Campus Corner: Kelly Named MAC Special Teams Player of Week Again

READING, Pa. – Quarterback Tanner Kelly of Olanta (Clearfield Area High School) ran for 86 yards and threw for 170 yards and one touchdown as Albright climbed to 2-1 with a 17-7 win over Shenandoah (Va.) Saturday night.


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(Photo courtesy of Albright College Athletic Department)

In addition, two of his three punts pinned the Hornets inside their own 20, for which he was named Middle Atlantic Conference Special Teams Player of the Week. He also received that honor a week earlier for his kicking in Albright\’s 30-27 win at Western Connecticut.

 

Only 550 fans were in Shirk Stadium for the defensive struggle that wasn’t sealed until Kelly connected with Nate Romig for a 13-yard TD with 9:09 left, putting the Lions up 17-0.

 

Kelly posted the best rushing performance of his three-year career, keeping nine times for a 9.6 average. His longest run was 24 yards.

 

The redshirt junior hit 14 of 23 passes, with one interception on which he made the tackle.

 

He averaged 35 yards on his three punts.

 

After three games, Kelly leads the Lions in rushing with 123 yards for 32 carries in addition to completing 41 of 69 aerials for 538 yards and six touchdowns. His passing efficiency rating is 147.81.

 

Kelly has punted 10 times for a 35.0 average.

 

In the MAC, he ranks second in total offense per game (220.3 yards), pass completions, completion percentage (59.4) and passing efficiency, fifth in passing yards per game (179.3), eighth in rushing yards per game (41.0) and third in punting average.

 

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ERIE, Pa – Nick Sipes of Curwensville rushed for 27 yards while Shawn Sopic of Curwensville was involved in four stops and intercepted a pass for Clarion in a disappointing 41-7 loss to host Mercyhurst Saturday night.

 

The Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division opener, seen by 1,320 fans at Tullio Field, was the first meeting between the two schools. Mercyhurst, which joined the PSAC this year, is 2-2 overall. Clarion is 1-3.

 

Sipes, who carried six times, wound up Clarion’s leading rusher, including three runs for 17 yards on the Golden Eagles’ lone TD drive late in the fourth quarter. The Golden Eagles netted only 25 yards for 28 running plays.

 

Sopic interrupted the Lakers’ first drive with his second interception of the season and later had two solo tackles and two assists. He also broke up one pass.

 

For the season, Sipes has carried 32 times for 211 yards, second on the team. His 6.6 average is the team’s best.

 

The sophomore fullback, who has scored two touchdowns, has four receptions for four yards and also has made four solo tackles.

 

Sopic is second on the Golden Eagle defense with 14 solo tackles and 24 total stops. The sophomore free safety has the team’s only interceptions.

 

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COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Junior defensive back Beau Ryan of Clearfield made two solo tackles and had one assist in the second half of Juniata’s 21-17 loss to Ursinus in their Centennial Conference opener at Patterson Field Saturday afternoon.

 

The host Bears (2-1) scored with 6:19 game to delight the partisan crowd of 2,945.

 

Ryan has totaled six stops for Juniata, which is 0-3 overall.

 

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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Sophomore Andrew Janocko of Clearfield was the holder for Conor Lee’s three extra points that made the difference in Pitt’s 21-20 squeaker over previously-unbeaten Iowa with a crowd of 50,321 looking on at Heinz Field Saturday afternoon.

 

The Panthers, who led 14-3 in the second quarter of the non-conference game, will take a 2-1 record into Big East play.

 

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SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Junior linebacker Nate Sipes of Curwensville saw action as Slippery Rock spoiled Gannon’s debut in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division with a 24-16 victory Saturday night.

 

A crowd of 7,433 in N. Kerr Thompson Stadium watched the once-beaten Rock extend its winning streak to three games. Gannon is 2-2.

 

Sipes has played in all four games with six solo tackles and four assists.

 

Sophomore offensive guard J.D. Skebo of Curwensville did not play for The Rock.

 

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GROVE CITY, Pa. – Sophomore Tyler Kirkwood of Frenchville (Clearfield Area H.S.) played in Grove City’s first win in a night game at Robert E. Thorn Field Saturday, a 41-35 thriller against Bethany.

 

In just their second home game under the lights, the Wolverines (2-1) scored with 1:59 remaining to prevail in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference opener.

 

Brian Mercer’s fourth TD of the game was the only scoring in the second half after the teams wowed the crowd of 6,500 in the first 30 minutes as Bethany (1-2) took a 35-33 edge to the locker room.

 

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WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. – Freshman David Ryan of Clearfield is a reserve wide receiver on the Lycoming team that evened its record at 1-1 with a 28-16 win over Susquehanna (1-2) in front of 3,614 fans at David Person Field Saturday afternoon.

 

Sophomore Josh Klinefelter, a former Bellwood-Antis High School standout, starred for the Warriors by rushing a school-record 42 times for 229 yards and three touchdowns.

 

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MEN’S SOCCER

 

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Lucas Feathers of Clearfield continues to be the second leading scoring threat for Slippery Rock, which shut out Mercyhurst 2-0 and Kutztown 1-0 on the road last week for a 4-2-1 record.

 

The junior forward got off one shot on goal in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division game against Mercyhurst (3-1-1) at Erie.

 

Feathers, who has six starts in The Rock’s seven games, sports three goals, seven points, seven shots and eight shots on goals, all second on the team.

 

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LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Sophomore Mark Auman of Clearfield played in Lock Haven’s 4-3 loss to visiting New York Institute of Technology on Sept. 17.

 

He didn’t play in a 3-0 win at Shippensburg Saturday that raised the Bald Eagles’ record to 4-4-1.

 

In eight games, six as a starter, Auman has one assist and five shots, one on goal.

 

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WASHINGTON, Pa. – John Lhota of Clearfield registered one of Washington & Jefferson’s four shots on goal in a double-overtime scoreless tie at Otterbein (Ohio) Saturday.

 

The sophomore midfielder also played in the Presidents’ 2-0 shutout of Mount Union (Ohio) on Sept. 17.

 

Lhota, with two starts in seven games, has four shots, three of them on goal, for the 2-3-2 Presidents.

 

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WOMEN’S SOCCER

 

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Jen Williams of Clearfield played in both games as Lock Haven split two games last week, beating Clarion 3-1 in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference game before losing 3-2 at Kutztown Saturday.

 

The sophomore midfielder recorded one shot against Clarion.

 

She has one assist and two shots in seven games for the Lady Eagles, who are 2-3 in the PSAC-West and 4-4 overall.

 

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NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Sophomore midfielder Dani Struble of Lumber City (Curwensville Area H.S.) was a starting midfielder for Westminster in a 2-1 overtime loss to Allegheny at Meadville and an 8-0 rout of host Pitt-Greensburg last week.

 

Struble logged one shot against Pitt-Greensburg as the Titans hiked their record to 5-2-1.

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