BELLEFONTE — The Clearfield Bisons and Bellefonte Red Raiders have staged some classic games over the years. Friday night\’s contest will probably be no exception.
After dropping a pair of games, the Bisons got their act together in a 42-7 pasting of winless Punxsutawney last week. The Red Raiders whipped Huntingdon, 31-14, to post their third win of the year — equal to the number they had all of 2006. In that win, the Red Raiders battled back from a 14-0 deficit to score 31 unanswered points.
Clearfield head coach Tim Janocko has been impressed with what he\’s seen on film.
\”They have a good team. They\’re very quick defensively,\” Janocko said. \”Hopefully, we can do some things to offset that.\”
The Red Raiders have posted three impressive victories this season, defeating Chestnut Ridge (21-12), Central Mountain (25-13) and the aforementioned win over the Bearcats. Their lone loss came in a 13-10 squeaker to Philipsburg-Osceola in Week Two.
Bellefonte has a plethora of weapons, but none better than quarterback Ryan Poorman. The signal caller is a more than a capable passer, but he also likes to tuck it and run. \”He can throw the ball well. It\’s no coincidence that they\’re 3-1. He\’s a big kid and he\’s a strong kid,\” Janocko said.
The Red Raiders also have a capable running back in Greg Benscoter, who piled up 122 yards in last week\’s come-from-behind win. \”They have a balanced offense,\” Janocko said. \”They run the ball fairly well.\”
Everything came together for the Bisons last week. After taking a couple of games on the chin against Brookville and Hollidaysburg, Clearfield finally got a solid effort on both sides of the ball. \”I thought we played pretty well. We\’re still a growing team, but we executed very well. We do have some flaws, some things we need to work on. We\’re still making mental mistakes, but we cut down on them,\” Janocko said.
The Bisons will need a big game from quarterback Jarrin Campman. Through four weeks, Campman has completed 41-of-71 passes for 648 yards and five touchdowns. Perhaps the most impressive stat is the zero — interceptions, that is. Campman has not tossed a pick in 16 quarters of play. He\’s also a capable runner, carrying the ball 48 times for 188 yards (3.9 yards per crack) and six TDs.
But make no mistake about it, the Bisons ground game is anchored by Isiah Morgan, who has carried the rock 66 times for 277 yards (4.2 per rush) and five touchdowns.
As far as wideouts go, Campman will look for more production from Drew Hipps. He\’s got 13 catches for 329 yards (25.3 yards per catch) and four TDs.
After snapping a two-game skid, the Bisons will look to string together several wins as they get to the midpoint of the 2007 season. \”We played two good teams back-to-back. It was important to get that win (last week),\” Janocko said. \”We\’re pretty happy with where we\’re at right now with the youth we have.\”
Kickoff at Rogers Stadium is set for 7 p.m.
