On what promises to be a very chilly evening, the Bradford Owls need to steel themselves for more than just the weather when Clarion comes to town.
Bradford will be looking for its third win in a row after back-to-back victories over Brockway and Punxsutawney moved its record back above .500 to 4-3.
After a brief two-game losing streak, the Owls have gotten back to their winning ways by upping the aggressiveness from the opening whistle.
“We’ve been moving the ball,” Owls coach Jeff Puglio said. “We’re in good shape if we can sustain drives and score and do it early. I like the way we’ve started games off. And our defense has been solid all year. You’ve got to give credit to the defense the way they’ve been playing. When our offense catches up, we’re going to be putting some points on the board.”
Standing in the way of win number five will be the reigning District 9 Class AA Champions from down south. The Bobcats (6-1) are coming off their first loss of the season after losing to Ridgway 28-15 last week.
While they’ll have the advantage of playing in front of the home crowd, Puglio knows the Owls must be ready for one of the biggest tests they’ll face this season from a team with a lot of big game experience.
“What we’ve said all week is that they know how to win games,” Puglio said of the Bobcats. “They’re used to playing late into November. That’s normal for them, and that’s the program we’re trying to be. It’s definitely a test for us. We know that they’re not going to be intimidated.”
Clarion employs a balanced offensive attack that can hurt you through the air and on the ground. Quarterback Archer Mills is completing over 64 percent of his passes this year, throwing for 958 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He’s also added three scoring runs on the ground.
Logan Minich (414 yards, four TDs), Sam Minich (293, four TDs), and Cutter Boggess (253, two TDs) have all contributed on the ground, while Sam Minich (31 catches, 588 yards, 10 TDs) has been a big time threat through the air.
“They’re very disciplined in the way they do things,” Puglio said. “They take care of the ball and they also take the ball away. For us it’s about paying attention to detail, doing the right things. I want us flying to the ball. We haven’t really been swarming to the ball and creating turnovers. That’s what I’m looking for tomorrow. We want to set that tone and have it be a physical contest from the start.”
While plenty of attention has been give to Bradford’s powerful rushing attack, the Owls’ defense has been quietly stout in recent weeks. Bradford has given up 14 points or less in each of its past three games, and has allowed more than 28 only once all year.
“They’re just scrappy,” Puglio said of his defense. “They’re going to get after it every game. The other team might drive down the field but our defense doesn’t seem to quit. They’re always going to give 100 percent effort. I would like to see some more gang tackling from us. But overall I can’t argue with how they’ve played.”
The Owls will be getting a boost on the other side of the ball as junior fullback Derek Sunafrank returns after missing several games due to injury. Sunafrank will rejoin backfield mates Donny Pattison and Jaron Ambrose in the hopes of making the Owls even tougher to stop on the ground.
“It gives us the opportunity to go inside,” Puglio said of Sunafrank’s return to the lineup. “The guys who were replacements have done a really good job. They learned the position and did well. But the element that Derek brings is something that we’ve missed, that inside running game. That also helps the outside running game. It makes the defense defend the entire field and not just the outside.”
Now for some picks:
Clarion (6-1) at Bradford (4-3)
This game will go a long ways towards revealing just what kind of team the Owls are. CLARION by 5.
Keystone (3-4) at Smethport (7-0)
The Hubbers have Coudy next week for the Small School North Title. But they can’t afford to look past a sneakily tough Keystone squad. SMETHPORT by 13.
Coudersport (5-2) at Redbank Valley (4-3)
Likewise for Coudy, the Falcons need to remain focused on a Redbank team that is desperate to snap its three-game losing streak. COUDY by 18.
Punxsutawney (2-5) at Brockway (5-2)
Two teams that can “chuck” the ball around the yard: Brockway’s Peter Downer and Punxsy’s Dylan Ishman have more than 4,200 yards in the air between them. BROCKWAY by 14.
Brookville (4-3) at Kane (1-6)
Interesting tidbit courtesy D9Sports: the Raiders haven’t won in Kane since 1956. Could be a bit of history tonight. BROOKVILLE by 16.
Karns City (3-4) at Ridgway (7-0)
Don’t overlook the Gremlins, as they sport a better point differential than Bradford, Brockway, and Brookville. Unfortunately, none of those teams are the Elkers. RIDGWAY by 10.
Union/A-C Valley (3-4) at Cameron County (1-6)
The Falcon Knights look to make it three in a row and get back to .500. UNION by 28.
Curwensville (5-2) at Otto-Eldred (3-4)
The Terrors are a completely different team without playmakers Chris Connelly and Cameron Magee, as evidence by last week’s lopsided loss to Coudy. The Golden Tide could give Otto similar problems. CURWENSVILLE by 7.
St. Marys (0-7) at Moniteau (3-4)
The Dutch did score 32 points against Brookville last week. Unfortunately, they also gave up 63. St. Marys’ defense hasn’t shown it can stop anybody this year. MONITEAU by 13.
Port Allegany (1-6) at Clarion-Limestone (5-2)
The Gators finally got off the schneid last week, defeating Sheffield for their first win of the year. Things get a little tougher tonight against Clarion-Limestone’s high-powered offense. C-L by 31.
Sheffield (0-7) at Elk County Catholic (5-2)
Don’t look now, but the Crusaders are all of a sudden in first place in the Small School South. ECC has been crushing folks lately: in their last four they’ve won by a combined 193-22. ECC by 40.
