Bobcats Have Great Showing In Varischetti Game (07/02/18)

Although the KSAC fell 40-14 to the AML in the 3rd Annual Frank Varischetti All-Star Game, at Brockway, on Friday, June 29th, a number of Bobcats turned in fine performances.

Bobcat representatives with parents

Colton Rapp and Spencer Miller were named the KSAC Offensive MVP and Defensive MVP respectively.

Rapp, one of the KSAC captains, set the rushing record, gaining 145 yards on 16 carries, including a 70 yard touchdown run. He broke the record of 98 yards, set by Brockway’s Hunter Miller in last year’s game. He also had 6 catches for 65 yards and had several stops on defense.

Miller had an interception, several pass breakups and some tackles on defense. He also caught five passes for 87 yards, including a 46 yard touchdown catch.

One of the highlights for Clarion fans was Ryley McMaster, who couldn’t play during the season, due to injury, catching a pass for 29 yards. He also had several tackles.

Bobcat representatives with other teammates

Zak Bauer saw time on the offensive line and at linebacker and came up with several stops. He also lined up in the backfield and had 1 carry for 1 yard. Also seeing time as linemen, Colt Stimmell and Jacob Selker had solid games. Both had several tackles and each had a sack, Stimmell for minus 6 yards and Selker for minus 7 yards.

Sterling Conner had a good night in the defensive backfield  with a number of tackles.

Scott Miller was one of the assistant coaches for the game.

Game summary:

The AML broke out to a 13-0 lead in the first, as Kane’s Reed Williams hit Ridgway’s Neil McDonald on a 71 yard touchdown pass at 10:41 and then hit his Kane teammate Ray Maze for a 60 yard score at 9:15 of the quarter. Port Allegany’s Treyton Styles kicked the PAT after the first touchdown.

KSAC Offensive MVP Colton Rapp with Redbank Valley’s Logan Minich, who also had a fine game

The AML was threatening again, when Miller picked off a pass near the endzone and returned it to the KSAC thirty-five. Several plays later, Clarion-Limestone’s Brendan McKray hit Miller with the 46 yard touchdown. Moniteau’s Steve Fawcett was successful on the extra point to make it cut the AML lead to 13-7, with 8:34 left in the quarter.

Williams hit Brockway’s Noah Vokes with a 13 yard scoring strike, at 3:19 of the first to move the score to 19-7. And just into the second quarter, Bradford’s John Eakin scored from a yard out and with Stiles’ PAT, the AML led 26-7.

The KSAC was pinned at their own one yard line, to start a drive at 7:22 of the second, and after several plays they were on their twenty-three yard line. Rapp took the hand-off and after several nice moves, he ran down the sideline for his 77 yard touchdown. Fawcett was again good on the extra point making the score 26-14, with 5:55 left in the half.

KSAC Defensive MVP Spencer Miller with his Penn Highlands Scholarship Certificate, Colt Stimmell and Zak Bauer also won scholarships

Curwensville’s Nick Stewart had a four yard touchdown at 7:03 of the third. Eakin ran for two and the AML led 34-14. Eakin had an 11 yard scoring run, with 7:34 left in the game, to set the final at 40-14.

Williams, who was 13-for-19 for 231 yards and 3 touchdowns, was the AML Offensive MVP and Ridgway’s Johnny Mitchell was the AML Defensive MVP. MacKray threw for 225 yards for the KSAC.

Three of Bobcats received scholarship awards. Colt Stimmell received the Farmers Bank Scholarship, Zak Bauer won the Burns White Scholarship and Spencer Miller was awarded the Penn Highlands Scholarship. Other KSAC players winning awards were: Redbank Valley’s Logan Minich with the Staley Capital Award, Brookville’s Brandon McGrainer with the First Commonwealth Scholarship and Karns City’s Blaine Wilson with the BC3 Scholarship.

Ryley McMaster (17) at wide receiver

CAT QUOTES:

Spencer Miller: “It was a fun time. I did not know that I won Defensive MVP. I heard my name and I was like ‘Oh what?’ so that was cool. I didn’t know why but that was cool. And playing with my teammates one last time, that was really special. I’ve played with these guys since I was in seventh grade; it was cool.”

Colton Rapp: “Winning the MVP, especially in an all-star game, when you’re up with some of the top guys from the district that’s something that’s always pretty cool. It’s just a neat experience because you’re used to playing against these guys (KSAC Squad teammates) and you’re working against them all the time. You get four days to learn how to work together, when you’re usually like ‘we’re going to play you Friday and we’re going to have to beat you.

KSAC Squad entering field before game

“Now it’s like you have to figure out how you are going to make things work. So that was cool. And playing with your (Bobcat) teammates one last time… we got Ryley back in full gear. I think that was awesome. He didn’t get to play a down his senior year. For him to come back in the all-star game and have one heck of a catch, that made it cool. I had a lot of fun playing with these guys. I’m going to miss playing with them, but all good things come to an end. It was a cool experience.”

Zak Bauer: “Clarion dominated the defense, definitely. We did it during the season too, so it wasn’t really a surprise. It was a really fun game, even though we lost. It was a really good time to come out here and play with teams we played against. But as all-stars, it was really amazing. It was a really good experience. It was perfect to see people that we rivaled against come together and try to see if we could beat up on the other team and see what we could do against the other all-stars.”

Ryley McMaster: “It was all great. I was super excited to finally get back out here with my teammates and my best friends.”

Team Captain Colton Rapp (on left facing camera) during pre-game instructions and coin toss

Jacob Selker: “I really enjoyed playing with ‘my boys’ one last time and also just meeting new guys from around the KSAC. I really got to meet some new people and develop some short term friendships, just to bond a little bit. It was a really enjoyable time this week. So I’m very happy I was able to play in the game and be part of the whole event.”

Colt Stimmell: “I think it was an absolutely wonderful, once in a lifetime experience, with this week of practice meeting up  with all the different schools that we played since we were freshmen and sophomores. To finally be able to come together and play as a single team and come together in a week was amazing. The game night was better than anything I ever could have hoped for really. We lost, but we had fun while we did it.  It was great (playing with Clarion teammates one last time). It was nice one last hurrah.”

Sterling Conner: “It was a really fun time bonding with people from other teams, making new friends, meeting new people. It was a good time. We might have lost, but I think we had a lot of fun… We all meshed together. It was a fun time. Last high school football game, playing with six others from Clarion; yeah it was a good time.”

(Congratulations to Spencer, Colton, Zak, Ryley, Jacob, Colt and Sterling and all the KSAC and AML athletes for competing in this fine all-star game!!!!)