BROOKVILLE – Last season Clearfield defeated USO (University Prep/Science and Technology Academy/Obama Academy) 34-24 for the District 8-9 Class 4A Subregional crown.
This year the Bison and Wildcats are set to tangle again at Brookville Area High School, but this time it will be in the semifinals with the winner advancing to the championship game against top-seeded Punxsutawney.
USO downed Punxsy in the semis last year.
Clearfield (7-3) beat USO last season despite giving up 336 yards through the air to then freshman quarterback Daimere Adair, who completed 18 of his 20 attempts and tossed three TD passes. Nine of those completions went to Zion Hauser, who sliced through the Bison secondary for 209 yards and two scores, including 51-yard TD reception that got the Wildcats to within three of the Bison, 27-24, midway though the fourth quarter.
Both Adair and Hauser return for the Wildcats as does Micah Saunders, who hauled in seven passes for 121 yards and a score in last year’s game..
“We need to get pressure on (Adair) and make him uncomfortable in the pocket,” Clearfield head coach Myles Caragein said. “He has to move his feet and struggle to look down field. We also need to disguise our coverage and make it hard to have a pre read of where he wants to throw the ball.”
While USO was able to move the ball through the air against Clearfield, it had no ground game. The Wildcats carried 25 times for zero yards in last year’s contest. Playing into that were four sacks of Adair.
But USO has been able to run the ball this season thanks to a 215-pound running back in Me’laun Stamper and a big offensive line that features three-year starter Nahayo Clavel, at 5-foot-11, 240 pounds, and Deon Williams, a 6-7, 380-pounder, along with Dre-Quan McClain-Street who moved to center after starting the season at tight end.
“They have a big line and a good running back,” Caragein said. “We need to be physical on the line of scrimmage and do some things to create tackles for loss. Our d-line has been playing very good lately. I am excited to see the lines battle.”
Stamper had two touchdown runs in the Wildcats 26-0 shutout of Westinghouse in last week’s City League championship. That win was the seventh straight for USO, which also defeated Carrick (56-12), Perry Traditional Academy (54-0), Brashear twice (30-7, 63-7), Taylor Allderdice (38-6) and Westinghouse (20-14) during the streak.
USO (7-2) started the season with consecutive losses to Hampton (24-14) and Hickory (41-24).
The Bison offense has been powered by senior running back Colton Ryan, who has carried the ball 199 times for 1,266 yards and 18 touchdowns, and quarterback Xavier Curry, who has thrown for 1,183 yards and rushed for 540 yards. Curry has 10 TD tosses and four touchdown runs. Curry had two touchdown passes in last year’s game against the Wildcats, one going to Ryan and the other to Cooper Broad, who leads the Bison receiving core this season with 28 receptions for 562 yards and six TDs.
“It is great having those three back,” Caragein said. “They know how physical this game was last year. It helps them prepare mentally for this game. We need to spread the ball around between those three and other players and become unpredictable. Defensively, we need to swarm the ball and control the line of scrimmage.”
The game is slated for a 7 p.m. kickoff on Friday.
BISON SCOREBOARD:
Date Opponent Score Record
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 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 34 – 28 7 – 3
10/31 District 8/9 Semifinals @ Brookville
vs. USO
