CLARION – Another chapter was written for the historic
Coudersport High School football story as the unbeaten Falcons
routed Clarion 31-7 in the District 9 Class A title game at Clarion
University on Saturday.
It was the third D-9 crown (1994, 2001) for the 12-0 Falcons,
who amassed 390 total yards and held the heralded Bobcat rushing
attack to just 150 yards on the ground.
“We played as a team and I’m proud of these guys,” said Paul
Simcoe, the 27th-year (182-73-8) Coudy head coach. “We had two
goals and they were to win the Allegheny Mountain League, which we
did for the first time, and to win District 9. This team is in
uncharted waters at 12-0 and now we want to win a state playoff
game, which we’ve never done.”
The Falcons will get that opportunity Friday (6 p.m.) at
Slippery Rock University’s Thompson Stadium in the PIAA
quarterfinals when they face District 10 champion Kennedy Catholic
(9-2), which defeated Clarion 14-12 on Oct. 21.
“They (Slippery Rock) have turf just like this and that will be
fine with us,” Simcoe said, as he pointed to the Memorial Stadium
artificial surface.”
Coudy scored on its first five possessions of the D-9 contest as
junior Sam Decker proved to be a Bobcat wrecker with three
touchdowns and an interception to set up a fourth score.
“Nobody mentions Sam Decker because he’s quiet and unassuming,”
Simcoe stated. “He had the two biggest plays of the game with that
interception and a fullback trap up the middle for some 20
yards.”
The Falcons opened the scoring at the 7:04 mark of the first
period when sophomore quarterback Boomer Wetzel rolled right, found
Decker at the Bobcat 20, and the 5-11, 160-pounder raced into the
end zone to complete the 33-yard play. The extra point try was
swatted away by Manny Carpin, but it was 6-0 Coudy.
Clarion then used a 21-yard run by Eric Grejda and a 19-yard
aerial from Sean Wolf to Carpin to drive from its own 20 to the
Falcons’ 32, but Coudy’s Brandon Smith stopped Chris McSwain for no
gain on a fourth-and-two. McSwain, who came into the contest with
1,658 rushing yards on the season and 3,510 for his career, was
fried and scrambled by the punishing Falcons’ defense for just 57
yards.
“We didn’t key on him (McSwain) because when you put all your
eggs in one basket, you weaken yourself somewhere else,” Simcoe
admitted. “We played it straight up and tried not to give up the
big play. We controlled him (McSwain) most of the night.”
A 15-yard hookup from Wetzel to Decker and a 34-yard jaunt by
David Babcock then set up Decker’s one-yard scoring plunge off
right guard.
The pass for two failed and it was 12-0 with 2:37 remaining in
the opening quarter.
The Bobcats answered from the Coudy 31 when Grejda broke a
tackle at the 28 and streaked to paydirt. McSwain added the PAT and
it was 12-7 with 22 ticks left in the stanza.
On Coudy’s next possession from its 39, Wetzel once again hit
Decker at midfield and three or four broken tackles later, the
Falcons had a first down at the enemy’s 18. Despite the 43-yard
play the drive stalled at the 10, but a 27-yard field goal by Caleb
Morris sailed halfway to the Clarion River and it was 15-7 with
9:42 left in the half.
Clarion then moved into Coudy territory on a 20-yard scamper by
McSwain, but four plays later Decker devoured a Wolf pass at the 18
and toted it down to the Bobcat 20 with an amazing zigzag run.
Wetzel then completed a 14-yard scoring strike to Chris
Cavallari.
Following another blocked PAT the Coudy lead was 21-7 at the
6:07 juncture.
After the Bobcats went three-and-out, Cavallari’s 47-yard punt
return led to Decker’s 21-yard TD run on the very next snap. This
time Morris avoided any unfriendly hands as the extra point
presented the Falcons with a 28-7 bulge at the 4:12 mark.
Clarion would threaten one more time before the break at the
Falcons’ 23, but Smith rejected a pass at the line of scrimmage and
Babcock hurried another throw as the half ended.
After the Bobcats’ band performed a Beatles medley at the
intermission, Clarion’s Hard Day’s Night continued in the second
half as the Falcons utilized a 12-play drive for another 27-yard
field goal by Morris at the 6:40 mark.
Later in the third quarter, Coudy sojourned from its own 8 to
the Clarion 16 where a 33-yard field goal attempt by Morris drifted
wide left. The key play of the seven-yard march was a 41-yard pass
from Wetzel to Logan Hathaway.
“He only made one bad decision when he floated a ball in the
third quarter for an interception,” Simcoe said of Wetzel, who was
6-for-8 passing for 150 yards and two TDs. “He has an offensive
line that does a good job protecting him and he has some pretty
good receivers who can get open.”
The Coudy defense then kept the Bobcats (9-3) caged in their own
end the rest of the game. Kirk Duffee had 13 tackles, Andy Chisholm
registered 11 tackles and two sacks, Isaac Cary had 10 stops and
Babcock had a pair of sacks on the night. Offensively, Babcock
carried 22 times for 146 yards, and Decker had 91 yards receiving
and 55 via the ground.
“Defensively we had some breakdowns here and there, but we
played a very good team tonight,” Simcoe declared. “On offense we
have a lot of weapons. People take things away and we can come back
and do other things. Our trademark all year long is our
versatility.
“As a coach, you never expect to move the ball like that in a
playoff game,” Simcoe continued. “We didn’t punt at all.”
