CALIFORNIA, Pa. – Clarion All-America defensive end Julian Howsare (Jr. Altoona) notched 8 tackles, 2 tfl’s, 1 sack and blocked a pass, but California broke open a close game with 21 fourth quarter points to defeat Clarion 35-7 in an NCAA Division II and PSAC-West game.

Played at Cal’s Adamson Stadium, Clarion’s record drops to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the PSAC-West, while Cal raised its record to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the PSAC-West.

Cal scored on two, long scoring drives to take a 14-0 first half lead. The first score came on an 8 play, 87-yard drive and ended in a Jeff Knox 1-yard td run at 3:44 of the first quarter. Cody Nuzzo’s PAT gave Cal a 7-0 lead.

Late in the first quarter Clarion punter Nathan Conway pinned the Vulcans with a 50-yard punt back at its own 9 yard line. But Cal drove 91-yards in 5 plays to score when qb James Harris lofted a 52-yard td pass to Mike Williams at 13:06 of the second. The PAT made it 14-0 Cal in the second.

Clarion drove 48 yards to the Cal 14 in 10 plays. Tailback Bobby Thomas (Jr. Reading) rushed for 33 yards on five carries in that drive that left the Golden Eagles with a fourth and 5 at the Cal 14. QB Darelle Carson (Fr. Pgh – Perry) went back to pass, scrambled left, rolled back to the right and fired on the run into the endzone on what could have been a td pass to Jon Reid (Sr. Stafford, Va.). Cal’s Dewey McDonald recovered and dove in the endzone to deflect the ball away at the last second saving a possible td and Clarion was turned away getting no points on the scoreboard. Cal led 14-0 at halftime.

After a scoreless third quarter, Cal drove into Clarion territory and had a key fourth and 11 at the Eagles 37 yard line. Harris took the snap, looked over the middle, and while being hit straight on by Clarion linebacker Jared Davis (Pgh – Taylor Allderdice), delivered a strike to Mike Williams for 29 yards and a first down at the Clarion 8. Two plays later Jeff Knox scored on a 2-yard run and Cal led 21-0 at 14:17 of the fourth quarter.

Midway through the fourth quarter Clarion tried a fake punt on fourth and 6 at the Clarion 24. Kyle McWreath (So. Wasington) failed to make the sticks and Cal recovered his fumble at the Clarion 26, setting up Cal’s next td. The Vulcans drove 26 yards in three plays and scored on a 7-yard run by Nick Grissom, giving Cal a 28-0 lead at 7:21 of the fourth.

Cal made it 35-0 when Cody Schroeder tossed a 23-yard td pass to Garry Brown to give Cal a 35-0 lead at 5:45 of the fourth.

Clarion got on the board driving 75 yards in 11 plays to finally strike paydirt. QB Darelle Carson completed 6 of 9 passes for 61 yards on the drive. On first and goal at the Cal 1, Carson scored on a 1-yard run at 2:49 of the fourth quarter making the final score 35-7.

Clarion had 230 yards of total offense with Carson completing 16 of 35 passes for 121 yards, while rushing for -6 yards and 1 td. Bobby Thomas rushed 15 times for 60 yards, while catching 2 passes for 11 yards. Chris Liberto (So. Springdale) had 8 carries for 34 yards and 2 catches for 20 yards. Matt Lehman (Fr. Lower Burrell) led the receivers with 3 catches for 29 yards.

Clarion defense had Cory McNamara (Ontario, N.Y.) posted 12 tackles, Rocco Yauger (So. Trafford) 9 stops and Howsare with 8 hits, 2 tfl’s, 1 sack, 1 break-up and 1 qb hurry.

Cal posted 474 yards of total offense getting 230 rushing and 244 passing. James Harris completed 14 of 25 passes for 214 yards and 1 td, while Mike Williams caught 7 aerials for 118 yards and 1 td. Jeff Knox led the ground attack with 89 rushing yards and 2 td’s on 15 tries.

Clarion travels to Slippery Rock next Saturday for a 2pm kickoff in a battle for the “Milk Jug”.