junior running back rushed for 134 yards and three touchdowns, while also returning a kickoff 87-yards for another touchdown.

After receiving the opening kickoff Clarion drove 84 yards in 13 plays to take the 7-0 lead early in the contest.

Senior quarterback Tyler Huether went 6-6 for 46 yards on the opening drive, hooking up with junior wide out Jacques Robinson five times for 31 yards.

His final completion of the drive was to Hoggard who was brought down at the six-inch line. Huether then snuck it in the end zone for the score. Gannon struck back by going 85 yards to tie the game.

Jon Richardson capped off the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. Jerey Ditzler’s PAT tied the game at 7-7.

Clarion then went back on the attack going 65-yards on 8 plays for another touchdown.

Huether was stellar again on the drive going four-four for 53 yards. He connected with Robinson again for 16 yards.

Hoggard then took the hand-off from the seven-yard line and sprinted into the end zone for his first touchdown of the evening. Clarion had a 14-7 lead with 8:50 left in the first half.

Clarion took a 21-7 lead late in the first half. This time the Golden Eagles marched down the field 69 yards on just six plays.

Huether rushed the ball for a 31-yard gain to the Gannon 38. After a 10 yard penalty put the ball back on the 48 Hoggard went back to work.
He took two direct snaps in the wildcat formation for gains of 15 and 30 yards to the Gannon 3. Two plays later, Hoggard punched it in from a yard out. This gave the Eagles a 21-7 lead at the half.

Gannon gained a little bit of momentum in the third quarter with a 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Zach Boedicker to Geoff Hicks in the third quarter bringing Gannon back to within 21-14 at 6:09 of the third.

On the ensuing kickoff Hoggard was back at it. This time he received the ball on his own 13 yard line then went up the middle for 30 yards.

He then cut back to the left and at the Gannon 40 yard line he cut back to the right and sprinted down the right sideline for an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown. This gave the Golden Eagles a 28-14 lead with 5:56 left in the third.

After a short punt early in the fourth quarter by Gannon gave Clarion good field position at their own 48. Hoggard then ran all 4 plays before reaching the end zone. He ran three times to the Gannon 41 before taking a draw hand-off up the middle for a 41-yard touchdown run. Robert Mamula’s PAT gave the Eagles a 35-14 lead with 12:32 left in the quarter.

Clarion freshman safety, Aaron Gluvna intercepted a Boedicker pass at the Gannon 30 and returned it to the Knight two-yard line. John Fuhrer then punched it in on the first play to give Clarion a comfortable 42-14 lead.
A late Gannon touchdown made the final score 42-21.

Hoggard finished the game with 257 all purpose yards and four touchdowns. He had 134 rushing yards, two kickoff returns for 104 yards, and two receptions for 19 yards. Huether completed 15 of 22 passes for 148 yards.

He also rushed for a touchdown. Robinson caught nine passes for 83 yards. The Eagles out-gained the Knights 365-355. Corey Bradley had five catches for 53 yards and Evan Twombly had five for 50. Jon Richardson was held to 68 yards and one touchdown on 18 carries.

Clarion returns to action tonight at Slippery Rock for a 6 p.m. kickoff.