BROOKVILLE-The regular season meant a guaranteed 10-game slate, with practices and film study each week leading up to each contest. Once the playoffs hit, the mentality is different. Each week, the focus is to give teammates one more practice, for one more game. The Clearfield Bison saw their postseason hopes begin on a misty and chilly Friday night at the Brookville High School. Their playoffs began with a familiar foe, one who they defeated a season ago to win a district crown, the Co-op USO Bulldogs, representing University Prep, Sci-Tech and Obama Academy.
A year ago, the Bison gave up yards, but did not give up a victory. This year, the defense made a statement. The herd of Bison battled tough in the trenches, even when frustration led to some chippy behavior. But, that defense shuttered the Bulldogs in shutout fashion, 14-0, to make it into the Class 4A championship in District 8 and 9.
“Defense played outstanding tonight,” Bison head coach Myles Caragein mentioned afterwards. “Honestly, I couldn’t tell you the last time we had a shut out. These guys played focused, and played with discipline, and that’s what we need against this team.
“Last year, they torched us for 300 yards in the air. We didn’t want that to happen again, and we stood up to that challenge.”
That defense lived up to its strength on the opening drive, as despite giving up two long passes, defensively they held USO to negative yardage on the ground, and forced an opening punt. With the drizzle starting to fall from the sky, it played into the wheelhouse of Clearfield, as the first nine plays had one thing in common…Colton Ryan on the ground. He gained small yardage to start, but then broke a 35-yard run to get the Bison just outside the red zone. He would dink and dive just outside the red zone, but on a 2nd-and-goal at the three, he was stopped behind the line and it appeared that the ball was ripped from his grasp.
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, the play was already blown dead. Even worse for them, the defensive player that got the ball and proceeded to run about 20 yards downfield while whistles blew, spiked the ball into the ground in frustration. Officials saw the act, and called unsportsmanlike conduct, allowing Clearfield to gain back the yard they lost, and one more, to set up another shot from two yards out.
Ryan made it count, powering into the end zone for the opening score. Cash Diehl booed the extra point, and the 7-0 lead held through the remainder of the quarter.
USO put together a late run in the second quarter, with the passing game taking shape. Quarterback Rious Shields would begin finding his receivers in key moments, as a drive that began at their own 40 quickly moved into Bison territory despite penalties and tackles for lost yards. However, the drive would stall with just over ten seconds left in the half after three-straight incompletions. Clearfield headed to the locker room knowing they did their job in the first half, as they held the Bulldogs to only 61 yards of offense. The second half needed to be more of the same.
The Bison showed up and out on the third play of the third quarter.
Xavier Curry, who only threw for 28 yards on the night, made an impact with his legs as he took a first-down snap at midfield, and found a hole up the right side. The 48-yard run set up Ryan on the next play to get his second score of the night. The extra point made it a two-score gap, giving Clearfield a bit of breathing room.
Curry and Ryan would each eclipse 100 yards rushing on the night, Curry with 101 and Ryan achieving 151, but it was the defense again making an impact as they would force a turnover on the next possession. Clearfield would not score on the ensuing drive, but it was becoming clear that the Bulldogs were in panic mode, and had to make tough decisions. Opting to nearly abandon the run game, as they were held to a net total of negative-25 yards on the ground, the air attack was all they had remaining.
“They have great athletes, and their receivers made some great plays in the passing game,” Caragein said. “This defense, though, never gives up. Every time, the mentality was to forget about it, and go to the next play.”
Clearfield’s offense faltered late in the fourth, forcing a turnover on downs, but that defense made the final statement when it mattered.
On 2nd-and-4, Shields got flushed out of the pocket once more, avoiding another sack, and hurled a ball deep down the field towards his sideline. The pass covered 40 yards, but the ball would land in the hands of Cooper Broad. The game-sealing interception was enough to push the Bison back into familiar territory, into another district championship.
The mentality of earning another week was not lost on Caragein, but his humble demeanor still was in coaching mode, because his team was not effective in discipline late in the going.
“We’re taking it one step at a time. It’s just another week, and we’re going to come in, fix the mistakes from tonight, and get ready for Punxsutawney,” he said. “This is a great group of kids. They’re fun to coach, to be around, tough kids.
“I’m glad we get another week to see how far we can take this.”
The Bison improve their season to 8-3, and will prepare to face the No. 1 seed Punxsutawney Chucks in the District 8/9 championship next Friday night. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. at Varischetti Field in Brockway.
SCORE BY QUARTER
USO 0 0 0 0 – 0
Clearfield 7 0 7 0 – 14
BOX SCORE
1st Quarter
- BISON: Ryan 2-yard run (Diehl kick), 4:38
2nd Quarter
- No Scoring
3rd Quarter
- BISON: Ryan 2-yard run (Rosinsky kick), 10:15
4th Quarter
- No Scoring
GAME STATISTICS
USO/Clearfield
- First Downs: 9/13
- Rush Yards: (-25)/277
- Pass Yards: 165/28
- Penalties-Yards: 6-54/4-35
- Total Yards: 140/305
- Turnovers: 3/2
- Time of Possession: 22:30/25:30
Individual Statistics
Rushing
- USO: Shields-6 carries, (-25) yards; Stevenson-5 carries, (-7) yards; Sweeney-2 carries, 9 yards; Dixon-2 carries, (-2) yards.
- Clearfield: Ryan-30 carries, 151 yards, 2 TD; Curry-7 carries, 101 yards; Broad-4 carries, 28 yards; Team-3 carries, (-3) yards.
Passing
- Shields-16 for 28, 165 yards, 2 INT.
- Curry-2 for 8, 28 YARDS, 2 INT.
Receiving
- USO: Taylor-5 catches, 72 yards; Saunders-5 catches, 51 yards; Harris-3 catches, 18 yards; Bey-2 catches, 32 yards; Mangham-1 catch, 1 yard.
- Clearfield: Broad-1 catch, 19 yards; Ryan-1 catch, 9 yards.
Clearfield Bison Scoreboard:
- 8/22 BELLWOOD-ANTIS 21 – 28, 0 – 1
- 8/29 at Bedford 21 – 14, 1 – 1
- 9/5 PHILIPSBURG-OSCEOLA 27 – 15, 2 – 1
- 9/12 at Bellefonte 21 – 18 OT, 3 – 1
- 9/19 HUNTINGDON 27 – 28, 3 – 2
- 9/26 PENNS VALLEY 46 – 14, 4 – 2
- 10/3 at Bald Eagle Area 12 – 6, 5 – 2
- 10/10 at Somerset 43 – 14, 6 – 2
- 10/17 at Bishop Guilfoyle 13 – 20, 6 – 3
- 10/24 PENN CAMBRIA 34 – 28 OT, 7 – 3
- 10/31 vs. University Prep, in Brookville 14 – 0, 8 – 3
District 8/9 4A Sub-Regional semi-final - 11/7 or 11/8 vs. Punxsutawney, in Brockway
District 8/9 4A Championship
