TYRONE - After opening the 2009 season with a loss, Tyrone used a combination of tough defense and just enough offense to win its next two games. The Golden Eagles relied on the same formula Friday against a Clearfield team that entered the game averaging nearly 35 points per game.
Trailing 14-9 at halftime, Tyrone turned in a strong second half on both sides of the ball. The defense held the Bison spread offense to 77 yards, and the offense mounted two scoring drives to post a 23-14 win at Gray-Veterans Memorial Field.
"We've been steadily improving. That might have been the best half of football we played all year," Tyrone coach John Franco said. "We've played some really good teams the last three weeks, and we've needed to get a lot to better to compete."
With the win, Tyrone improved to 3-1, 2-0 in the Mountain Athletic Conference Nittany Division. Clearfield fell to 2-2, 1-1 in the division.
The Golden Eagles' defense set the tone on the opening drive of the third quarter. After allowing Clearfield to move the ball at will on two long scoring drives in the second quarter, Tyrone forced a three-and-out to start the second half.
"The defensive line started getting off their blocks and closing the running lanes," Franco said. "The defensive line's been the key to our three wins. They've done a tremendous job, and the rest of the defense just feeds off of that."
Clearfield helped out with a 15-yard holding penalty that pushed the Bison back to their own 10-yard-line. It was one of nine penalties called against Clearfield.
"You just can't have as many penalties as we had and put a lot of points on the board," Clearfield coach Tim Janocko said. "It's tough to win anywhere let alone a tough place like Tyrone with that many penalties. That was the difference in the game."
Following the Bison punt, Tyrone took over near midfield and marched 49 yards in seven plays to take the lead. Quarterback Steve Franco, who completed just 1-of-10 passes in the first half, went 3-for-3 on the scoring drive. After short completions to Zach Gault and Eric Desch produced first downs, Franco found Christian Getz in the left flat for 24 yards, setting up a first-and-goal from the Clearfield 1.
Gault scored on the next play to put Tyrone up, 16-14.
The Tyrone offense stalled after that, prompting coach Franco to switch quarterbacks. Former signal caller Levi Reihart moved from tailback to quarterback and jump-started the offense.
Reihart led Tyrone on a 12-play, 74-yard drive that took almost 6 minutes off the clock.
"We had to get moving. We were stuck in a funk and needed to change up," Coach Franco said of the switch.
On fourth-and-8 from the Clearfield 20, Reihart found Desch over the middle for a 19-yard gain and a first down. Reihart scored on the next play to put Tyrone up by nine with just over 3 minutes to play.
"We had a blown coverage," Janocko said. "If we hold them there, we get the ball back with three-and-a-half minutes left and down just two points."
Tyrone is at Bald Eagle Area next Friday night.
SCORE BY QUARTERS
Clearfield0 14 0 0 - 14
Tyrone0 9 7 7 - 23
Second quarter
T-Safety, 10:48.
C-Campman 36 run (Zurat kick), 7:12.
T-Reihart 35 run (Templeton kick), 6:50.
C-Campman 15 pass from Frye (Zurat kick), :44.
Third quarter
T-Gault 1 run (Templeton kick), 7:26.
Fourth quarter
T-Reihart 1 run (Templeton kick), 3:22.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: Clearfield-Morgan 15-88, Campman 6-80, Frye 8-(-1), Swales 1-0. Tyrone-Reihart 22-104, Franco 5-8, Gault 9-23, Getz 1-3, Walker 1-4..
PASSING: Clearfield-Frye 11-25-2-131. Tyrone-Franco 4-14-0-52, Reihart 2-3-0-33.
RECEIVING: Clearfield-Danver 2-40, Campman 6-58, Morgan 2-18, Redden 1-15. Tyrone-Walker 1-13, Desch 3-41, Gault 1-9, Getz 1-24.
INTERCEPTIONS: Tyrone-Murray, Desch.
TEAM STATISTICSCT
First downs1712
Rushes-yards30-16738-142
Passing (comp.-att.-int.)11-25-26-17-0
Yards passing13185
Total yards298227
Fumbles-lost2-10-0
Penalties-yards9-466-55
Punts-avg.4-42.36-43.7
