FOOTBALL
WEST CHESTER, Pa. – Clarion junior Nick Sipes of Curwensville has been named 2009 Daktronics NCAA Division II Super Region 1 (East Region) first team strong safety by the region\’s sports information directors.
He is joined on the first team by Golden Eagle junior running back Alfonso Hoggard of Philadelphia (Caravel Academy).
Hoggard, a 5-4, 150-pounder, also was honored as the return specialist for the second team.
Clarion senior tight end Matt Foradora of Falls Creek (Brockway Area High School) also received second-team honors.
\”This is a very well deserved honors for these three players,\” Clarion head coach Jay Foster was quoted on the Clarion football website. \”We are proud to have them representing Clarion University.\”
All three are Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division all-stars, Hoggard as Offensive Player of the Year, first-team running back and second team return specialist, Foradora as first team tight end and Sipes as second team safety.
Sipes topped the PSAC in tackles with 112 (52 solo) during the regular season.
The 5-11, 215-pounder posted 12 tackles for losses of 36 yards with six sacks that cost opposing quarterbacks 23 yards. He caused one fumble and broke up one pass.
Sipes currently is 24th in the nation with his 10.18 tackles per game.
Hoggard led the PSAC in rushing yards (1,046, 104.6 per game), rushing touchdowns (Clarion record 17), total touchdowns (19), points per game (11.8) and all-purpose yards (179.8 per game).
Foradora, a 6-5, 250-pounder, hauled in 39 passes for 469 yards and three touchdowns.
* * * * *
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. – Revenge was sweet for redshirt senior quarterback-punter Tanner Kelly of Olanta and the Albright Lions against Middle Atlantic Conference champion Delaware Valley in James Work Memorial Stadium Saturday.
A crowd of 2,000 saw the Lions atone for their only loss of the season, a 45-16 thumping on Nov. 7, by shutting down the No. 16-ranked Aggies 27-3 to become the school\’s first team with 11 wins and the first to advance to the NCAA Division III quarter-finals.
Kelly completed 26 of 39 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner that capped a four-play, 43-yard thrust after the Aggies, who led 3-0 at the half, had to punt into the 30-mile-per-hour wind early in the third quarter.
Standout receiver Nate Romig, on his way to a 14-catch, 182-yard day, turned a wideout screen into a 23-yard touchdown by breaking three tackles.
Kelly then guided the Lions on a 13-play, 54-yard march that ended with Tyrell Drumgo\’s one-yard TD.
Going into the wind in the final period, Kelly led Albright on two more scoring drives, an eight-play, 55-yarder highlighted by his two completions to Romig for 31 yards and a nine-play, 65-yarder on which he accounted for all but four yards with four completions, including the payoff eight-yarder to running back Josan Holmes.
Albright threatened three times in the first half, but Kelly suffered an end zone interception, was sacked on fourth down after the Lions had a first down at the DV-8 and then watched time expire on a completion to the DV-2.
The Lions earn the unenviable assignment of trying to sidetrack No. 1-ranked and defending champion Mount Union (12-0) at Alliance, Ohio, Saturday at noon.
Mount Union has reached the D-III finals in 12 of the last 16 years, winning 10 titles, including three of the last four.
Kelly will go into the game ranked second in the nation in interception percentage (.95), sixth in completion percentage (68.99), seventh in yards per pass attempt (8.93), 11th in passing efficiency rating (164.06) and 15th in passing yards (2,813).
Also, he\’s is 30th in yards per completion (12.95), 42nd in total offense per game (265.17 yards), 49th in passing yards per game (235.5) and 55th in completions per game (18.17).
Kelly has connected on 218 of 316 aerials with 21 touchdowns and only three interceptions. He has hit five of seven passes for two-point conversions.
Sacks included, he has netted 359 yards on the ground, scoring six times.
Kelly, who missed most of the season finale at Lebanon Valley and shared signal-calling duties with Patrick Subers in the first-round 35-25 win at Alfred (N.Y.), was called on to punt again Saturday, averaging 21.3 yards on three kicks.
His season average is 33.9 yards for 30 punts.
* * * * *
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. – Three field goals Dan Hutchins kicked out of the holds of redshirt sophomore Andrew Janocko of Clearfield kept Pitt in Friday night\’s nationally-televised Backyard Brawl with West Virginia in Milan Puskar Stadium, but placekicker Tyler Bitancurt sent most of the 56,123 fans home happy with his fourth three-pointer, a 43-yarder, on the final play for a 19-16 upset by the Mountaineers.
Hutchins made field goals of 37, 30 and 36 yards and was off target from 46 and 53 yards.
His extra point tied the score at 16-16 with 2:54 left after Bill Stull hooked up with Jon Baldwin for a 50-yard touchdown pass.
The Panthers, who were ranked No. 8 by The Associated Press and No. 9 in the USA Today/Coaches Poll as well as the Bowl Championship Series ratings, still can win the Big East Conference championship and earn a BCS bowl bid with a victory over Cincinnati Saturday. The River City Rivalry showdown is set for noon at Heinz Field and will be televised nationally by ABC.
* * * * * * * * * *
WRESTLING
WEST POINT, N.Y. – Like his Army teammates, No. 6-ranked 149-pounder Matt Kyler of Clearfield experienced a rough outing against Bucknell in the Cadets\’ dual meet opener on the Gilles Field House mats Tuesday, Nov. 24.
Kyler (8-2) was upset 8-6 by 13th-ranked Kevin LeValley in overtime as the Black Knights dropped a 25-6 verdict to the Bison in the Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association match.
Kyler opened a 5-1 lead in the featured bout via the opening takedown plus an escape and penalty points for locked hands and stalling in the second period, but LeValley forced overtime with a riding time point after escaping and taking down the Army senior in the third period.
After a scoreless sudden-victory period, Kyler escaped late in the first 30-second tiebreaker. However, he gave up two penalty points on caution calls and then turned the Bucknell junior loose in an attempt to force another period with a takedown, which he was unable to accomplish.
The dual meet loss was Kyler\’s first since his sophomore season. He was 18-0 last season when he posted a 10-3 win over LeValley, a four-time Colorado state champion.
* * * * *
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Lock Haven senior 174-pounder Derek Caldwell of Curwensville was victorious in one of three matches at the 2009 Mat Town Open in Thomas Fieldhouse Saturday.
Caldwell (1-4) sandwiched a 2-1 decision over Robert Brooks (unattached-Drexel) between losses to two Lehigh seniors.
He was pinned at 5:30 by David Chirichello and decisioned 9-6 by Manuel Schubert.
* * * * * * * * * *
MEN\’S BASKETBALL
GREENSBURG, Pa. – Todd Hryn of Clearfield totaled 11 points and 11 rebounds in two Pitt-Greensburg wins last week.
The junior frontliner scored eight points, all in the first half, and had three rebounds and two assists in 17 minutes Tuesday, when the Bobcats opened Allegheny Mountain Collegiate play by trimming visiting Hilbert (Ohio) 86-80.
Hryn followed up with his first three-pointer of the season and pulled down eight rebounds in 21 minutes Saturday as Pitt-Greensburg (3-2) bounced Penn State-Greater Allegheny 82-55. He also managed a career-high four steals.
For the season, Hryn has registered 28 points, 24 rebounds, 2 assists and five steals while averaging 18 minutes.
* * * * *
STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – Freshman guard Matt Shiner of Clearfield got his first taste of collegiate action late in Pitt-Bradford\’s 74-51 victory over Franciscan (Ohio) in their Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference opener on Tuesday, Nov. 24.
The Lions are off to a 2-0 start.
* * * * * * * * * *
WOMEN\’S BASKETBALL
DUBOIS, Pa. – Brittany Barrett of Mahaffey (Curwensville Area H.S.) scored six points and collected eight rebounds as Penn State-DuBois evened its record with a 69-57 win over Butler County Community College on Monday, Nov. 23.
The junior guard had a perfect shooting night with two field goals and two free throws and added one assist and two steals to her all-around floor game.
Two Sheffield graduates led the way for the 2-2 Lady Lions, Amanda Craker with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Tess Vargas with 15 points. Lauren Donovan of Oswayo Valley had 10 points and seven rebounds, while Heidi Hepler of Redbank Valley added nine points, four rebounds and three steals.
Barrett has totaled 20 points and 21 rebounds this season.
