CLARION, Pa. – Jase Ferguson accounted for seven touchdowns, as Central Clarion christened Larry Wiser Field with a 57-6 smackdown of visiting Port Allegany.
Also see: Also see: Bradford ends long losing streak • Brockway beats DuBois in OT
Rewatch the game
In a much-anticipated matchup of defending District 9 champions, the defending Class 2A Wildcats outscored the defending 1A Gators 36-0 in the second half to turn a 21-6 halftime lead into a Mercy Rule game.
Ferguson played a big role in that throwing five touchdowns, running for another, and returning a fumble for yet another score.
He finished the game, the first played on the field behind Clarion High School in 20 years, 13 of 19 passing for 226 yards while rushing eight times for 64 yards. He added an interception on defense as well.
Ferguson was named the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game and talked about his performance and the win on the Cole Orthodontics Postgame Player Interview.
Two of Ferguson’s touchdown passes went to Mason Burford, who caught five passes for 76 yards.
Brady Quinn added four catches for 107 yards and a touchdown, while Dawson Smail and Kohan Kemmer also scored through the air.
Central Clarion’s lone non-Ferguson-involved TD came late in the game on a 28-yard Ethan Rex run.
Port Allegany actually grabbed a 6-0 lead on a 2-yard Aiden Bliss run 1:35 into the game.
Bliss ran 13 times for 57 yards, while Peyton Stiles added 17 carries for 50 yards.
Nick Wilfong was 7 of 15 passing for 125 yards and an interception for the Gators with Bliss catching four passes for 76 yards and Stiles three for 49.
Prior to the game, the field was dedicated to long-time Clarion and then Central Clarion head coach Larry Wiser.
Watch the pregame ceremony.
UNION/A-C VALLEY 24, KEYSTONE 13
KNOX, Pa. – Union/A-C Valley forced six turnovers, including three interceptions by Trey Fleming in a 24-13 win over Keystone.
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The win was a reversal of fortune for the Falcon Knights, who lost to the Panthers in both the regular season and the playoffs a year ago.
“Our coach had a game plan for us this week,” said Fleming, who was the Allegheny Grille of Foxburg Player of the Game. “We had to read our keys better than we did last week. It all just kind of happened and everyone was there at the right time.
See Fleming’s full Cole Orthodontics Associates Postgame Interview here:
Our coach had a game plan for us this week. We had to read our keys better than we did last week. It all just kind of happened and everyone was there at the right time.
Trailing 13-6, the Falcon Knights scored just 30 seconds before halftime on Owen Bish’s 1-yard touchdown run.
That momentum carried over to the second half on both sides of the ball.
Max Gallagher scored at the 4:26 mark of the third quarter on a 10-yard touchdown run to give Union/A-C Valley its first lead of the game, 18-13.
Logan Skibinski’s rumbling 56-yard touchdown run with 4:21 to play put the finishing touches on the win.
The defense for the Falcons Knights was simply dominant. Bish and Easton Wingard both had interceptions, while Skibinski had a fumble recovery.
Keystone’s Rayce Weaver, who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown in the first half, was limited to just six yards in the second half, although part of that was due to the fact that he missed the third quarter with an injury.
Fleming also had six catches for 72 yards and a 33-yard touchdown from Brody Dittman at the 3:27 mark of the first quarter, following Weaver’s first touchdown of the game from 37 yards out on fourth-and-3.
Weaver scored again on a 5-yard run with 4:16 to go before the half to make it 13-6 Keystone.
Skibinski finished with 129 yards on the ground, 117 of which came in the second half. Bish added nine carries for 56 yards, while Zach Cooper had four receptions for 57 yards. Dittman was 17-of-29 through the air for 194 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.
REDBANK VALLEY 35, KARNS CITY 6 (GAME CALLED IN THIRD QUARTER)
KARNS CITY, Pa. – In a game called in the third quarter when Karns City senior Mason Martin collapsed and had to be flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, Redbank Valley beat the homestanding Gremlins, 35-6.
Ashton Kahle scored three times for Karns City on passes of 67 and 49 yards from Braylon Wagner and on a 2-yard run. He caught four passes for 155 yards and ran once for two yards.
Wagner, who added an 8-yard scoring run, was 14 of 21 passing for 278 yards and the two scores while rushing three times for 21 yards.
Drew Byers had a 100-yard game on the ground for Redbank Valley carrying the ball 11 times for 107 yars and a touchdown, a 9-yard run. Mason Clouse added five catches for 82 yards.
Martin scored on a 4-yard run for Karns City and was 5 of 10 passing for 69 yards and two interceptions while also rushing four times for 13 yards. Taite Beighley had four catches for 61 yards.
