Clearfield wins district football title as PIAA playoffs approach

The first district football crown of the 2010 season in western Pennsylvania was awarded Friday night when Clearfield got four Derek Morgan touchdowns to beat defending champion Punxsutawney 26-14 at DuBois. Morgan ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns, caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Curtis Frye and also returned an interception 34 yards in the fourth quarter to seal the win. 

“Derek was really running downhill all night,” Clearfield head coach Tim Janocko said.

Morgan’s running was a big factor in the win but so was the Bison defense, which picked off three passes. The Punxsutawney quarterback had only been intercepted twice all year going into the game. 

"Those three interceptions and capitalizing on all three of them were really big," Janocko said. “(Weaver) is the best quarterback we’ve seen all year, and to do that is really a feather in the cap of our defense.”



Clearfield, which will play District 6 champion Johnstown in a regional play-in game, won its seventh District 9 title since 1999 and its second in three years. The Bisons lost to Punxsutawney in last year’s title game. 

“We want to do this every year,” Janocko said. “We’ve been fortunate that we’ve been in this position so often.”

PORT ALLEGANY GOES FOUR OVERTIMES TO BEAT ECC TO HIGHLIGHT DISTRICT 9 PLAY
In the District 9 Class A playoffs, sixth-seeded Port Allegany got a touchdown run from Seth Lowery in the fourth overtime to upset third-seeded Elk County Catholic (St. Marys) 47-40 Friday night in the longest game in District 9 history. Lowery ran for 151 yards and three touchdowns in the win. 

In other District 9 Class A action, top-seeded Curwensville beat Smethport 29-18, second-seeded Redbank Valley (New Bethlehem) shut out Kane 15-0 and fifth-seeded Cameron County (Emporium) held off Clarion 14-13.

In Class AA semifinal action, second-seeded Brookville moved into the title game against top-seeded Brockway, which had a bye, with a 14-7 win over Moniteau.

HUTCHINSON'S 3 TDs LEAD OIL CITY IN DISTRICT 10 PLAY
Mark Hutchinson ran for 87 yards and three touchdowns to lead third-seeded Oil City past Warren 41-21 in District 10 Class AAA quarterfinal action Friday night. Oil City led 19-0 at the end of the third quarter and 31-7 at halftime. Mark Kulinski added 187 yards passing and a touchdown for the Oilers, who will face Erie Cathedral Prep, which had a bye, in the semifinals.



In other Class AAA action, fourth-seeded Corry needed two overtimes to knock off Meadville 34-31. Corry will face top-seeded Grove City, which had a bye, in the semifinals.

Class AA District 10 play saw top-seeded Sharon beat Girard 28-7, second-seeded General McLane (Edinboro) knocked off Greenville 63-14, third-seeded Hickory (Hermitage) beat Fairview 40-3 and fifth-seeded and defending champion Wilmington Area (New Wilmington) shut out North East 14-0. 

The Class A District 10 bracket witnessed top-seeded and defending champion Farrell cruise to a 33-0 win over Union City, second-seeded Mercyhurst Prep (Erie) topple Mercer 54-14, third-seeded Sharpsville roll past Cambridge Springs 42-6 and fifth-seeded Lakeview (Stoneboro) pull the mild upset 43-32 over one-loss Saegertown.