Cody Hearst and Damien Slike Reach Milestones In Bobcat Victory (10/28/13)

It was business as usual for the Bobcat Football Team on Friday night, at Memorial Stadium (sixth straight shutout, seventh shutout in nine games, ninth straight game in which the Mercy Rule was invoked), as they blanked the A-C Valley Falcons 55-0.

Also, in business as usual, two Bobcat players, Cody Hearst and Damien Slike, reached “individual” milestones, during the first half.

Hearst, who came into the game needing only 34 yards to break his own CHS single season receiving yards record of 722 yards, finished the game with 4 receptions for 69 yards and a touchdown, giving him 757 yards on the year.

(Photos by Bri Nellis – brinellisphotography.shutterfly.com) Cody Hearst catches the ball and runs for a touchdown against the Falcons.

(Photos by Bri Nellis – brinellisphotography.shutterfly.com)
Cody Hearst catches the ball and runs for a touchdown against the Falcons.

Hearst’s career receiving yardage total now stands at 1493. With seven more receiving yards, he’ll join his good friend, former teammate and current receivers coach Camron Kirkland as the only Bobcats to ever reach the 1500 yard plateau. Kirkland holds the Bobcat record at 1610 yards.

Slike, needing 62 rushing yards to reach 1000 yards on the season, ran the ball 7 times for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns. Damien now has 84 carries, on the year, for 1072 yards. Damien joins his summer training partner Kyle Cathcart and Chris McSwain as the only Bobcat ball carriers, since the turn of the millennium, to reach the thousand yard mark during the regular season. Cathcart accomplished the feat twice (2000 and 2001), as did McSwain (2004 and 2005).

Game details:
After taking the opening kickoff, the Falcons fumbled on their first play from scrimmage. Slike recovered the ball at the A-C Valley 25. After a run moved the ball to the 21, John Katis hit a leaping Antonio Troese along the sideline at the 7 yard line for a first and goal. Troese did a great job of getting a foot down in bounds. After an incomplete pass, Tanner Corbett ran the ball around the left end for the touchdown. Troese’ kick was successful and the Cats led 7-0 at 10:46 of the first quarter.

Later in the quarter, Clarion faced a third and thirteen at their own 31. Katis hit Troese again, this time the play went down the right side to the ACV 32. On the next play, Katis hit Hearst at the five and he ran it the rest of the way for six. The PAT was good and the Cats led 14-0 at 6:29.

Clarion scored again in the quarter. After a 17 yard Slike run and a 20 yard completion from Katis to Slike, the Bobcats had a first and ten at the Falcon 39. Ian Corbett took over from there, taking a handoff around the right side for the touchdown. The PAT failed and the Cats led 20-0 at 8:38.

On the first play after taking over on downs at their own 46, shortly into the second quarter,  Slike took a pitch off tackle on the left side. And getting great blocks from Benton Reichart, Ethan Straffin and Tanner Corbett, Slike went 54 yards untouched into the endzone, at 11:48. The run put Slike over the 1000 yard mark. The two point conversion failed and the Cats led 26-0.

Brendan Miller put an end to an ACV threat with an interception of a halfback pass, at the Clarion 4 and returned it to the 4. On the ensuing drive, with a second and three at the Falcon 20, Slike took a handoff and followed some great blocking through the middle, and then cut it outside and outran the defense for the touchdown. Katis hit Slike with a pass for the two-point conversion, giving the Cats a 34-0 lead at 3:26.

Another ACV threat was thwarted, as Tanner Corbett intercepted a Falcon pass at the Clarion five and returned it to the Bobcats 43 as the horn sounded to end the half. This was nothing compared to TC’s next play.

Playing as an up back on the second half kickoff, TC fielded the ball at the Clarion 34, caught a seam up the middle, cut to the right side and outran everyone for the TD.  Antonio was good with the PAT and the Cats led 41-0, at 11:50 of the third.

The Bobcats would score twice more in the quarter. Ian Corbett had a 46 yard  touchdown run at 7:13 and Tyler Allen had a 4 yard touchdown at 1:15. Troese was successful on bot PAT attempts to set the 55-0 final, as neither team scored in the last quarter.

Allen had 6 carries for 29 yards and his backfield mate, Ben Babington had six carries for 34 yards.

PFN pre-season All-Stater, Destin Strauser had another great performance defensively,with 16 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Allen also turned in another stellar defensive performance with 13 tackles. Though these two don’t get as much ink as some other players, they are two of the finest defenders in the Conference this season. Slike also hit double digits in tackles with ten.

The nice thing about the “individual” milestones mentioned above, is that the whole team shares in them. From the line opening the holes for Slike, the other receivers running routes and occupying defenders that might otherwise provide double coverage on  Hearst, the scout team helping them prepare, coaches preparing the team, the whole Bobcat family shares in the huge accomplishments that have and will continue to come throughout the season. To get a sense of the family this team is and the gratitude they have for each other, just check out some of the quotes from the players in previous articles. Congratulations to Cody, Damien and the whole Bobcat Squad!!!!

The Cats will travel to Brookville, this coming Friday, to take on the Blue Raiders in the regular season finale for both teams.