High School Football Playoff Roundup: Clearfield, Curwensville Get Wins; DuBois Falls

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HYDE, Pa. – After a slow start, top-seeded Clearfield pulled away from fourth-seeded and visiting Bellefonte for a 34-7 victory in the District 5-6-9 semifinals.

(Photo: Jake Robinson of Clearfield puts pressure on Bellefonte’s Tyler Kreger during the Bison’s win Friday night. Photo by Logan Cramer III)

The Bison (10-1), who beat the Red Raiders 28-0 during the regular season and have now won 10 straight, found themselves in a dogfight with their Mountain League rival. The game was tied at zero at the end of the first quarter and at seven following a 45-yard touchdown run by Bellefonte’s Dexter Gallishaw with 9:05 to play in the first half.

But Clearfield took a 14-7 lead just before the half on a 51-yard Isaac Rumery to Ryan Lezzer scoring pass. The Bison then added a pair of third-quarter touchdowns – Rumery hit Micah Heichel on a 68-yard bomb on the first play of the second half and Seth Caldwell found paydirt on a 24-yard run, his second touchdown of the game – to make it 28-7 going to the fourth quarter. Ty Bender’s 40-yard scoring run midway through the fourth put the icing on the cake for Clearfield, who will face Johnstown, a 40-24 winner over DuBois, in the District 5-6-9 Championship game next week.

Caldwell and Rumery both had big games for Clearfield.

The senior running back Caldwell rushed 20 times for 122 yards and the two scores, while Rumery, a sophomore, was 11 of 15 passing for 214 yards and the two touchdowns while adding 30 yards rushing on 13 carries.

Lezzer caught six passes for 94 yards and the touchdown with Heichel adding two catches for 79 yards. Bender ran seven times for 83 yards and the score helping Clearfield outgain Bellefonte 463-229.

Most of Bellefonte’s yards came on the ground with Gallishaw (18 carries, 117 yards) and Tyler Kreger (14 carries, 106 yards) both topping 100 yards helping the Red Raiders (5-6) run for 223 yards on 32 carries. Kreger, though, was just 3 of 15 passing for six yards with an interception – Dylan Fenton came up with the pick.

(2) JOHNSTOWN 48, (3) DUBOIS 24

JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – West Virginia recruit Exree Loe scored three touchdowns to lead second-seeded Johnstown to a 48-24 win over third-seeded and visiting DuBois in the District 5-6-9 Class 4A semifinals.

Loe’s first touchdown was also the game’s biggest.

With Johnstown (10-1) trailing 17-13 following a Matt Miller to Colin Read 16-yard touchdown pass late in the first, Austin Barber heaved up a Hail Mary pass from the DuBois 45-yard line as time ran out in the half. The ball was deflected and ended up in Loe’s hands to give the Trojans a 21-17 halftime lead.

Johnstown never trailed after that.

A Barber to Tavis Price scoring pass made it 28-17, before Miller hit Kyle Hopson with a 21-yard scoring toss to bring the Beavers (6-5) back to within four, 28-24.

But Loe, filling in at quarter for an injured Barber, scored on 2-yard run to make it 34-24, and then Rashaud Jordan-Maines intercepted his second pass of the game and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown and a 41-24 Trojan advantage. Loe put the capper on the night for Johnstown with a 25-yard scoring run.

DuBois led 7-0 early on a 2-yard Brock Adams touchdown run following a Dylan McCluskey fumble recovery at the Johnstown 40.

But Miller was picked off by Theo Tinsley leading to a 3-yard Barber scoring run that tied the game.

DuBois then gave up three touchdowns on three straight plays following a Jordan-Maines interception on a Miller shovel pass at midfield but only one counted for the Trojans.

A 50-yard run was called back by a hold, then a 45-yard run was called back by another hold. But Barber hit Darrian Berkins with a 57-yard scoring pass to make it 13-7 Johnstown.

A 22-yard Carson Hanna field goal got the Beavers back within three, 13-10, before Miller hit Read to give DuBois it’s second and final lead of the game.

DISTRICT 9 CLASS 1A QUARTERFINALS

(4) CURWENSVILLE 33, (5) COUDERSPORT 6

CURWENSVILLE, Pa. – Three fourth-quarter Nick Stewart touchdowns helped fourth-seeded Curwensville pull away from fifth-seeded Coudersport, 33-6, in District 9 Class 1A quarterfinal action at Curwensville.

The Golden Tide (6-4), winners of two straight after a four-game losing streak, led 14-6 going into the final 12 minutes before a 62-yard run by Stewart, who ran for 248 yards on the night, broke the game open a bit. Stewart then hauled in a 28-yard scoring pass from Bryce Timko midway through the quarter to put the game away before adding a third touchdown in the quarter late.

Stewart also scored Curwensville first touchdown on a 5-yard run 3 ½ minutes into the game.

Coudersport scored its lone touchdown late in the first quarter on an 8-yard Aaron Wolfinger to Derek Keglovits pass. Wolfinger led the Falcons (5-5), who were outgained 425-168, going 14 of 26 passing for 127 yards and the touchdown.

Up 7-6, Curwensville pushed the lead to 14-6 at halftime on a 1-yard Kaleb Witherite run midway through the second quarter.

Curwensville gets a rematch with top-seeded Ridgway, which had a bye, in the semifinals next week. Ridgway beat the Golden Tide 28-0 Oct. 7 in Ridgway.

Check out D9Sports.com for more District 9 football playoff recaps


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