MILL HALL — The quest to make a run at a state championship means that as the season continues, teams get stronger, but the competition gets more difficult with each week. Â For the Clearfield Bison, they were clear that what they needed to do in order to advance was to take their game to another level, because the opposition was more challenging than the week before.
This week was the ultimate test for a team that had seen 13 wins for the second time in four seasons. Â When they stepped onto the field at the Central Mountain High School, they looked across the field at another unblemished foe, the Berwick Bulldogs. Â Wanting to try and play a mind game with their opponents right away, the psych job began during warmups. Â Clearfield was the designated home team, as they wore their home black jerseys while Berwick wore their road whites with blue trim. Â But, instead of taking the field on the home sideline, the Bison decided to stay on the visiting sideline, maybe for superstition.
What happened after the opening coin toss was not a psych job. Â What ensued was outright domination. Â The Bison were the first on the scoreboard on this night, but that was the only time they were celebrating.
Over the next three quarters, the Bulldogs imposed their will on the Clearfield defense, shredding the outside lines and the secondary with sweeping running, then followed it up by battling in the trenches.  Then when momentum was needed, Berwick would force turnovers, and turn them into scores.  At the end of 48 minutes, the Bison realized that their season had come to an end, as the Bulldogs would rumble on with a 44-7 victory.
Afterward, Bulldog head coach George Curry was quick to point out exactly why his team was able to dominate for a majority of the game.
“We knew what they gave us, and we knew what our line can do. Â We have a young line, and we try to take advantage of what the defensive line gives us,” Curry said. Â “They tried a different defense. Â We were ready for a 4-4 Â or a 5-2; they came out in a 6-2, packed the box, and were cutting us, chopping us.
“So we felt we had to go outside, and once we knew we could go outside, it opened up inside.”
The idea worked because Berwick was able to use sweeps to the outside, and many end-arounds to put the Bison defense on their toes all game long, gaining 293 yards on the ground. Â Berwick was led in rushing by quarterback CJ Curry, who ended the night with a game-high 126 yards rushing plus two touchdowns and Dain Kowalski, who finished the night with another 110 yards rushing and a touchdown, but he also had what could be considered the defining play of the game on a massive interception return for a touchdown to end the first half.
“I saw the convoy in front of me and I thought no one was gonna touch me so I just took off,” Kowalski said afterward.
That interception was one of two the Bulldog secondary made on the night.  They were able to corral the Bison offense after giving up the opening touchdown of the game, and put both Christian Lezzer and Tyler Stratton into unfamiliar territory by having to battle from behind.  Stratton would lead the Bison in rushing with an even 100 yards, while Lezzer was held to only 61 yards.  In fact, the Bison offense was just held to 287 total yards, among the lowest it had seen all year.
The teams exchanged punts to start the game, but on the second possession by Berwick, their drive would end as quickly as it started. Â On 2nd and 10, Curry went back to pas, looking for his go-to target of Andrew Force. Â Instead he found that Ryan Lezzer had just as quick hands, as he intercepted the ball and brought it back to the Bulldog 19, setting up a short field.
It would take five plays, but the older Lezzer brother would soon make his first impact of the game as he would score on a 4-yard run to kick the Bison to an early lead. Â Spencer Herrington added the extra point, and it was 7-0 Clearfield with 3:39 remaining in the opening quarter.
But, the ensuing drive for the Bulldogs would showcase what would soon be a theme on the night.  When it seemed like Clearfield had the opposition stopped, Berwick was able to make the ground game work, picking up bits of yardage on each play, moving the chains.  They would face third down on four different occasions, and also a fourth down on the drive.  Yet, they found a way to move the sticks and keep the drive going.  It would be a methodical 13-play drive that Curry would cap off with his own 4-yard touchdown run.  Olivia Seely had the honor of kicking the extra point, and the score was tied up with still most of the second quarter to play.
On the next drive, the Bison defense would get the chance to make a stop, mainly because the Bison offense was not on the field for very long. Â On 2nd and 10, Lezzer dropped back to pass, looking for Seth Ford. Â The problem then became Paul Wiegand, who stepped in front of the floating pass and intercepted the ball. Â The long return set up 1st and 10 for Berwick at the Bison 27.
The ensuing drive would only last five plays, but would see points after Curry plunged in for a two-yard touchdown. Â The point after made it 14-7 with 5:02 remaining.
Clearfield had a chance to make the game interesting late in the half, as Nick Kovalick would intercept Curry’s first down pass, setting the Bison up with just eight seconds left before the break. Â But, if there was ever a change in momentum in this game, it came just two plays later.
Trying to get the ball deep, Lezzer looked down the left sideline, and saw Stratton. Â Unfortunately the ball floated in the air and Kowalski stepped in front of the pass at his own 24. Â At that point, he saw blockers in front, and would follow them down the Clearfield sideline, catching daylight and taking the ball the 76-yard distance for the pick-six. Â Another extra point, and despite knowing they were receiving the second half kickoff, Clearfield was facing a 21-7 gap.
“It’s a momentum play. Â You know, a punt return, kick return, a long run, long pass, and a pick-six, they are all momentum plays. Â The other team’s jaw drops; it’s like getting punched in the gut,” Coach Curry said about the interception.
Clearfield did get big breaks on the opening drive of the second half. Â On the first play of the drive, Stratton was tackled for just a 3-yard gain, but Berwick was flagged for a face mask. Â The personal foul added another 15 yards, and put Clearfield into opposing territory. Â Three plays later it would be a pass interference call that moved the ball down to the 24. Â Lezzer would finally complete a pass, as he was shut out in the first half, to Wyatt Flanagan to set up 1st and goal at the 5.
Yet all that effort, and all that momentum, was lost on one play. Â On the next snap, Stratton took the ball to the left side, and went for the end zone. The Bulldog defense swarmed, and stripped the ball from his grasp. Â Just one yard away from the end zone, Clearfield coughed up the ball on a fumble, giving a 1st and 10 for Berwick at their own 1. Â The long field was an advantage for the Bison, as they hoped to get the ball back quickly.
That did not happen.  Berwick would gain first down after first down, utilizing sweeping runs to the outside, picking up big yardage nearly each time.  More importantly, time was being taken off the clock.  The drive started with 10:10 left in the third quarter, but the slow pace of the run and more importantly the yardage being gained, would eat up nearly six minutes of the clock.  Kowalski would cap off the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run, his first of the night.  Jorden Stout would run in for the two-point conversion after Clearfield went offsides on the point after, making the score 29-7 with 4:48 remaining in the third quarter.
“Every time Stout lined up with his hand down on the left or right, they would yell ‘Dive, dive!’ Â So we’d fake the dive, and keep it,” Coach Curry said. Â “We have some great blockers out there. Â That was our strength; they were packing the box, and we had the match-ups we wanted, and it was there all night. Â The reverse was there all night because they were packing the box.”
Clearfield was forced to punt on the next drive, and it would not take long for Berwick to add to the score. Â On 2nd and 11, Curry went play-action to Ian Mazonkey for a 36-yard touchdown pass.
Once again, an offsides penalty put the ball just outside the 1, and Stout would rumble in for the two-point conversion to make the score 37-7.
The Bison still wouldn’t quit, and sustained yet another long drive that would put them into the red zone, but after being stopped on 3rd and Goal, they were forced to go for it, knowing a field goal would mean nothing. Â Lezzer would hand the ball off to Seth Caldwell, hoping his speed would lead to points. Â It instead led to a one-yard gain, and a turnover on downs.
Berwick would be stopped at their own 30 on the next drive, while still eating up a lot of clock.  But, as quickly as the black and red defense looked to be tiring the opposition, Curry silenced them with a sweep to the left, and when he found daylight in the middle of the field, the only way he was being caught was once he crossed the goal line.  His third touchdown would ice the game, as the extra point made it 44-7, and put in the mercy rule.
One reason the secondary began opening up was that Clearfield lost Lezzer on defense. Â Afterward, he revealed the reason why he was only playing limited snaps at quarterback but not at linebacker.
“I pulled something in my right hip, and I just couldn’t move,” Lezzer said.
Clearfield tried as hard as it could with a running clock to make it into the end zone to send their fans home proud, but after two runs inside the 10 by Caldwell, Eric Sellers had his pass broken up in the end zone, ending the game, and ending the Bison’s season.
Coach Curry was proud of his team, and admitted afterward that being away from the game for eight years taught him a lot about how different the game of football is now, one that he himself is adapting to.
“I learned one thing, you have to change. Â You have to change with the times,” Coach Curry said. Â “What’s different…the offenses. Â It’s all wildcat, zone read, spread reads, trying to get people to play in space, and it’s changed the complexion of the game. Â But look who still won it: Â the team that can run the ball.
“You get down in the cold weather, snow, wind and rain, you gotta be able to run the ball.”
Clearfield’s season comes to a close with a final record of 13-1, and despite the players walking off the field in tears, wondering what might have been, head coach Tim Janocko looked at his team in the final meeting of the season, and told them he was proud. Â His assistant coaches agreed, giving nothing but praise to the team that will go down as one that matched an historical number of victories in a year, and whose graduating class will be remembered as one that only lost one regular-season game in its career at Clearfield Area High School.
Berwick (14-0) advances to the PIAA State Semifinals to take on Archbishop Wood, who advanced thanks to a 42-14 win over Academy Park.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Berwick  0  21  16  7  –  44
Clearfield  7  0  0  0  –  7
BOX SCORE
1st Quarter
BISON: Â 4-yard run by C. Lezzer (Herrington kick), 3:39
2nd Quarter
BULLDOGS: Â 4-yard run by Curry (Seely kick), 9:35
BULLDOGS: Â 2-yard run by Curry (Seely kick), 5:02
BULLDOGS: Â 76-yard interception return TD by Kowalski (Seely kick)
3rd Quarter
BULLDOGS: Â 12-yard run by Kowalski (Stout run), 4:48
BULLDOGS: Â 36-yard pass from Curry to Mazonkey (Stout Run), 1:58
4th Quarter
BULLDOGS: Â 70-yard run by Curry (Seely kick), 5:28
GAME STATISTICS
Berwick/Clearfield
First Downs: Â 15/17
Rush Yards: Â 293/226
Pass Yards: Â 102/61
Total Yards: Â 395/287
Penalties-Yards: Â 6-50/6-30
Turnovers: Â 2/3
Fumbles-Lost: Â 1-0/1-1
Time of Possession: Â 23:05/24:55
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING
Berwick: Â Kowalski-19 carries-110 yards , TD (76-yard INT return TD); Curry-12 carries, 126 yards, 3 TD; Stout-7 carries, 25 yards; Trenholm-2 carries, 13 yards; Wiegand-1 carry, 16 yards ; Maczuga-1 carry, 3 yards.
Clearfield: Â Stratton-17 carries, 100 yards; C. Lezzer-15 carries, 61 yards, TD; Caldwell-8 carries, 35 yards; Sellers-2 carries, 20 yards; Ford-2 carries, 10 yards.
PASSING
Berwick: Â Curry-4 for 7, 102 yards, TD, 2 INT.
Clearfield: Â C. Lezzer-3 for 11, 31 yards, 2 INT; Sellers-1 for 1, 30 yards.
RECEIVING
Berwick: Â Force-1 catch, 48 yards; Mazonkey-1 catch, 36 yards, TD; Wiegand-1 catch, 11 yards; Trenholm-1 catch, 7 yards.
Clearfield: Â Flanagan-2 catches, 22 yards; R. Lezzer-1 catch, 30 yards.
Final Bison Scoreboard:
Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
08/30 | ST. JOAN OF ARC | 45 – 7 | 1 – 0 |
09/06 | PENNS VALLEY | 37 – 15 | 2 – 0 |
09/13 | @ Central | 35 – 20 | 3 – 0 |
09/20 | HUNTINGDON | 58 – 30 | 4 – 0 |
09/27 | @ Central Mountain | 49 – 13 | 5 – 0 |
10/04 | @ Bellefonte | 49 – 13 | 6 – 0 |
10/11 | TYRONE | 27 – 26 | 7 – 0 |
10/18 | BALD EAGLE AREA | 31 – 6 | 8 – 0 |
10/25 | @ Philipsburg-Osceola | 56 – 7 | 9 – 0 |
 | D9 AAA Title Game |  |  |
11/1 | vs. Bradford | 51 – 7 | 10 – 0 |
 | District 5-6-8-9 Regional |  |  |
11/8 | vs. JOHNSTOWN | 42 – 7 | 11 – 0 |
11/15 | vs. Somerset | 21 – 6 | 12 – 0 |
 | PIAA Playoffs |  |  |
11/22 | vs. Jersey Shore | 27 – 8 | 13 – 0 |
11/29 | vs. Berwick | 7 – 47 | 13 – 1 |