Wildcats Down Gremlins In D9 Football League Region 1 Clash
Photos by Cheryl Marshall – (30) Braylon Beckwith leads Wildcats on to the field
The Central Clarion Wildcats downed the homestanding Karns City Gremlins 65-0, in a District Nine Region 1 contest at Diehl Stadium, on Friday (September 27th).
The Wildcats scored 23 points in the first quarter, 28 in the second and fourteen in the fourth.
The Wildcats had a short field to begin their first possession after a fake punt by Karns City was stopped short at the Gremlins’ nineteen. The drive was capped when Noah Harrison carried the ball in from 6 yards out, at 6:51 of the first quarter. Thomas Uckert was good on the extra-point and Central led 7-0.
KC started their next series on their own twenty, after Uckert’s second touchback. On the first play Jase Ferguson out jumped a receiver for an interception at the Wildcat forty-nine. Ferguson later hit Mason Burford, on a post pattern at the 5, with Burford taking it in from there. The play covered thirty-four yards and with Uckert’s kick, the Wildcats led 14-0, with 6:03 left in the first.
Ferguson’s touchdown pass was his first of five first half touchdown strikes. He finished the game with six.
Karns City was forced to punt to end their next series and the Wildcats took over at the Karns City thirty-one at 2:46 of the first. Ethan Rex scored on a two yard pass from Ferguson, completing the drive at 2:29. Uckert’s kick was good, pushing Central Clarion’s lead to 21-0. Ferguson had a big 38 yard run, during the drive.
The next score came on the Gremlins’ first play from scrimmage, at their own nineteen. The snap was high and went into the endzone. Quarterback Cole Johnson alertly ran back and recovered the ball and was tackled in the endzone by Charlie Hepfl, resulting in a safety. Central now led 23-0.
The second quarter scoring started, with Ferguson finding Ethan Rex all alone in the right back corner of the endzone, from thirty-four yards out at 11:51. Uckert’s kick made it 30-0.
Then it was time for a special team score, as Braylon Beckwith blocked a KC punt and took it in from thirty yards out, at 9:29. The score was upped to 37-0, on Uckert’s successful PAT.
The Wildcats scored again, at the 6:34 mark with Ferguson connecting with Jessie Siwiecki, on a 90 yard touchdown pass. Ferguson rolled to his right and hit Siwiecki at midfield. Siwiecki cut left and ran it in the rest of the way. Uckert was good on the kick and the score moved to 44-0. The first half scoring concluded at 4:42. Rex hauled in a 13 yard pass from Ferguson on the left side. Uckert made it 51-0 with the point after.
After a scoreless third, Central put the finishing touches on the victory with two more scores in the final stanza.
The first came with Ferguson hitting Sawicki in stride, on a post pattern at the front of the endzone. Uckert’s PAT moved the score to 58-0. Special teams finished it up, with Matt Alston running a blocked punt, courtesy of Charlie Hepful, into the right side from 14 yards out. Brendan Bettwy kicked the PAT, setting the 65-0 final.
The Wildcats had a solid game across the board with strong play in all three phases of the game, offense, defense and special teams. The lines were both dominant in the win.
Coach Dave Eggleton was happy with the Wildcats’ performance, “Our guys came out with an intensity that I have not seen yet from them. I know they felt that they were going to get a big challenge and really stepped up to it.”
And for the Big Guys. “Our lines controlled both sides of the ball. They opened up nice holes in the run game and gave Jase great protection all night.”
Coach Eggleton concluded by saying, “I feel like this is a performance we can really build on.”
Central Clarion had a 459 (302 passing and 157 rushing), while holding Karns City to fifty yards
Some Key Wildcat stats:
Ferguson completed 15-of-22 passes for 302 Yds, 6 Touchdowns and no interceptions and ran the ball 10 times for 103 yards. Harrison had 9 carries for 35 yards and 3 catches for forty yards.
Siwiecki hauled in two passes for 120 yards. Rex had two receptions for 82 yards and Burford had two catches for 46 yards.
Ferguson and Kohen Kemmer each had an interception.
The Wildcats are scheduled to host the Brockway Rovers on Friday (October 4th) at Clarion Area’s Wiser Field, for the A L F Game. The Wildcats are inviting all Clarion, Clarion-Limestone and North Clarion football alumni to join them on the field prior to the game to form a Spirit Line. Meet on the scoreboard endzone side at 6:40 p.m. Kickoff is set for 7:00PM.
(Great Game, Wildcats!!!! Thanks to Cheryl Marshall for her photos!! Thanks to Steve Smail for his game stats and summary and to EYT-Explore Clarion for use of their video broadcast; both were very beneficial for compiling information for this article!!)