Campus Corner: Sipes on All-PSAC-West Second Team; Kalgren Shines in Finale; Lytle Remains Unbeaten; Kyler, Keane Place High

 

CLARION, Pa. – Clarion junior strong safety Nick Sipes of Curwensville has been named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference All-Western Division second team, one of seven Golden Eagles honored along with coach Jay Foster after a surprising 8-3 season.

 

Sipes, who was switched back to defense after playing fullback as a sophomore, still ranks third among PSAC defenders in total tackles with 112 and 10.2 stops per game after the first round of NCAA Division II Playoffs involving four conference teams. He is tied for fifth in solo stops with 52 and second in assists with 60.

 

The 5-11, 215-pounder reached double figures in stops six times and had at least eight tackles in three other games. His peak performance was against Indiana, 19 total tackles, including one sack and two tackles for losses.

 

In D-II, Sipes is 20th in total stops and average (10.18), tied for 20th in assists and tied for 52nd in solo tackles and solo tackles per game (4.73).

 

He had six sacks, 12 tackles for losses that cost opponents 36 yards, forced one fumble and broke up one pass.

 

Three other members of the Clarion defense were cited, lineman Ben Maund on the first team and linebacker Joe Fox and cornerback Daily Whitten on the second unit.

 

Running back Alfonso Hoggard was named PSAC West Player of the Year after leading the conference in touchdowns with 19 and total points with 118 while rushing for 1046 yards for the No. 1 average of 104.6 a game.

 

Tight end Matt Foradora of Brockway and wide receiver Jacques Robinson joined Hoggard on the first team offense. Foradora, a 6-5, 250-pound senior, caught 39 passes for 469 yards and three scores.

 

With Clarion pegged for a PSAC-West seventh-place finish in the pre-season poll of head coaches, Foster was an easy choice as Coach of the Year after the Golden Eagles won their last six games to claim second place in the division at 6-1 and reverse their 2008 record.

 

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David Kalgren (Photo Courtesy of Oberlin College Athletic Department)

OBERLIN, Ohio – Quarterback David Kalgren of Curwensville punctuated his rookie season at Oberlin on a high note Saturday, passing for three touchdowns and running for another as the Yeomen defeated Hiram 34-29.

 

A crowd of 3,821 at Savage Stadium was treated to a back-and-forth North Coast Athletic Conference finale in which the lead changed hands five times before the Yeomen claimed their second win in 10 games. They finished 2-5 in the NCAC.

 

Kalgren registered season-highs with 219 passing yards on 13 completions in 22 attempts and 116 rushing yards on 23 carries, earning Domino\’s Pizza Oberlin Athlete of the Week for the third time.

 

His scoring aerials of 49 yards to C.J. Holman and 39 yards to Adam Lowther helped Oberlin take a 20-10 lead early in the second quarter, but Hiram was ahead 23-20 when Kalgren scampered 13 yards on a quarterback draw to put the Yeomen in front to stay with 1:42 left in the third quarter.

 

The 5-11, 180-pounder\’s six-yard TD pass to Danny Enright early in the fourth quarter proved to be the insurance Oberlin needed when Hiram closed out the scoring with 7:34 left.

 

He also made his first collegiate tackle on one of the three interceptions he suffered.

 

Kalgren, who started seven games, rushed for 504 yards on 120 carries and passed for 964 yards on 95 completions in 187 attempts, finishing ninth in the 10-team NCAC with his averages of 50.4 and 96.4, respectively. He wound up seventh in total offense with 1,468 yards.

 

Kalgren led the Yeomen with three rushing TDs and passed for six scores. He was intercepted nine times.

 

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READING, Pa. – A non-throwing shoulder injury quarterback-punter Tanner Kelly of Olanta (Clearfield Area High School) suffered in Albright\’s previous game limited the standout redshirt senior to one series against Lebanon Valley in his final appearance at Shirk Stadium Saturday.

 

Kelly became a spectator along with the Senior Day turnout of 3,215 after throwing one incompletion and being sacked for a seven-yard loss, and the Lions struggled on offense until the third quarter of the Middle Atlantic Conference second-place showdown.

 

Then, with the Lions trailing 23-0, senior reserve quarterback Patrick Subers sparked a charge that carried Albright (9-1) to a pulsating 44-43 double-overtime victory that resulted in an invitation to the NCAA Division III Tournmament. The Lions will go on the road to test Alfred (N.Y.) University (8-1) in an East Region first round game Saturday.

 

The seldom-utilized Subers made the most of his opportunity, finishing the dramatic win with 22 completions in 37 passes for 362 yards and five touchdowns to earn MAC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

 

Only the Lebanon Valley (8-2) coaching staff\’s decision to go for two points after the Dutchmen\’s second extra period TD kept the thriller from being extended. The Lions were able to break up the PAT pass to finish 6-1 in the MAC.

 

Despite having his passing yards per game dipping to 235.1, Kelly still finished the regular season atop the MAC in that category as well as completions (182 in 259 attempts), completion percentage (70.3), passing yards (2,351) and touchdowns (18). His 167.9 passing efficiency also was first among regular quarterbacks.

 

Sacks included, Kelly netted 377 yards for 115 carries, giving him a MAC-leading 2728 yards of total offense.

 

And he ranked No. 5 in punting with a 35.3 average for 27 kicks.

 

In Division III Top 100 quarterback stats, Kelly ranks third in completion percentage, fifth in passing efficiency, 35th in total offense, 41st in yards per completion (12.90), 42nd in passing yards, 49th in passing yards per game, tied for 5th in TD passes, and 52nd in completions per game (18.30).

 

His two interceptions were second fewest. Coe\’s Brad Boyle throw only one pick.

 

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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two field goals Dan Hutchins booted out of the holds of redshirt sophomore quarterback Andrew Janocko of Clearfield made the difference as Pitt turned back Notre Dame 27-22 in front of 65,374 fans packed into Heinz Field Saturday night.

 

Janocko also was on the field for three extra point kicks by Hutchins.

 

The Panthers went into the non-conference tussle ranked No. 8 by The Associated Press, No. 9 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll and No. 12 in the Bowl Championship Series ratings.

 

They moved into the BCS Top Ten for the first time this week in ninth place.

 

Idle this week, Pitt (9-1) will close the regular season with two Big East Conference games, Nov. 27 at West Virginia and Dec. 5 when undefeated Cincinnati visits Heinz Field with the championship at stake.

 

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GREENVILLE, Pa. – Running back Tyler Kirkwood of Frenchville (Clearfield Area H.S.) participated in a memorable season-ending Presidents\’ Athletic Conference victory for Grove City in the 26th Mercer County Cup clash Saturday.

 

The Wolverines disappointed the partisan Thiel crowd of 987 in Alumni Stadium by storming from behind to erase a 17-0 fourth-quarter deficit and then outlasted the Tomcats 31-24 in double overtime.

 

Kirkwood, a junior, saw action in every game and caught one pass for 10 yards for the 5-5 Wolverines, who finished third in the PAC at 4-2.

 

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WILLIAMSPORT – Sophomore David Ryan and freshman Jarrin Campman, both wide receivers from Clearfield, saw special teams duty for Lycoming in Saturday\’s 28-21 Middle Atlantic Conference win over visiting Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham in front of 1,400 Senior Day fans at David Person Field.

 

The Warriors finished 4-6, including a 3-4 MAC log.

 

Ryan played in four games, catching one pass for 10 yards, while Campman played in three games. 

 

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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Freestyle sprinter John Lytle of Clearfield won two individual races and keyed a pair of relay victories as Notre Dame bounced back from its first loss to beat Pitt 179-121 in the Big East Conference opener at Trees Pool Friday evening.

 

The senior tri-captain turned in season-best times in all four events to keep his undefeated streak alive after five dual meets.

 

He powered his way to victory in the 50-yard freestyle in 20.70 seconds, winning by a half second, and came right back to touch the wall first in the 100 in 45.12, finishing more than a second and a half ahead of the runner-up.

 

Lytle\’s 20.01 closing split gave the Fighting Irish 200 medley foursome an exciting come-from-behind win in 1:32.24, and his 45.47 leadoff leg gave his 400 free relay teammates a solid lead which they converted into a 3:03.83 victory.

 

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PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Two former Clearfield Area High School teammates were on opposite ends of Saturday\’s non-conference meet that saw once-beaten Duquesne hand visiting Clarion a 108-83 setback in Towers Pool.

 

Freshman Mark Krchnak helped get the hosts off to a fast start by swimming the breaststroke leg for the 200-yard medley relay team, which won in a season-best 1:37.20 time.

 

With the outcome decided, the Duquesne breaststrokers did not compete against Clarion in the final two events, but Krchnak\’s 59.85 would have won the 100 breast.

 

Junior Brandon Boyer picked up points for Clarion (1-2) by placing fifth in the 100 backstroke in 56.61 and posting the fast split, 21.98, in the \’B\’ 200 free relay quartet\’s second-place finish in 1:29.81.

 

He also led of with the backstroke leg for the \’B\’ 400 medley relay team that placed fourth in 1:44.71.

 

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BETHANY, W.Va. – Junior John Bodle of Clearfield placed third in the 100-yard butterfly with a season-best 1:00.39 time as Westminster made it two wins in a row by easily defeating outmanned Bethany 104-58 in their Presidents\’ Athletic Conference opener Saturday.

 

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LINCOLN, Ill. – Amber Centi of Clearfield contributed 18 points to Lincoln\’s 118-41 victory over Principia (Ill.) Saturday by sweeping the diving events.

 

The Lynx sophomore earned scores of 150.40 points for one-meter dives, winning by less than two points, and 154.50 points off the three-meter board. She was unopposed in the latter event.

 

Centi opened the season with fourths in the Maroon Invitational at the University of Chicago the previous week. Her totals were 281.93 for one-meter dives and 250.88 for three-meter dives.

 

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Redshirt junior 125-pounder Brad Pataky of Clearfield put on two takedown clinics as No. 15-ranked Penn State opened the season by splitting non-conference dual meets over the weekend.

 

Pataky major decisioned John McDonald 14-4 in Friday night\’s 23-14 loss to No. 17 Lehigh with 5,254 fans looking on in Stabler Arena at Bethlehem and followed up with a 22-7 technical fall against Jason Guffey in Sunday afternoon\’s 23-15 victory over Bloomsburg at Rec Hall.

 

Against McDonald, Pataky engineered pairs of takedowns, mostly single-legs and double-legs, in each period plus an escape and riding time to give the Nittany Lions a 4-0 start, and they still were in front 14-10 with four bouts remaining before redshirt freshman Robert Hamlin handled senior David Erwin 17-8 to tie the match. Narrow decisions by the Mountain Hawk heavyweights rounded out the mild upset.

 

In Penn State\’s home debut under new head coach Cael Sanderson that attracted a crowd of 4,063 for a noon start, Pataky staked the Nittany Lions to a 5-0 lead by racking up eight takedowns against Guffey, the last one in the final seconds plus a riding time point for the tech fall. He also had one escape and two stalling points while allowing only escapes for the second bout in a row.

 

Pataky entered the season ranked No. 8 by InterMat and Amateur Wrestling News and No. 9 by Wrestling Insider News Magazine.

 

He sported career records of 24-6 in dual meets and 46-19 overall, including a 3-2 mark in the NCAA Division I Tournament last March after placing fourth in the Big 10 Tournament.

 

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BROCKPORT, N.Y. – Senior 149-pounder Matt Kyler of Clearfield upheld his third seed for the Oklahoma Gold Classic by winning four of five matches at SUNY-Brockport Saturday to move into third place on Army\’s all-time win list with 118.

 

Kyler advanced to the semifinals against a familiar foe by pinning Brockport\’s Eliah Goldin in 4:05 and Kent State\’s Tommy Safy in 4:20.

 

In a rematch of last year\’s semis, No. 2 seed Kyle Terry of Oklahoma bested the Black Knight 6-2. Kyler won 4-1 en route to a second-place finish in the 2008 Oklahoma Gold Classic, but the Sooner gained revenge with a 7-4 decision in the second round of the NCAA Division I Tournament in March.

 

Kyler, ranked No. 5 by Amateur Wrestling News, No. 7 by InterMat and No. 10 by Wrestling Insider News Magazine in the pre-season, bounced back with major decisions over fifth seed Torsten Gillespie of Edinboro 13-1 and fourth seed Dave Greenwald of Rutgers 18-6.

 

Ohio State\’s No. 1 seed Lance Palmer, who placed fourth at last season\’s NCAAs, beat Terry 2-0 in the finals.

 

Oklahoma (144.5 points) nipped Ohio State (144) for the team title, while Army (81) placed sixth in the eight-team field.

 

Kyler was 113-27 with 44 falls and 21 major decisions in his first three seasons for the Black Knights. He was 43-8, the most one-season wins in Army history, as a sophomore when he placed sixth at the NCAAs to earn All-American honors.

 

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WASHINGTON, Pa. – Pitt-Johnstown 165-pounder Kyle Keane of Bradford (Clearfield Area H.S.) shut out three opponents Saturday to reach the Washington & Jefferson Open finals, where he bumped into West Virginia standout Donnie Jones and was pinned in 2:35.

 

Keane, a redshirt senior who was an NCAA Division II All-American in 2007 for the Mountain Cats, defeated Shippensburg\’s David Sunderland 7-0, West Virginia\’s Christian Mory 11-0 and UPJ teammate Gary Lantz 7-0.

 

Jones, a two-time Pennsylvania state schoolboy champion for Greensburg-Salem, had edged Penn State freshman standout Jake Kemerer 5-3 in the semis and was named the tourney\’s Outstanding Wrestler.

 

Kemerer, a two-time PIAA gold medalist for Hempfield, near Greensburg, finished third with a 5-1 record.

 

Both Jones and Kemerer were wrestling unattached.

 

Keane carried a 70-22 record into the season and was ranked No. 4 in Division II by the National Wrestling Coaches Association. The two-time national qualifier was ranked No. 2 in the East Region in the preseason coaches poll.

 

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BINGHAMTON, N.Y. – Lock Haven senior 174-pounder Derek Caldwell of Curwensville bowed out of the Brute Open at SUNY-Binghamton in two bouts Sunday.

 

Caldwell was pinned in 2:10 by George Mason\’s Bagna Tovuujav and decisioned 6-3 by Binghamton\’s Matt Beretta.