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SPRING MILLS – After finding themselves trailing 14 going into the final quarter, the spirited Penns Valley football team made a valiant effort to tie Clearfield late.
Offensively, the Rams took over the momentum scoring twice and setting up for a two-point conversion with 27 ticks left on the clock. However, the effort fell just short as the Bison defense was able to stop Penns Valley to take home a hard fought 21-19 victory at Penns Valley.
The Rams topped Clearfield in total yards by a 291-237.
Leading the second half comeback attack was quarterback Cael Smith. Smith finished with 102 yards on the ground and 106 yards through the air.
Despite coming up a play short of the tie, Penns Valley coach Martin Tobias was proud of the effort his team gave in the second half.
" I was really proud of the effort that the kids gave me the second half. You know, we regrouped at halftime. There were some plays that we left out on the field. Clearfield made some plays, and they certainly had the momentum," said Penns Valley coach Martin Tobias. "We needed to recoup that a little bit. We bounced back, we were just came up a little short tonight."
Coming into the third quarter, the Bison had the ball first to start and had a 21-7 advantage.
The Rams defense made a strong first series effort, forcing Clearfield to punt the ball, giving the ball to its offense. It would be the spark the Penns Valley offense needed.
"Yeah, that was huge. We told the defense inside, look, we've got to get a three-and-out to give us a chance. And they did that," said Tobias when asked about the importance of coming out and holding the Bison on their first possession of the half.
Neither team was able to score in the third setting up the fourth quarter drama.
Their first drive of half was a long one that went on an 18- play drive. The drive started on their own 31 and survived two fourth downs plays for the score. Running back Nate Althouse scored the team's second touchdown as rambled 10-yards on a fourth down and two from the 10. The kick failed but the Rams cut the lead to 21-13 with 8:46 left.
The teams would exchange punts as the Rams would get the ball back with 3:08 left and the ball on their own 11.
With time being a factor, the Penns Valley offense went right to work driving down on clutch runs by Smith and pass plays to receiver Emery Reed and Althouse.
When the pocket collapsed around him Smith used his escapabilty to keep the Rams moving closer to their goal to tie the game.
Facing a first and goal from the Boson seven, Smith again battled his way out of trouble and into the end zone on a 7-yard touchdown with 27.1.
But on the conversion, the Clearfield defense made one last stand and tackled Smith in the backfield to preserve their lead and win.
In the first quarter, Clearfield jumped on the board first.
Running back Ryan Ludwig muscled his way in from 4-yards out to help put his team in the lead 7-0.
But on the following kick off, the Rams took the kick off and they got the ball into the hands of Althouse. For the second week in-a-row, the speedster ran a kickoff back for a touchdown. This time Althouse scored on an 89-yard TD, tying the contest at seven.
Clearfield scored 14 points in the second when quarterback Dylan Faust launched a 29-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Rosinski, upping the lead back to seven at 14-7 with 5:14 left in the half.
With just seconds left in the half, Faust was at it again as he hit a 20-yard pass to Elijah Glunt. When the two teams went into the intermission, the Bison led 21-7 setting things up for the second half excitement.
Penns Valley will be back Friday night as the battle Central.
Clearfield 21, Penns Valley 19
CL 7 14 0 0 – 21
PV 7 0 0 12 – 19
First Quarter
CL – Ryan Ludwig 4-yards run (Tucker Scott Kick), 1:36.
PV – Spencer Althouse 89-yard kick return (Althouse kick), 1:24
Second Quarter
CL – Dylan Faust 29-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Rosinski (Scott kick), 5:14.
CL – Faust 20-yard pass to Elijah Glunt, (Tucker Kick) 31.9.
Third Quarter
None
Fourth Quarter
PV – Althouse 10-yard run (kick failed) 8:46.
PV – Cael Smith 7-yard run (conversion failed), 27.1
TEAM STATISTICS CL PV
First downs 13 16
Total Yards 237 291
Rushes-yards. 27-117 8-165
Yards passing 170 126
Passing (comp.-att.-int.)16-20-0, 16-27-1
Fumbles-lost 0-0 3-1
Penalties-yards 4-25 5-50 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: CL – Dylan Faust 6-26, Elijah Glunt 1-7, Noah Troxell 2-7, Brian Ludwig 18-75. PV – Gannyn Stover 8- 33, Spencer Althouse 4-26, Cael Smith 15-102, Tripp Watson 2-(-1), Isaac Harpster 1-5.
PASSING: CL – Faust 15-18 169, Colton Shannon 1-2 1, . PV – Cael Smith 13-21 106, Isaac Harpster 3-6 20.
RECEIVING : CL – Glunt 5-26, Troxell 1-10, Dylan Putt 2-14, Curtis Putt 3-35, Spencer Rosinsky 4-85. PV – Stover 3-8, Althouse 8-81, Emery Reed 7-40, Lucian Boob 1-7.