For the second straight week, the Clearfield football team is playing a team for the first time in program history.
Last week it was Bishop Guilfoyle, which downed the Bison 20-13. In Week 10, the opponent is Penn Cambria in the Laurel Highlands Athletic Conference crossover game. Both teams finished third in their respective divisions.
The Panthers are currently the top seed in the District 6 class 3A playoff race, but only have an 80-point lead over second place Huntingdon, which battles Richland this week in its crossover contest..
This season, the Bison and Panthers have played three common opponents – Bedford, Bald Eagle Area, Somerset. Both are 3-0 in those contests. Clearfield had an average margin of victory of 30-9 in their matchups, while Penn Cambria’s average score differential was 44-15.
Curwensville will play its last game of the season on the road at Tussey Mountain.
Here are capsule previews of both games:
Penn Cambria (8-1) at Clearfield (6-3)
ALL-TIME SERIES: The teams have never met.
LAST MEETING: This is the first meeting between the programs.
LAST WEEK FOR CLEARFIELD: Bishop Guilfoyle scored 13 points in the fourth quarter to rally for a 20-13 win over the Bison, who ran 57 plays to the Marauders 41 and outgained their opponent 361-345 in total yards. Colton Ryan rushed for 132 yards and a TD on 23 carries as he went over 1,000 yards for the season.
LAST WEEK FOR PENN CAMBRIA: The Panthers racked up 420 yards of offense, getting 133 yards and three rushing touchdowns from Corbin Vinglish in a 48-12 rout of Greater Johnstown.
TEAM LEADERS: Clearfield’s Colton Ryan (173 carries, 1118 yards, 14 TD; 99 tackles), Xavier Curry (61-115, 1077 yards, 10 TD, 6 Int., 425 yards rushing, 4 TD), Cooper Broad (24 receptions, 538 yards; 6 TD, 26 carries, 164 yards, 2 TD), Cash Diehl (63 tackles 2 Int., 15-of-20 PATs). Penn Cambria’s Brady Jones (83-138, 1223 yds, 14 TD, 6 Int., 346 yards rushing, 6 TDs), Corbin Vinglish (182 carries, 890 yards, 14 TDs, 84 tackles), Blake Lilly (48 receptions, 804 yards, 8 TDs, 56 tackles, 3 Int), Grant Gides (56 tackles, 3 Int.)
COACH MYLES CARAGEIN’S KEYS TO THE GAME: “We need to stay disciplined on defense and do our job. Penn Cambria is a well balanced team. We need to contain the quarterback in the pocket. Offensively, we need to establish a run game and take some shots down field.”
BISON SCOREBOARD:
08/22 BELLWOOD ANTIS 21-28 0-1
08/29 @ Bedford 21-14 1-1
09/05 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 27-15 2-1
09/12 @ Bellefonte 21-18 OT 3-1
09/19 HUNTINGDON 27-28 3-2
09/26 PENNS VALLEY 46-14 4-2
10/03 @ Bald Eagle Area 12-6 5-2
10/10 @ Somerset 43-14 6-2
10/11 @ Bishop Guilfoyle 13-20 6-3
10/24 PENN CAMBRIA
Curwensville (2-7) at Tussey Mountain (5-4)
ALL-TIME SERIES: Each team has won two games in the series, which started in 2021.
LAST MEETING: Tussey Mountain shut out the Tide 15-0 in the second half on the way to a 23-14 victory last season. Titan Landon Myers ran for 131 yards and three touchdowns to offset Tide QB Tyler Dunn’s 185-yard, 2-TD performance through the air.
LAST WEEK FOR CURWENSVILLE: The Golden Tide had a pair of 100-yard rushers in Sammy Gustafson (24-103) and Lincoln Hoyt (20-107), but couldn’t overcome a 27-0 halftime deficit in a 34-20 loss to Glendale.
LAST WEEK FOR TUSSEY MOUNTAIN: The Titans won their fourth straight game, knocking off Clear Spring, MD 21-14 behind Noah Lucko’s 160 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
TEAM LEADERS: Curwensville’s Sammy Gustafson (163 carries,742 yards, 6 TDs, 53 tackles, 3 blocked kicks), Lincoln Hoyt (90 rushes, 458 yards, 3 TD, 12 receptions, 92 yards, TD), Reed Hawkins (71 carries, 386 yards 2 TDs, Kick return TD), Cael Butler (10 receptions 111 yards, 3 return TDs), Lawson Neiswender (49 tackles, 2 fumbles caused). Tussey Mountain’s Owen Miller (52-109, 742 yards, 8 TD, 9 Int., 178 yards rushing, 5 TD), Noah Lucko (209 carries, 1118 yards, 8 TD, 84 tackles), Jax Garner (10 receptions, 195 yards, 3 TD), Kyler Reed (142 tackles), Isaiah Gambol (7 Int.).
COACH BRAD SOPIC’S KEYS TO THE GAME: “Their fullback runs hard and they run their wing T offense well. We need to play disciplined on defense. Offensively we need to be able to break off wham blocks and pick up their linebackers.”
GOLDEN TIDE SCOREBOARD:
08/22 @ Meyersdale 19-37 0-1
08/29 Windber 22-36 0-2
09/05 @ Mt. Union 21-49 0-3
09/12 @ Southern Huntingdon 29-26 1-3
09/19 CLAYSBURG-KIMMEL 20-46 1-4
09/26 WEST BRANCH 35-12 2-4
10/03 @ Moshannon Valley 3-14 2-5
10/10 JUNIATA VALLEY 14-27 2-6
10/17 GLENDALE 20-34 2-7
10/24 @ Tussey Mountain
