FOOTBALL
MILLERSVILLE – Redshirt junior linebacker Nate Sipes of Curwensville led the Clarion (3-8) defense in tackles for the sixth time this season while redshirt senior safety Shawn Sopic of Curwensville punctuated his outstanding career by making four stops and breaking up one pass as the Golden Eagles turned back Millersville (3-8) 34-20 in front of 2,146 fans at Biemesderfer Stadium Saturday.
Sipes, who played for Slippery Rock in 2007 and 2008, capped a 99-tackle campaign with 11 stops, five of them solo efforts. He notched two tackles for losses of 11 yards and one sack, his first, for eight yards in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game.
Patrick Graham-Murphy, switched from cornerback in the eighth game, starred for the Golden Eagle offense, earning PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Week laurels by rushing for a school-record 266 yards and five touchdowns.
Sipes topped the Clarion defense for the season with 36 solo tackles and 63 assists, had four tackles for losses of 12 yards, broke up two passes and recovered two fumbles.
He is first in assists and tied for second in total tackles in the PSAC and tied for 14th in assists and tied for 43rd in total stops in NCAA Division II.
Sipes has 137 career tackles.
After sitting out the 2010 season because of a knee injury, Sopic was named one of Clarion’s four captains and finished second with 64 tackles, including 25 solo stops. He had two tackles for losses of four yards, one interception and two forced fumbles.
The four-year starter in the Golden Eagle secondary registered 119 solo tackles and 110 assists for 229 career stops.
Sopic, who was named Clarion’s Most Valuable Defensive Player in 2009, wound up with seven tackles for losses of 11 yards, five interceptions, 16 passes defended, two fumble recoveries and three forced fumbles.
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MEADVILLE – Junior cornerback David Kalgren of Curwensville registered a season-high nine solo tackles and 11 total stops and also broke up one pass for a defense that enabled visiting Oberlin (3-7) to snap a six-game losing streak with a 14-13 squeaker over Allegheny (5-5) in the season finale for both teams Saturday.
Only linebacker Derrick Dennis had more stops, 12, for the Yeomen, who limited the Gators to less than three yards per rush and less than eight yards per completion in the North Coast Athletic Conference clash that was seen by 2,215 fans at Frank B. Fuhrer Field.
Oberlin trailed 13-0 before scoring two touchdowns in the third quarter for a 2-4 finish in the NCAC. Allegheny was 3-3.
For the season, Kalgren’s 44 solo tackles were good for a share of the team lead with Dennis.
He tied for sixth in total stops with 52, was second in passes broken up with six and tied for second in interceptions with two, ranking in the NCAC top 10 in all three categories.
The 6-0, 195-pounder also led the Yeomen in kickoff returns, 24 for 487 yards, and punt runbacks, seven for 54 yards. His averages were 20.3 and 7.7, respectively.
Kalgren has been a mainstay in the Oberlin secondary for two seasons after being switched to quarterback prior to his rookie season and now sports 128 tackles, six interceptions and 11 passes broken up.
As a returner, he has averaged 20.5 yards for 40 kickoff returns and 7.4 yards for 21 punt runbacks.
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WILLIAMSPORT – Junior wide receiver Jarrin Campman of Clearfield recovered a teammate’s fumble in the end zone as Lycoming (8-2) concluded its best season since 2003 by rolling up a school-record 616 yards to rout Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham (1-9) 54-7 with a partisan crowd of 1,894 looking on at David Person Field Saturday.
Reserve wide receiver David Ryan of Clearfield also saw action after being one of 17 Lycoming seniors honored before the Middle Atlantic Conference game.
Campman grabbed two passes for 59 yards and was thrown for a two-yard loss on one rushing attempt for the Warriors, who tied for second place in the MAC at 6-2.
His 43-yard catch-and-run set up the first of two field goals by MAC Special Teams Player of the Week Zach Czap of Philipsburg that put the Warriors ahead 17-7 late in the first quarter.
Campman started every game and was Lycoming’s No. 2 receiver with 27 receptions for 375 yards and two touchdowns. He also returned one punt for 11 yards.
Ryan played in five games this fall and 10 games over the last three seasons, logging one catch for 10 yards.
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BLOOMSBURG – Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Jesse Hoover of Curwensville caught one pass for nine yards while freshman running back Jed Greslick of Grampian gained one yard on his lone carry and had a pair of 23-yard kickoff returns as Lock Haven (0-10) closed its season with a 34-3 loss to Bloomsburg (9-2) in a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference crossover game Saturday.
A Redman Stadium crowd of 1,291 saw the Bald Eagles, who had finished 0-7 in the Western Division, suffer their school-record 42nd consecutive loss.
Hoover, who started in nine games, tied for the team lead in receptions with 35 and was second in yards with 403 for an 11.5 average. He scored two touchdowns and also had one tackle.
The 6-1, 185-pounder’s career totals are 62 receptions for 902 yards and six touchdowns.
Greslick stepped into the role of kickoff returner for the Bald Eagles in the fifth game and wound up leading the team with a 23.7-yard average for 23 runbacks in seven games.
He also rushed for 27 yards on 10 carries and had a two-yard pass reception.
Lock Haven’s losing streak also is the longest in PSAC history and stands as the longest in all NCAA divisions.
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COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Junior placekicker Parker Herrington of Clearfield booted two extra points and one field goal to help stake Air Force Academy (5-5) to a 17-12 lead through three quarters at Falcon Stadium Saturday, but Wyoming (6-3) disappointed the crowd of 33,823 by scoring two touchdowns in the final 7:40 to pull out a 25-17 Mountain West Conference win.
Blustery winds that gusted up to 60 miles per hour made every kick an adventure, but Herrington sent a 35-yard field goal through the uprights in the third quarter for his 10th consecutive three-pointer.
Herrington has made 13 of 14 field goal attempts, a 92.9 percentage that leads the conference.
His team-high 68 points rank second among kickers and fifth overall in the MWC.
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HUNTINGDON – Junior running back Isiah Morgan of Clearfield saw action for Juniata (1-9) Saturday as the Eagles closed the season on a high note by treating the 850 fans at Knox Stadium to a 17-16 upset of visiting Susquehanna (6-4) that halted a 21-game winless streak.
The Eagles claimed The Goalpost for the first time since 2006 on an 18-yard field goal by junior Scott Andrews of Hollidaysburg with 2.9 seconds remaining in the Centennial Conference game.
Morgan played in nine games and finished with 21 carries for 47 yards and three pass receptions for 21 yards.
He had six tackles in four games at defensive back last fall after recording two tackles as a special teamer in eight games as a freshman.
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FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Redshirt sophomore reserve offensive lineman Nick Redden of Clearfield played at both guard positions and on the punt and extra point units as St. Francis (8-2) remained tied for first place in the Northeast Conference with a 29-14 victory over host Sacred Heart (5-5) in front of 1,470 fans at Campus Field Saturday.
The Dukes, riding a four-game winning streak for the second time this season, and Albany will carry 6-1 records into their conference finales Saturday.
Redden has played in all of Duquesne’s games.
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SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Freshman linebacker Andrew Redden of Clearfield played on special teams for visiting St. Francis (2-9) in a season-ending 45-34 loss to Bryant (7-3) in a Northeast Conference game that attracted 1,476 fans to Bulldog Stadium Saturday.
Redden appeared in the last nine games for the Red Flash, who finished 1-7 in the NEC.
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MEN’S SWIMMING
BLOOMSBURG – Junior Mark Krchnak of Clearfield was a doublewinner as Clarion (2-2) defeated Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference rival Bloomsburg 144.5-117.5 in the Nelson Field House pool Saturday.
He touched first in the 200-yard breaststroke in 2:13.72, placed third in the 50 free in 23.05 seconds and swam the breaststroke leg for the Golden Eagle 200 medley relay foursome that triumphed in 1:39.12.0
Krchnak has recorded four wins in individual events and been on three relay teams that have been victorious.
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WOMEN’S SWIMMING
LINCOLN, Ill. – Sophomore Brandie Centi of Clearfield was a placewinner in one individual event and two relays for Lincoln in season-opening wins over Principia (Ill.) and Iowa Lakes Community College on Nov. 5.
She swam the 50-yard freestyle in 28.10 seconds for a second against Principia and a third against ILCC.
Centi anchored the Lynx ‘B’ 200 medley quartet that placed second in 2:82.16 and swam the leg for the Lynx ‘B’ 400 free team that took second in 4:02.83.
As a freshman, Centi competed in 50, 100 and 200 races and was a member of the Lynx ‘B’ freestyle and medley relay teams, posting her personal bests at the National Junior College Athletic Association Championships, where Lincoln placed third among 16 teams.
