Clarion (7-0) Visits Cal Saturday at 3 PM

helmet_salute_ICSCALIFORNIA, Pa. – Ranked #25 in the latest AFCA Coaches Poll, the 7-0 Golden Eagles travel to California this Saturday, October 24, to square off against the talented California Vulcans. Kickoff at Adamson Stadium is set for 3pm for this key PSAC-West game.

All the game action between Clarion and Cal can be heard on the Golden Eagle radio network, which includes WCCR-FM, 92.7 in Clarion and WKQW-FM, 96.3 in Oil City, as well as on the internet at Redzonemedia.com with Mike Kalinowski providing the play by play and Joe Lodanosky offering color commentary.

CLARION 7-0; 4-0 IN WEST – FIRST 7-0 START SINCE 1983

The Golden Eagles are 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the PSAC-Western Division after defeating Seton Hill last Saturday 44-29. The Eagles ran up a school record 676 yards of total offense in the game, including 432 passing yards by Connor Simmons and 309 all-purpose yards by Delrece Williams. Two weeks ago clarion topped Edinboro on the road 36-23, and three weeks ago bested Mercyhurst 41-27 with Simmons passing for 431 yards and 3 td’s, plus running for 2 td’s in the win. A month ago Clarion stunned Gannon 47-31, a team that was the pre-season pick to win the West. In that game Connor Simmons passed for 350 yards and 4 td’s, with all four td passes going to Matt Lehman. Five weeks ago Clarion jumped out to a 31-6 halftime advantage against Cheyney and rolled to a 59-6 win. The 53-point winning margin was the third highest in Golden Eagle football history. In week two the Eagles defeated Millersville 27-21 after getting out to a 20-7 halftime lead. The Eagles opened 2015 with an impressive 40-13 win at Lock Haven.

Off to a 7-0 start – this is the best start for a Clarion football team since Gene Sobolewski was the head coach in 1983 and the Eagles opened the year 7-0 and went on to win the PSAC Championship 27-14 over East Stroudsburg in Hershey. That team finished 9-2. Clarion has not started a season 8-0 since 1977 under former head coach Al Jacks. That team went on to a 9-0-1 record and won the PSAC title defeating Millersville 25-24 in the State Game. Clarion is 4-0 in the West. The last time the Eagles were 5-0 in the West was in 1996 when Chris Weibel was at quarterback leading Clarion to the West title and an NCAA Final Four finish with an 11-3 overall record.

“I really like the character and toughness our team has shown when tested so far this season,” said coach Weibel. “We want our guys to play loose and aggressive on every play – that’s when we are at our best. We keep reminding our players every week that our mission this year is Restoring The Pride” of Clarion football and that’s our main goal.”

CALIFORNIA 4-3 OVERALL/2-2 IN PSAC-WEST

The Vulcans enter Saturday’s game with a 4-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in the tough PSAC-West. Cal opened the year with a 35-16 win at Virginia State, lost to Bloomsburg 20-13, won three straight over Shippensburg (34-26), Edinboro (37-30) and Seton Hill (38-34), before dropping games to Slippery Rock (56-21) and IUP (20-15).

Head coach Mike Kellar is in his third season at Cal and his ninth on the Vulcan staff. He has a 3-year record at Cal of 19-10 entering the game. He also was the head coach at Concord in 2009 and 2010 and sported a 14-8 record there. He was an assistant at Cal from 2004-2008 and in 2011 before becoming the head coach.

CAL LEADS ALL-TIME SERIES 43-38-3 DATING BACK TO 1927

The all-time series between the two schools has Cal leading 43-38-3 in games dating back to 1927. Clarion has not defeated Cal since the 2004 “Hail Mary” play gave the Eagles a 35-34 win at Memorial. The last win at Cal was in 2000 (32-28). In the past 20 years Cal has a 13-7 lead and has spawned some great games over the years. In 2014 Cal defeated Clarion in an exciting 43-32 shootout at Memorial Stadium. In 2013 Cal won 35-7. In 2012 Cal defeated Clarion 41-22 at Memorial Stadium, while in 2010 Cal won 24-9. In 2009 the two teams played a classic at Adamson Stadium that the Vulcans won 35-31. Clarion wins over that span came in 1995 (20-10), 1996 (45-14), 1999 (28-14), 2000 (32-28), 2001 (29-22), 2002 (31-6) and 35-34 in 2004. The win in 2004 came on Clarion’s version of “The Play”, as qb Brandon Dando tossed a 47-yard “Hail Mary” pass on the game’s final play to win. Cal meanwhile won 41-22 in 2012, 40-13 in 2011, 24-9 in 2010, 35-31 in 2009, 52-20 in 2008, 56-0 in 2007, 41-14 in 2006, and 43-7 in 2005. Other Cal wins during the last 20 years came in 1997 (30-0), 1998 (30-28), 2003 (13-7).

CLARION OFFENSE GETTING 493.7 YARDS IN 2015

The Clarion offense is getting 493.7 yards per game (#3 in PSAC), including 141.1 on the ground (#10 in PSAC) and 352.6 through the air (#2 in PSAC).

SIMMONS LEADS AT QUARTERBACK

Connor Simmons (Jr. New Palestine, In.), the eagles starting qb, is having a record-brfeaking type of season. He has hit on 155 of 241 passes (64.3%) for 2,434 yards and 25 td’s with 4 int’s. His qb efficiency is 180.06 – first in the all of NCAA D-II. His 432 passing yards versus Seton Hill was third best all-time, 431 vs Mercyhurst was the fourth best in a single game in Clarion history. His 407 passing yards in the opener against LH were seventh most. Chris Weibel holds the single season record for passing yards (2,880) and passing td’s (32) from the 1996 season. Simmons needs 447 yards and 8 td passes to break Weibel’s single season mark. In 2014 he started 8 games and completed 129 of 261 passes for 1,808 yards and 13 td’s. He also rushed for 57 yards and 5 td’s. In his career he has completed 284 of 502 aerials for 4,242 yards and 38 td’s.

Also ready for action is Darelle Carson (Jr. Pgh-Perry) who has two years of experience as a starting quarterback. He is 2 of 3 passing this season for 34 yards and 1 td. Last season he completed 25 of 73 passes for 276 yards and 1 td, while running for 118 yards. Carson completed 85 of 195 passes for 1,170 yards and 5 td’s in 2013, while also running the pigskin 157 times for 564 yards and 6 td’s.

LEHMAN, DEITRICK, NICHOLAS, MOORER & FRYE LEAD RECEIVERS

Returning to catch passes for the Eagles will be wideouts Matt Lehman (Jr. Lower Burrell/Burrell), Mark Nicholas (Sr. Export/Franklin Regional) and Jaron Moorer (Sr. Rochester, N.Y.), along with Eric Frye (Jr. – Pgh – Perry) and tight end Zach Deitrick (Jr. Upper St. Clair).

Lehman, in his third season, is having an outstanding 2015. He has caught 47 passes for 729 yards and 13 td’s. Matt’s 13 td catches have him tied with the all-time single season record holder Alvin Slaughter who had 13 td catches in 1998. In 2014 he grabbed 25 passes for 540 yards and 2 td’s and latched onto 13 passes for 159 yards and 1 td in 2013. He has 85 career catches for 1,428 yards and 16 td’s.

Nicholas, a 3-year starter, has collected 14 passes for 130 yards. He had 12 catches for 100 yards and 3 td’s in 2014 and 15 passes for 285 yards and 3 td’s in 2013. He has 48 career catches for 609 yards and 8 td’s.

Moorer has 6 catches for 118 yards and 1 td. He clutched 11 passes for 328 yards and 2 td’s last year, while Frye has 4 catches in 2015 for 42 yards. Last year he collected 10 catches for 135 yards and 1 td, and had 6 receptions for 154 yards and 2 td’s in 2013.

Deitrick has 6 catches for 103 yards. In 2014 he caught 14 passes for 273 yards and 4 td’s.

Also making strong receiving contributions are Kevin Genevro (Jr. St. Marys/ECC), Kyle Evans (Fr. Forte Meade, Md.) and Gage Clark (So. Natrona Hts., Highlands). Genevro is second on the team with 24 grabs for 501 yards and 6 td’s, while Evans, a true freshman, has 13 grabs for 183 yards and 1 td. Clark has 12 catches for 236 yards.

WILLIAMS RETURNS TO KEY RUNNING BACKS IN 2015

Sophomore running back Delrece Williams (Homestead/Steel Valley), last week’s PSAC-West Offensive POW with 309 all-purpose yards, leads the team with 138 carries for 744 yards and 5 td’s. He also has 25 catches for 377 yards and 3 td’s. He rushed for a career high 201 yards vs Seton Hill last week. Williams toted the pigskin 82 times for 370 yards and 6 td’s, plus caught 6 passes for 8 yards, and returned 26 kickoffs for 658 yards in 2014. He has 220 career rushes for 1,114 yards and 11 td’s, with 31 catches for 385 yards and 3 td’s. A senior at Steel Valley High in the Fall of 2010, Williams set the WPIAL regular season rushing record of 2,149 yards in 9 games. He had a season total of 2,388 yards and a WPIAL leading 34 td’s.

Freshman KaDarrius Campbell (Leonardtown, Md.) has also been sharp with 60 carries for 206 yards and 2 scores. Campbell is a transfer from Saint Francis.

CRESS BROTHERS LEAD OFFENSIVE LINE

The “O” line will be paced by brothers Cameron Cress (Sr. Mars) at center and Shane Cress (Sr. Mars) who has moved to left guard from his normal tackle position. Cameron has started for two years at center and makes all the line calls up front, while Shane, a three-year letterwinner, anchors the line. Also back to lead the way up front are Josh Wiskeman (So. Leechburg/Kiski) and Jake Heigel (So. Dubois/Brockway) at tackle, and Rob Korzon (Fr. Springdale) at guard.

9 STARTERS RETURN ON IMPROVED EAGLE DEFENSE

Clarion’s defense made strong improvements in 2014 and the Eagles have continued that trend with 9 starters and 21 lettermen returning in 2015. Clarion is giving up 328 yards of total offense (#2 in PSAC) per game including 95.3 rushing (#3 in PSAC) and 232.7 passing (#5 in PSAC).

BELL, SHORT & FRAGALE LEAD DEFENSIVE FRONT

The Golden Eagles have a strong defensive line returning in 2015, paced by talented returning starters Kwame Bell (Sr. Philadelphia), Brandon Short (Sr. New Brighton) and Andrew Fragale (Sr. Emporium/Cameron County).

Bell, who developed into a dominant lineman a year ago at defensive end, has 24 hits, 6 tfl’s, 3 sacks and 3 fumble recoveries and 2 blocked kicks this season. Last year he had 55 tackles, 9 qb sacks for -57 and 14 tfl’s for -78 yards. He also caused 3 fumbles and recovered 2 fumbles. Short a three-year letterwinner, returned to the lineup at Edinboro after missing 4 games this season. He has 11 tackles and 2 tfl’s to start the season and has missed 4 games with injury. He posted big numbers at end in 2014. In 8 games he notched 45 hits, 8 sacks for -53 yards, 16 tfl’s for -75 yards, 1 fumble caused, 1 blocked kick and 1 fumble recovery. He was the PSAC-West defensive P.O.W. vs Seton Hill with 11 stops, 6 tfl’s and 2 sacks. Fragale, a three-year starter at noseguard, has 19 hits, 5 tfl’s, 3 sacks with a fumble caused. He recovered a fumble in the endzone against Cheyney for a td. In 2014 he posted 34 tackles, 5 tfl’s, 1 sack, 2 fumbles caused and 1 recovered in 11 games. In 37 career games he has 112 jolts, 32 tfl’s (-75), 13 sacks (-50), 6 fumbles caused, 5 recovered and 1 break-up.

Also having big years up front are Matt Koerper (Jr. Seven Fields/Seneca Valley) at tackle, Tyrone Archie (Fr. Farrell), Jake Tumminello (So. Mars) and Avery Howsare (So. Altoona) at ends and Lucas Nickerson (Sr. Mayville, N.Y.) on the line. Koerper is off to a quality start with 26 tackles, 9 tfl’s, 7 sacks, 2 fumbles caused and 2 recoveries. Archie has burst on the scene with 25 tackles, 9 tfl’s and 8 sacks as a red-shirt freshman. Tumminello has 5 hits and 2 tfl’s, while Howsare has 8 stops, 3 tfl’s, and a blocked kick. Nickerson gained valuable playing time and lettered last year.

YAUGER & DAVIS RETURN AS EAGLE LINEBACKERS

The Clarion linebacking corps will be led by the return of veterans seniors Rocco Yauger (Sr. Penn Trafford) and Jared Davis (Sr. Pgh-Allderdice).

Yauger, a 3-year starter, has 42 stops, 3 tfl’s, 1 sack, 2 fumbles caused and a pass break-up. He was second on the team last year with 75 tackles to go with 2 tfl’s. He had 57 stops with 1 tfl and 1 int in 2013, and collected 64 hits, 8 tfl’s and 1 sack as a freshman in 2012. He has career numbers showing 238 tackles, 14 tfl’s, 2 sacks and 1 int.

Davis, meanwhile has gained starting experience in each of the last two years. He has 17 hits, 1 tfl and 1 fumble recovery this year. In 2014 he had a career high 36 tackles, 4 tfl’s, 1 fumble recovery and 1 break-up in 2014. Jared has 96 career stops and 9 tfl’s with 3 fumble recoveries and a break-up.

Also expecting to see time on the inside will be senior Eddie Kurtz (Pgh – Avonworth), Michael Collier (Jr. Beaver Falls) and Pitt transfer Jacob Craig (Jr. Berlin Brothers Valley). Kurtz has earned two letters at linebacker and on special teams getting 5 tackles this season. He has played in 28 career games with 16 stops and 1 tfl. Collier has 17 stops in 2015. He missed the 2014 season with injury but had a stellar 2013 collecting 36 tackles, 4 tfl’s, an interception and a break-up. Coach Weibel is high on Craig, who played in 2 games at Pitt last year (1 tackle). He posted a 27 yard interception return for a td against Cheyney along with another int last week. He has 28 tackles, 2 tfl’s and 2 int’s.

FOUR VETERANS RETURN AT CORNER

Myles Edmonds (So. Odenton, Md.), Tyler Tucker (Sr. Westside, Tx.). Adam Lynch (Jr. Pgh – Brashear) and Kwaku Asamoah (Sr. Indiana) have all started in the secondary and will lead the 2015 Golden Eagles at corner. Edmonds has 28 stops, 9 break-ups and caused a fumble in 2015. He notched 38 tackles, 2 tfl’s and 1 break-up in 2014. Tucker, who has earned 3 letters, has moved from safety to corner. As a freshman in 2012 he had 31 hits, 7 tfl’s and 2 break-ups at corner, with 24 stops and 2 tfl’s in 2013. Lynch, missed the first three games with an injury but returned to play vs Gannon and in three games has 21 tackles, 1 int. and 5 break-ups. He posted 35 hits and 5 break-ups last year. The 2-time letterwinner has 68 career stops, 3 int’s and 9 pass break-ups. Asamoah, who has earned 3 letters, has made 11 hits in 2015. He played in 9 games in 2014 with 9 stops and 2 break-ups. He has 51 career tackles and 4 break-ups.

McNAMARA, & LIBERTO ANCHOR AT SAFETY

Maybe the strongest part of the Golden Eagle defense is at the safety position where three-year starters Cory McNamara (Sr. Ontario, N.Y.) and Chris Liberto (Sr. Springdale) await the enemy.

Cory McNamara has notched 20 tackles and a fumble recovery this year. He returned at Edinboro after missing three games with an injury. In 2014 and he ranked fourth on the team in tackles with 64, plus had 3 interceptions, 2 break-ups, 2 tfl’s, 1 fumble caused and recovered and blocked a kick. In 2013 he led the Golden Eagles with 87 tackles and 12 pass break-ups (Ranked #2 in the PSAC. Adding 1 interception and 1 tfl. He had a game high 14 tackles vs Gannon. Cory now has 202 tackles, 15 break-ups, 5 int’s, 4 tfl’s, 2 fumbles recovered and 1 caused.

Liberto has opened strong in 2015 with 52 tackles, 4 tfl’s, 1 int, and 2 break-ups. Chris notched 55 hits, 6 tfl’s and 1 fumble recovery last year after two years at running back.

Also seeing plenty of time at the safety spots will be Connor Scott (Jr. Pgh – Upper St. Clair), Colton McKay (So. Moon) and Trevon Gaines (So. Pgh – Brashear). Scott has 23 hits, 1 int and 1 fumble recovery this year. He collected 27 tackles and an interception last year, including a 15-yard int return for a td at Millersville. McKay has 37 tackles and an int this season and notched 25 hits in 2014, while Gaines meanwhile has 17 stops and 1 tfl this season.

ESPOSITO, AYERS & WHITE BACK ON SPECIAL TEAMS

The Clarion special teams will be anchored by junior placekicker Phil Esposito (Jr. Brockway), special teams snapper Eric White (Sr. Clearfield) and punter Scott Ayers (Jr. Bethesda, Md.). Esposito is 13 of 16 in field goals this year and 33 of 37 in PAT’s. He missed most of 2014 with an injury. In 2013 he was 25 of 25 in PAT’s and 5 of 17 in field goals. In his career he has now made 18 of 36 field goals and 63 of 67 PAT’s. White, Clarion’s snapper for punts and PAT’s/Field Goals, returns to that position again in 2015 for the fourth straight season. Ayers is averaging 40.0 yards per punt in 2015 and getting 8 inside the 20. He averaged 37.5 yards per punt, dropping 12 punts inside the 20 in 2014.

CALIFORNIA HAS BALANCED ATTACK 2015

Cal’s offense is very potent in 2015 getting 442 yards per game (#8 in PSAC) and 27.6ppg. On the ground the Vulcans get 152.1 yards per game (#9 in PSAC), while the passing offense nets 289.9 yards per game (#6 in the PSAC).

Talented quarterback James Harris calls the signals for the offense. Harris has completed 121 of 212 passes for 1,933 yards and 12 td’s.

Top receivers for the Vulcans are Garry Brown (36 catches, 618 yards, 4 td’s), Kowan Scott (27 grabs, 609 yards, 3 td’s) and Luke Smorey (17 catches, 337 yards, 3 td’s). Tight end Desimon Green has 12 grabs for 138 yards.

The running game is paced by John Franklin III who has toted the pigskin 118 times for 537 yards and 10 td’s. Backup Jimmy Wheeler has 356 rushing yards and 2 td’s.

CAL DEFENSE YIELDING 438.1 YARDS PER GAME

Cal’s defense is giving up 438.1 yards per game (#10 in PSAC), including 198.7 rushing yards (10 in PSAC) and 239.4 passing yards (#7 in PSAC).

Up front the Vulcans are led by noseguard Adam Mihoci (8 stops, 1.5 tfl’s), tackle Jawan turner (35 stops, 7.5 tfl’s, 1 sack) and ends Cameron Tarver (20 tackles, 5.5 tfl’s) and Jordan Lardani (14 hits, 1 tfl).

The #2 and #3 ranked tacklers on the team are at linebacker with Luke Hrapchak getting 51 stops and 4 tfl’s, alongside Devonte Suber who has 48 jolts and 1 tfl.

Safety Chaz Veal (55 stops, 1 int) is the team’s top tackler, with Jordan Bowman (46 tackles, 5.5 tfl’s, 2 int’s) and Aaron Terry (43 hits, 3 int’s) also playing safety spots. The corners are led by Brendan Edwards (4 hits) and Vondell Bell (22 tackles).

CLARION NOTES: CALIFORNIA SERIES NOTES: CAL LEADS 43-38-3
2014 – Cal won 43-32 …. Clarion trailed 28-8 in the first half, but rallied in the third quarter to within 31-26 … Connor Simmons had td runs of 9, 1 and 6 yards, then tossed a 73-yard td pass to Matt Lehman which brought the score to 31-26… the Vulcans went on to win though 43-32 … Simmons was 25 of 51 passing for 376 yards and 1 td… the 51 attempts were 4th highest in school history … Lehman caught 3 passes for 101 and 1 td … Julian Howsare led the “D” with 5 stops, 3 sacks, 1 int, fumble caused and a break-up … For Cal James Harris completed 18 of 33 for 284 yards and 3 td’s … Garry Brown caught 4 for 73 yards and 1 td.
2013 – Cal won 35-7 … Cal led 14-0 at halftime and 21 fourth quarter points sealed the win … Darelle Carson completed 16 of 35 passes for 121 yards… Cal qb James Harris hit 14 of 25 for 214 and 1 td …
2012 – Cal won 41-22 at Clarion … Cal jumped out to a 35-7 halftime lead and never looked back … Ben Fiscus set school records for completions (36) and attempts (64) in a single game … He threw for 410 yards and 2 td’s and ran for 1 td … Jon Reid caught 10 for 154 and Aaron Barlow grabbed 8 for 104… Cal qb Peter Lalich passed for 368 yards and 3 td’s… Mike Willliams caught 8 for 149 and 1 td and Trey Johnson grabbed 7 passes for 147 yards and 1 td… 2011 – Cal won 40-13 at Cal … A game that was scoreless deep into the second quarter, Cal exploded for 20 points in the final 5:32 of the second quarter to take a 20-0 lead… John Fuhrer and Ben Fiscus scored on td runs of 3 and 10 yards … Fiscus was 10 of 21 passing for 122 yards, plus ran for 45 yards and 1 td … Cal QB Peter Lalich was 23 of 32 for 350 yards and 3 td’s, and Lamont Smith rushed for 155 yards … (2010) Cal defeated Clarion 24-9 at Memorial Stadium … Clarion led 7-3 at halftime on a 1-yard pass from Eric Coxon to Jacques Robinson in the second quarter … Cal took a 17-7 lead in the third on a Cherry 8-yd td pass from Josh Portis and a Jordan Scott 1-yard run … Clarion’s Adam Bostick tackled Lamont Smith in the endzone for a safety at 8:32 of the fourth … Cal’s Harris intercepted a Coxon pass on the next drive and Smith scored on a 6-yard run to put the game away with 2:46 remaining… Smith rushed for 185 yards and 1 td – Portis completed 22 of 30 for 201 yards and 1 td – Cherry caught 8 for 110 and 1 td … Clarion’s Jacques Robinson had 3 catches for 50 yadr and 1 td … Clarion’s Nick Sipes had 17 tackles to lead the “D” … (2009 Cal rallied to defeat Clarion 35-31 at Adamson Stadium) – was a true indicator that the Clarion – Cal game will always be interesting… The Golden Eagles came in as heavy underdogs, and nearly pulled off the big upset losing 35-31 in a game that went to the final play… The game had 7 lead changes … Clarion looked like they might have the upset when Tyler Huether hit Jacques Robinson on a 44-yard td pass with 4:04 to play… Cal went ahead with 1:01 left on a 47-yard td pas from Portis to Cherry… Clarion drove to the Cal 27 and tried a game-winning pass on the final play, but the pass was intercepted by Mike Brown… Robinson had 9 catches for 123 yards and 1 td … Huether passed for 271 yards and 2 td’s and Hoggard ran for 50 and 1 td… Portis hit on 13 of 23 passes for 201 yards and 3 td’s … Moore had 5 grabs for 84 yards and 2 td’s, and Cherry, who was held to 2 catches, had 70 total yards and the final td catch.
In 2008 at Clarion the Golden Eagles lost 52-20 – The games was close into the third quarter … Robert Mamula’s 25-yard field goal at 12:10 of the third had Clarion trailing 17-6, but Cal responded with three td’s to put the game away … Gino Rometo completed 18 of 29 for 213 yards and 1 td … Jacques Robinson grabbed 9 passes for 152 yards and 1 td … Eddie Emmanuel rushed for 103 yards … Cal’s Brandon Lombardy rushed for 106 yards and 1 td and QB Kevin McCabe hit on 12 of 17 for 164 and 2 td’s … In the 2006 game Cal was ahead 21-0 in the third quarter when Clarion rallied with two td’s to make it 21-14… Huether scored on a 7-yard run and Kyle Mahoney caught a 13-yard td pass from Huether … A bad punt snap gave Cal the ball at the Clarion 4 and the Vulcans scored immediately to make it 28-14 with 11:39 left … The Vulcans added 2 late td’s to make it 41-14… In 2005 Cal jumped out to a 43-0 halftime lead and defeat Clarion 43-7 … Antoine Bagwell rushed for 204 yard and 4 td’s to lead Cal … In 2004 when Clarion won 35-34 on the final play, Clarion outgained Cal 448-442… Cal led 7-6 at halftime, but the two teams combined for 56 second half points … Clarion scored two td’s in the final 1:13… Dando scored on a 2-yard run with 1:13 left, the “D” held on three downs, then the “O” took over at the Clarion 44 with 19-seconds left… Dando hit Pierre Odom for 9-yards to the Cal 47 setting up the game-wining td pass… Clarion had 222 rushing yards and 226 passing yards … qb Brandon Dando completed 17 of 32 passes for 226 yards and 1 td … Glenn Lovelace rushed for 164 yards and 2 td’s on 23 carries … Joe Farkas had 5 grabs for 81 yards and 1 td … Cal rushed for 170 yards and passed for 272 … Bagwell gained 191 yards and 2 td’s on 21 attempts … Ruggiero was 1 for 3 for -2 yards before suffering a season ending injury … Matt Humbert completed 15 of 27 passes for 274 yards and 2 td’s … Marc Huddleston had 8 catches for 92 yards, while Claude Whitacre had 5 catches for 148 yards and 2 td’s … In 2003 at Cal’s Adamson Stadium the Vulcans rallied in the fourth quarter for a 13-7 win over Clarion … Wes Clemons scored on a 2-yard run with 11:09 left to win the game … Clarion outgained Cal 316-160 and outrushed Cal 250-60, but 3 lost fumbles and an interception that spelled defeat for Clarion … Brandon Dando had his first collegiate start and rushed for 80 yards on 20 carries, and completed 9 of 22 for 66 yards… QB John Aitken was 10 of 24 for 100 yards… In 2002 Clarion rushed for 265 yards, outgained Cal 351-136 and held the ball for 39:07 in the 31-6 win over Cal… Brandon Sweeney blocked a punt in the second quarter that teammate Brandon Whitman caught in mid-air and returned 5 yards for a td to give Clarion a 14-6 halftime lead… Clarion added 17 unanswered second half points … Robert Walker rushed for 169 yards and 2 td’s on 27 carries… Adam Almashy hit 5 of 14 passes for 86 yards and 1 td… Cal’s Wesley Clemons gained 35 yards on 12 carries… QB Brandon LeDonne completed 3 of 26 passes for 81 yards… (2001) Clarion topped the Vulcans 29-22 at Memorial Stadium … The Eagles rallied from a 22-14 halftime deficit with a third quarter td from Glenn Lovelace and a 2-yard run in the fourth from Demetric Gardner with 9:01 left… Clarion outgained Cal 362-292 … Adam Almashy ran for 120 yards and 2 td’s and completed 2 of 9 passes for 52 yards … Cal QB LeDonne completed 7 of 20 passes for 80 yards, while Strayer came on and was 2 for 2 for 78 yards and 1 td… In 2000 at Cal the Eagles won 32-28… Clarion had 422 yards to Cal’s 350 … Almashy completed 11 of 24 passes for 177 yards … Mike McCullum grabbed 4 for 104, including a 75-yarder to the Cal 16 with about one minute to play, setting up Almashy’s game-winning 2-yard run with 46-seconds left… Clarion’s defense caused a critical Cal fumble in that game at the Clarion 6 yard line prior to the game-winning td drive… Dennis Yu recovered the fumble with 1:50 remaining in the game … Cal All-America running back Wesley Cates rushed for a game high 182 yards and 2 td’s on 26 carries.

Weibel played at Clarion from 1993-98 — In 1995 led Clarion to a 6-4 record completing 159 of 268 passes (59.3%) for 2,017 yards and 14 td’s. In 1996 he led the Eagles to an 11-3 overall record, the PSAC-West title, the NCAA Division II East Region Crown and a berth in the NCAA “Final Four” before losing in the final seconds to Northern Colorado 19-18. Weibel earned NCAA D-II All-America honors completing 208 of 356 passes (58.4%) for 2,880 yards and 32 td’s. Clarion won the Lambert Cup – top team in the East. …Weibel holds all four key career passing records at Clarion including passing attempts (1,065), completions (586), passing yards (7,845) and passing td’s (65).


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