District 5-6-8-9 Subregional Championship: No. 1 Clearfield Bison (11-0) vs. No. 3 Somerset Eagles (10-1)

For four consecutive seasons, the Clearfield Bison have been able to advance to the post season with strong performances, and each of those teams put their mark on the history of the football program.  This Friday night, the Bison have the opportunity to add that to the rich history of the program.

Head coach Tim Janocko enters this Friday’s contest with a playoff record of 19-20, with his last playoff loss coming last year in this same subregional championship, which was against University Prep.

This week’s contest is not against that team, but instead the team that knocked them off this season, the Somerset Eagles.  Without question, this is the most challenging contest for the Bison, as the Eagles enter Friday night’s contest with a record of 10-1, their only loss coming in a close 28-24 contest against a strong Richland group.

The Eagles are only giving up 13 points per game, while Somerset’s offense has scored at least 21 points in each game.

Statistically, Somerset is one of the most balanced offenses the Bison defense will have to corral.  The Eagles average just over 121 yards passing and almost 210 yards rushing per game.  The passing game is strong thanks to not just one, but two very good quarterbacks.  Senior Tanner Stull has been the leader of the offense this season, passing for 583 yards, seven touchdowns and only three interceptions, and completing 54 percent of his passes.

While Clearfield will have to keep him in check, they will also have to be aware of their other quarterback, young sophomore Dylan Barnes.  He has played in every game this season, throwing for 732 yards, five touchdowns and five interceptions, while completing nearly 60 percent of his passes.

When the ball is completed, there are many targets that the Bison secondary will have to cover.  The Eagles’ top receiver is Bryce Mostoller, catching 25 passes for 435 yards and a team-high four touchdowns.

But don’t expect him to be the sole focus from the secondary, as Zachary Baker, Raven Beeman, and Douglas Berkebile all have three touchdowns on the season.

When Barnes and Stull are not passing the ball, Somerset runs the ball extremely well.  Stull is the leading rusher on the team, running for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns.  But what makes the Eagles so dangerous in the ground game is the range of strong runners on the team.  Barnes himself has eight touchdowns so far this season, running for 558 yards.  Then there’s Matthew Boyer, who has ran for 479 yards and nine touchdowns.

The Bison defense is going to be tested at all aspects in this game, but likewise so will the Eagles.

The reason, Clearfield has one of the toughest running games in the state, averaging over 335 yards rushing per game.  The leader of that is senior Christian Lezzer, who is playing his final season on offense as he is bound for Boston College next season to play linebacker.  Lezzer has been flat out dominant in the read-option offense, running for over 1500 yards and 29 touchdowns.  He has been just as efficient throwing the ball, even though this season they have not done it as much.  He is 24-for-50, for 546 yards, seven touchdowns and two interceptions.

The ground game has been strong as well for both Tyler Stratton and Seth Caldwell.  When he is not slowed down by injuries, Stratton is difficult to reel in, as he’s just eight yards away from the 1000-yard mark.  He has played in all but one game this season, that coming in the District IX championship against Bradford, but in several games his contributions have been minimal because of injuries to his legs.

Where the Bison hurt the most when he’s not playing is defensively, as he is a huge contributor in the secondary, intercepting one pass and recovering two fumbles, one coming last week against Johnstown.

Finally, the “X factor” in a way for Clearfield this year has been Caldwell, as the young freshman has burst onto the scene the same way that Allen Robinson has emerged as a great player for Penn State.  Caldwell is just a freshman, but this season he has 748 yards rushing, along with seven touchdowns.  He is also huge in the secondary, intercepting a pass and consistently making plays at both safety and cornerback.

This game is shaping up to be a difficult contest for both.  It will either be a defensive struggle, or an offensive showcase.  One team will have their season come to a close, while the other will make the move into the PIAA state playoffs.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and is being played at Hollidaysburg’s Union St. Stadium.  For directions, visit ClearfieldFootball.org.

Bison Scoreboard: