Wildcats Down Raiders In 2023 District Nine Football League Opener
Photos by Bri Kirkland-Kirkland Photography (Above) Flag Bearers lead Wildcats on to field.
The Central Clarion Wildcats traveled to Brookville on Friday (August 25th) for the District Nine Football League season opener for both. The Wildcats came away with a 49-27 victory, in the hard fought contest.
Neither team was able to score on their first possession.
Brookville scored on a seven yard pass from quarterback, Charlie Krug to Jack Pete, with 3:09 left in the first. Steven Plyler was successful on the PAT and the Raiders led 7-0. The lead held through the end of the quarter.
The Wildcats answered at 9:29 of the second, with Noah Naser taking the ball along the left side and into the endzone from twenty-three yards out and with Thomas Uckert’s extra point, the score was knotted at 7-all.
Central took their first lead of the game, after a sustained drive, when quarterback Jase Ferguson connected with Charlie Hepfl who was down the left side for a thirty-five yard touchdown at 4:31. Braylon Beckwith took it in for the two point conversion and the Wildcats led 15-7.
Fourteen seconds later, Pete crossed the goal line with a ninety yard kickoff return. The two-point conversion failed and with 4:17 left in the half, the Wildcats led 15-13.
There would be one more score in the half, with Naser running the ball in from four yards out, with 2:05 left, giving the Wildcats a 22-13 lead.
Central Clarion added two more scores in the third quarter. The first came when Noah Harrison took the ball through the middle for a seven yard touchdown at 6:35 and combined with Uckert’s point-after, the Wildcats led 29-13. Then at 3:52, Ferguson ran the ball in from one yard out, giving Central a 35-13 edge.
Krug ran for a one yard touchdown at 10:34 of the fourth and Plyler was good on the PAT, and the Raiders now trailed 35-20.
A Naser five yard touchdown, with 9:46 left and the Wildcats lead moved to 41-20.
At 7:12 Krug hit Easton Belfiore with a touchdown from twenty-nine yards out. Plyler was good again, as the Raiders closed the gap to 41-27.
The Wildcats closed out the scoring with Nasser running it in for a three yard touchdown at 1:58. Ferguson ran the conversion in and the final was set at 49-27.
Coach Dave Eggleton had these words, “I thought the running game really was the bright spot tonight. Our Offensive Line: Jake Smith, Coleman Slater, Matt Alston, Colby Wright, and Jimmy Kerr, along with our tight end Hayden Hindman really dominated the line of scrimmage in the run game.
“Noah Naser, Noah Harrison and Jase did a great job finding holes and gaining yards after contact. I feel like we really showed the physical brand of football that we want to be able to play.
“We obviously need to work on the penalties that cost us a couple touchdowns, but offensively we were really rolling well. Defensively we need to improve our tackling and secondary coverage. We were dropping a little too deep at times and it cost us.
“Brookville is a solid team that came ready to play.
“We need to prepare week in and week out for this type of effort.”
The Wildcats will play their first home game of 2023 on Friday (September 1st) as they host Port Allegany, at the newly renovated field behind Clarion Area High School. When the opening kickoff, scheduled for 7:00p.m., takes place the field will be “Wiser Field,” named in honor of legendary Coach Larry Wiser, which will be christened in a pre-game ribbon cutting ceremony, scheduled for 6:40 p.m.
(Way To Go, Wildcats!!!! Thanks to Bri Kirkland-Kirkland Photography for her photos!!)
Thanks to the YDL Sports Network/ExploreClarion.com for allowing me to use their broadcast for spotting and notes, and to Steve Smail for clarification and other information gathered from his article in the Saturday, August 26th edition of the Tri-County Weekend.