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Redbank Valley Spoils Central Clarion’s Bid for a Perfect Season

Tagged under: District 9, Gameday Hub, News, pfn

| October 29, 2022

The Redbank Valley Bulldogs have overcome adversity the past 2 years and have played lights out on the football field.  The 2021 Class A state runners-up knocked the Central Clarion Wildcats from the ranks of the undefeated by a score of 47-38 on Senior Night in New Bethlehem.  Redbank, on the strength of freshman quarterback Braylon Wagner’s 5 touchdown tosses and a key pick six by Brandon Ross proved to be too much for the visiting Wildcats.

Things began well for Central Clarion as they held Redbank on downs at their 10-yard line after the Bulldogs chewed up over 5 minutes on the clock in driving 56 yards.  Then on the second Wildcat play from scrimmage, Jase Ferguson hit Ashton Rex in stride for an 87-yard touchdown.  Just like that the Wildcats were up 7-0.

Central Clarion with the ball. Rex nearest on far right.

Redbank bounced right back and drove 61 yards in 6 plays to tie the game when Wagner found Mason Clouse for a 15-yard TD.  Then, after forcing a Clarion punt, the Bulldogs scored to take a 14-7 lead.  This time it was Wagner to Aiden Ortz for the touchdown to cap a 3-play 60-yard drive.

On the first play of the second quarter, Ferguson again threw to Rex who found his way into the end zone for a 35-yard touchdown.  The game settled in to a defensive stand off for the next 9 plus minutes.  And then one of the craziest sequence of events you’ll ever see to end a half played itself out.

Redbank had what amounted to a goal line stand that kept Central Clarion out of the end zone at the 2:40 mark.  Actually, Clarion did score but the play was negated by a holding penalty.  The Wildcat coaching staff passed on what would have been a 22-yard field goal to go for the touchdown on 4th down, but Ferguson’s pass fell incomplete.

Taking over at the 5-yard line, Wagner’s shovel pass to Tate Minich ended when he was tackled in the end zone for a safety.  That put Clarion up 16-14.  The free kick by Redbank resulted in Central Clarion starting at their own 48 with 2:24 left in the half.  On third down Ferguson connected with Dawson Smail who took it to the house to finish off the 52-yard pass play.  Clarion now led 23-14 with a tick over two minutes remaining.

The Bulldogs easily went 64 yards on 6 plays, scoring when Wagner tossed a 19-yard pass to Minich.  The PAT was missed and it appeared Redbank would into the intermission trailing 23-20.  But Central Clarion’s staff may have gotten a little too aggressive especially when the Wildcats were to receive the second half kickoff.  On the last play of the half, Ferguson’s screen pass was intercepted by Ross and he raced 40 yards for the score to give Redbank the lead 27-23, and most importantly a lot of momentum for the next half of play.  For the Wildcats it was devastating.

“Obviously, we get the score there.  Sometimes coaches get greedy.  I’ve been on the other side too.  They attempt the screen pass and Brandon Ross, our best defensive player, read it perfectly and took it back.  Brandon can rush the quarterback and he can also play like a linebacker.  It was a huge swing in momentum.  We practice every single week reading screens,” said a proud Blane Gold of Redbank.

A dejected Dave Eggleton of Central Clarion said, “It was my fault.  Obviously to go back, you’d call a different play.  I don’t know, our offense rolled pretty well the whole game and we just wanted to extend it down there a little bit and give it a shot.  Their kid made a great play and give them credit for being ready for it.”

The Clarion High School Band and the Clarion-Limestone Band joined with Redbank Valley’s band at halftime to play ‘Smoke on the Water.’

The Wildcats came out of the half and but a small drive together before Redbank’s ‘D’ stiffened and sacked Ferguson on 4th down in Bulldog territory.  It was one of a half dozen sacks registered by the Redbank defense on the night.  RBV proceeded to drive 60 yards to score when Wagner threw a 10-yard pass to Rylan Rupp the fourth different receiver to catch a TD pass from Wagner.  That was 20 straight points put up by the Bulldogs, which turned a 23-14 deficit into a 34-23 lead late in the third quarter.

Central Clarion cut the lead to three when Ferguson took it upon himself to run 4 yards on the first play of the last quarter.  Ryan Hummell converted the 2-point play to draw the Wildcats to within three.  Less than two minutes later Wagner threw his 5th touchdown pass, this time to Minich to send Redbank back to a two-score lead at 41-31.  That pass covered 55 yards and completely surprised Clarion as no one was anywhere near a streaking Minich.

Minich is on the left. This is right before catching a TD pass from Wagner in middle in background.

“Braylon Wagner is playing out of his mind right now,” stated an elated Coach Gold.  “For a freshman, and only his third start going against a 9-0 team.  For him as a freshman to not blink in the face of adversity and take our football team up and down the field.  Man, what else could you possibly want out of a freshman.”

Ferguson’s quarterback sneak gave Clarion a little life with a bit over 3 minutes left, but Clouse put the nail in the coffin when he gathered up the onside kick and raced 50 yards untouched to salt the game away for his Redbank Valley Bulldogs.

Central Clarion outgained Redbank 429 to 332, but struggled some in the second half after the Redbank coaching staff made some adjustments.  Wagner had 18 completions out of 28 attempts.  He threw for 267 yards and the 5 touchdowns.  Minich had 6 grabs for 126 yards and a pair of TDs.  Clouse caught 5 passes for 74 yards and one score.  The Bulldog running game was held in check by the Wildcats as they only had 65 total yards rushing.  But they didn’t need to do anything but keep Clarion honest with the way Wagner was throwing.

Ferguson was 12 for 21 passing with 287 yards and 3 TD tosses.  But he also had 3 passes picked off by Redbank.  The big one by Ross, plus Minich and Ortz chipped in with picks too.  Rex was the main target for Ferguson as he had 9 catches for 216 yards and a couple of scores.  Ferguson rushed for 68 yards and 2 TDs in spite of being sacked so many times.  Connor Kopnitsky led all rushers with 75 yards.

Redbank finishes the regular season with a 9-1 record as does Central Clarion.  Redbank is Class A and Central Clarion is Class AA.  So, they will not meet again in the playoffs.

Central Clarion – 7 16 0 15 – 38
Redbank Valley– 14 13 7 13 – 47

First Quarter:

CC – Ashton Rex 87 yd pass from Jase Ferguson, (Thomas Ukert PAT), 6:13

RBV – Mason Clouse 15 yd pass from Braylon Wagner, (Owen Clouse PAT), 4:30

RBV – Aiden Ortz 24 yd pass from Wagner, (Clouse PAT), 1:00

Second Quarter:

CC – Rex 35 yd pass from Ferguson, (Ukert PAT), 11:51

CC – Safety Minich tackled in end zone, 2:31

CC – Dawson Smail 52 yd pass from Ferguson, (Ukert PAT), 2:01

RBV – Tate Minich 19 yd pass from Wagner, (PAT – no good), 0:50

RBV – Brandon Ross 40 yd INT return, (Clouse PAT), 0:00

Third Quarter:

RBV – Rylan Rupp 10 yd pass from Wagner, (Clouse PAT), 3:28

Fourth Quarter:

CC – Ferguson 4 yd run, (Ryan Hummell 2-pt conversion run), 11:55

RBV – Minich 55 yd pass from Wagner, (Clouse PAT), 10:32

CC – Ferguson 1 yd run, (Ukert PAT), 3:16

RBV – Clouse 50 yd kickoff return, (PAT – no good), 3:00

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