Campus Corner: Several Former Area Athletes Off to Good Starts for College Fall Season

Most of the former Clearfield Area High School and Curwensville Area High School athletes competing in fall sports for collegiate teams got their first taste of action for the 2011 season over the Labor Day weekend, and several turned in solid performances.

GantDaily will continue to follow their progress on a weekly basis.

Please email www.sports@gantnews.com with names of any other graduates of the two schools who are continuing their athletic careers on the college level.

FOOTBALL

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior Parker Herrington of Clearfield booted four extra points and one field goal as the Air Force Academy opened with a 37-20 win over South Dakota in front of 39,105 fans at Falcon Stadium Saturday afternoon.

The 6-0½, 175-pounder, who moved ahead of incumbent senior Erik Soderberg during preseason practice, nailed his lone field goal attempt from 45 yards out to put the Falcons up 17-7 with 1:12 left in the first half. He made four of five PAT tries.

Soderberg, on the College Football Performance Awards preseason kickoff specialist watch list, handled the kickoff duties in the Air Force Academy’s first game against a Great West Conference opponent.

Soderberg, already fourth in extra points (80) and sixth in field goals (27), was an All-Mountain West Conference second teamer in 2009 when he was No. 1 in field goals with 22 and third in scoring with eight points per game. His 1.69 field goal average ranked seventh nationally.

Herrington walked on to the team as a freshman and gained experience kicking for the Falcon junior varsity squad the last two seasons.

The Falcons will host nationally-ranked Texas Christian University Saturday in a conference showdown that will be shown on Versus (HD) at 3:30 p.m. EST.

TCU, upset 50-48 by Baylor Friday night, and Air Force were tabbed to finish right behind Boise State in the Mountain West media preseason poll.

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OBERLIN, Ohio – Junior cornerback David Kalgren of Curwensville was involved in three stops, recorded the game’s lone interception and broke up two other passes as Oberlin dominated Kenyon 42-0 at Savage Stadium Saturday for the program’s first shutout since 1982.

The Yeomen limited the Lords to 107 yards and forced 11 punts, one of which Kalgren returned for eight yards and four of which he fair caught.

The 6-0, 195-pounder also brought back one kickoff for 35 yards.

He had two solo tackles and assisted on another stop.

Last year, Kalgren earned All-North Coast Athletic Conference Second Team laurels after leading the Yeoman in solo and total tackles with 62 and 75, respectively, as well as interceptions with four, which tied for first in the NCAC. He also averaged a team-high 7.3 yards for 14 punt returns and 20.8 yards for 16 kickoff returns.

As a freshman, Kalgren was moved to offense when injuries shelved the Yeomen’s top two quarterbacks and responded by completing 95 of 187 passes for 964 yards and six touchdowns and rushing 120 times for 504 yards and three scores. He led the team with all those totals.

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FAIRMONT, W.Va. – Redshirt junior linebacker Nate Sipes of Curwensville led the Clarion defense in stops with seven and redshirt senior safety Shawn Sopic of Curwensville was in on two tackles and broke up one pass for the Golden Eagles in their 31-17 season-opening loss to Fairmont (W.Va.) State Thursday night.

Big plays were the difference in the non-conference opener witnessed by 4,752 fans at Duvall-Rosier Field, for Clarion outgained the hosts by more than 100 yards.

Sipes, who had three solo tackle and four assists, last played in 2008 for Slippery Rock, where he redshirted for two years and played two seasons with 24 tackles, 14 assists and one fumble recovery in 21 games.

The 6-0, 240-pounder decided to resume his grid career after making plans to pursue a second degree.

Sopic, who had one solo stop and one assist, returned for another season after missing the 2010 campaign because of a knee injury.

A three-year starter and 2008 Golden Eagle Defensive Most Valuable Player, he sports career statistics of 165 tackles, including 94 solo hits, four interceptions and 14 passes broken up.

Sopic, a 6-3, 210-pounder, was one of five Golden Eagles selected as team captains for the season.

He was one of two players who joined coach Jay Foster at the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division Media Day at Slippery Rock on Aug. 1.

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WILLIAMSPORT – Junior Jarrin Campman of Clearfield started at wide receiver and had three receptions for a team-high 23 yards in Lycoming’s 8-6 upset of No. 22-ranked Rowan (N.J.) at David Person Field Saturday afternoon.

A crowd of 2,001 saw the Warriors rely on its ground game, the kicking of Zack Czap of Philipsburg and a defense that surrendered only 115 total yards to the team that had been ranked as high as No. 12 by Lindy’s preseason publication.

Czap, a sophomore who was the all-Middle Athletic Conference First Team punter last year, averaged 38.8 yards on six punts and kicked field goals of 25 and 38 yards.

Campman, a 6-0, 187-pounder who got into 11 games his first two seasons, gained 14 yards on his first career reception, which was Lycoming’s longest completion of the day.

Senior wide receiver David Ryan of Clearfield also saw action. The 5-9, 161-pounder has played in five games during his career with one catch for 10 yards.

Freshman Zach Fannin of Clearfield is a back-up placekicker for the Warriors.

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LEWISBURG – Redshirt sophomore offensive lineman Nick Redden of Clearfield saw action at guard as well on the punt and extra point units for Duquesne, which had the lead most of the way before being nipped 27-26 by host Bucknell in the opener for both teams Saturday afternoon.

The Dukes surrendered touchdowns in the final minute of both halves in the non-conference game that attracted a crowd of 6,054 to Christy Mathewson Memorial Stadium.

The 6-1, 296-pound Redden was shifted from the offensive line to fullback to the defensive line last year when he got into five games.

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GREENSBURG – Freshman Derek Morgan of Clearfield is a member of the Slippery Rock team that rolled to a 51-14 road victory over Seton Hill at Offutt Field Saturday afternoon.

He is listed as a 5-11, 170-pound defensive back.

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LORETTO – Linebacker Andrew Redden of Clearfield is one of several St. Francis freshmen being redshirted this season.

The Red Flash dropped its opener 38-28 to host Wagner at Staten Island, N.Y., Saturday.

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LOCK HAVEN – Three former Curwensville teammates, including returning wide receiver Jesse Hoover, are on the Lock Haven squad that kicks off the campaign against Millersville in non-conference action under the Hubert Jack Stadium lights Saturday night.

Kyle Barrett is a 6-3, 250-pound tight end and Jed Greslick of Grampian is a 5-8, 175-pound running back. Both are freshmen.

Hoover started 10 games last fall and was the Bald Eagles’ No. 2 receiver with 27 catches for 499 yards and four touchdowns and also snared a PAT pass.

The 6-1, 185-pounder’s 18.5-yard average and long gain of 65 yards were highs for the Bald Eagles.

A fourth ex-Golden Tide gridder, wide receiver Shae Best, is being redshirted.

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INDIANA – Redshirt freshman Trey Campman of Clearfield is a 6-1, 185-pound wide receiver on the Indiana University of Pennsylvania team that opens with a non-conference home game against East Stroudsburg Saturday.

Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference West Division head coaches pegged the Crimson Hawks to finish third behind California and defending champion Mercyhurst.

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WOMEN’S SOCCER

CRESSON – Junior forward Pamela Pride of Clearfield and the Mount Aloysius College Lady Mounties were edged 1-0 by Penn State Harrisburg in their lidlifter at the Kimball Field in the Ray S. and Louise S. Walker Athletic Complex.

Last year, Pride started 17 game was second in shots with 34 and shots on goal for the Lady Mounties, who compete in the Mountain Collegiate Athletic Conference..

She tied for second with her three goals and six points.

Pride also started five games as a freshman.

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LORETTO – Sophomore Brooke Mohney of Bigler (Clearfield Area H.S.) is a forward/midfielder for defending Northeast Conference champion St. Francis, which is off to a 3-2 start in non-league games.

She played in five games last year.

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WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

LOCK HAVEN – Penn State Sophomore Gwenn Porter of Clearfield posted a time of 16:34.52 over the 4,000-meter West Branch course in Friday’s Dolan Duals.

The Lady Lions defeated Lock Haven 15-48 in the annual season opener.

Porter finished 19th among Penn State runners and 26th overall.

Campus Corner: Several Former Area Athletes Off to Good Starts for College Fall Season

Fred Kavelak

Golden Broom Passed to Peter F. Smith, Attorney at Law

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