CLARION — For the second consecutive week, the Bradford Owls scored the game’s first touchdown.
This time, it was on an impressive opening drive that saw Caleb Nuzzo hit Austen Davis for a 53-yard touchdown.
But that touchdown pass — and the early momentum that went along with it — were the end of the similarities with last week’s 59-34 victory over Punxsutawney.
After the early punch in the mouth, Clarion responded with 51 unanswered points to roll to a 51-6 victory Friday night at Clarion University.
After 83 yards of offense on that opening scoring drive, the Owls (1-7) had just 64 the remainder of the night.
For Bradford coach Jeff Puglio, he felt that his team was never emotionally invested in the game, even on those first few big plays.
“I thought we were flat even during that drive,” he said. “We made some plays and we just can’t get excited about it. We score and it just seems like we were not ready to play tonight for some reason.
“I don’t know what it was, it just seems like we were never into this tonight. I don’t know… I don’t know why. Last week, different story. We were very into the game from the get-go, and tonight not even a little.”
Clarion (7-1) took full advantage of that lack of energy as well as plenty of self-inflicted errors from the Owls. After not turning the ball over a week ago against Punxsy, Bradford had four (two interceptions, two lost fumbles) against Clarion.
“Just mental mistakes,” Puglio explained. “Making non-physical plays. That team knows how to hit and we just don’t really know how to hit back yet.”
After Davis’ touchdown, Clarion scored 21 points in 3:36. Without the services of District 9’s leading rusher Austin Newcomb, who was out with an ankle injury, the Bobcats leaned on an impressive aerial attack that saw quarterback Calvin German go 12-for-22 with 266 yards and four touchdowns.
Clarion’s first touchdown was a 21-yard throw to Cutter Boggess before German found Ethan Burford on a 60-yard strike two minutes later.
Burford, who also caught a 59-yard touchdown in the third quarter, set the single-season Clarion record for receiving touchdowns with 11.
Clarion did utilize a by-committee approach on the ground, however, with six players combining to pick up 227 yards. Colton Zacherl was the most effective, rushing five times for 104 yards and two scores.
His 20-yard touchdown with 10:31 to play in the third quarter set the running clock into motion.
For Bradford, its offense was beaten badly up front. The Owls had 15 carries go for just 10 yards in the first half, and Derek Sunafrank — who had 200 yards and five touchdowns a week ago — struggled to -3 yards on 10 carries against Clarion.
Nolan Gonzalez broke off a couple of big runs in the fourth quarter and finished as Bradford’s leading rusher with 12 carries for 50 yards.
After 83 yards on the opening drive, Davis had just one touch (a run for -6 yards) the remainder of the game.
“We are struggling to pick up the blitzes,” Puglio said. “They were sending a lot of guys and that is something we planned for and practiced for; we just aren’t picking it up. We will have to get on the film and kind of go through it and see what it looks like, but we just struggled picking things up tonight.”
That translated to the passing game as well, where Nuzzo had as many completions (2) as interceptions after the first drive. The senior quarterback seldom had time to set his feet or take a breath in a clean pocket.
Puglio took the blame for that, and how his team played overall, in what was Bradford’s sixth loss this season by at least 40 points.
“It’s frustrating because we just couldn’t get things moving,” the 10-year head coach said. “We had things we could take advantage of with this defense, but we couldn’t pick up anything. We were kind of lost tonight. That’s on me. If the team is not ready to play, I’ve got to look at myself and ask what do I have to do differently to get us ready to play? We’ve got another big game next week so another opportunity.”
Bradford closes out its District 9 schedule next week at Parkway Field against Karns City.
AT CLARION
BY QUARTERS
Bradford 6 0 0 0—6
Clarion 21 17 13 0—51
TEAM STATISTICS
First Downs: B: 10, C: 21; Rushes/Yards Rushing: B: 25-55, C: 25-227; Yards Passing: B: 117, C: 266; Comp-Att-Int: B: 4-13-2, C: 12-24-0; Penalties: B: 7-50, C: 11-110; Fumbles-Lost: B: 2-2, C: 0-0; Total Yards: B: 147, C: 493; Offensive Plays: B: 39, C: 44
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Passing: B: Caleb Nuzzo 4-13-117-1-2; C: Calvin German 12-22-266-4-0, Christian Simko 0-2-0-0-0
Rushing: B: Nolan Gonzalez 12-50, Nuzzo 2-14, Derek Sunafrank 10 (-3), Davis 1 (-6); C: Colton Zacherel 5-104-2, Cutter Boggess 9-33, Bottero 3-5, Rex 4-44, Shall 3-40, Ben Smith 1-1-1
Receiving: B: Austen Davis 2-83-1, Jonah Rowry 1-24, Sunafrank 1-10; C: Ethan Burford 3-135-2, Boggess 7-113-1, Burchwell 1-12, Sipko 1-6
Scoring summary
First quarter
B: Davis, 53-yard pass from Nuzzo (2-pt pass failed), 9:38
C: Boggess, 21-yard pass from German (Verdill PAT), 6:45
C: Burford, 60-yard pass from German (Verdill PAT), 4:42
C: Smith, 1-yard run (Verdill PAT), 3:09
Second quarter
C: Verdill, 31-yard field goal, 10:06
C: Zacherl, 13-yard run (Verdill PAT), 3:47
C: Boggess, 24-yard pass from German (Verdill PAT), 0:39
Third quarter
C: Zacherl, 20-yard run (PAT blocked), 10:31
C: Burford, 59-yard pass from German (Verdill PAT), 2:55
Fourth quarter
No scoring
