CLARION, Pa. – Clarion scored 24 straight points to erase Shepherd University’s lead in the third quarter on Saturday to pull away for a 51-38 victory, dropping the Rams to 0-3.
The Golden Eagles’ splash knocked the wind out of big rushing performance by Shepherd’s Jordan Barnett, who ran for 212 yards and two long touchdowns.
Barnett scored on runs of 96 and 77 yards as both TDs game the Rams a lead. Barnett’s 96-yard run from scrimmage is the second longest in Shepherd history behind Bryan Wright’s 97-yard run against Merrimack on Nov. 25, 2006.
But Shepherd couldn’t make them stand up.
Clarion (4-0) put up the 24-point run in the third quarter after Barnett’s second touchdown broke a 24-24 halftime tie.
The Golden Eagles’ onslaught made it 48-31 after three quarters. Clarion was led by Khalon Simmons, who rushed 14 times for 84 yards and four touchdowns.
Shepherd started fast, taking an early 17-3 lead.
The Rams scored first when quarterback Michael Hardyway connected on a 12-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Kordell Batten at 9:13 in the first quarter. Kicker Max Barba added the extra point.
Clarion got on the scoreboard with a 28-yard field goal by Andrew Kurtas with 5:31 left in the first quarter to cut the lead to 7-3.
Barnett struck with his 96-yard run with 12:35 left in the half to pad Shepherd’s lead. Barba followed with a 38-yard field goal with five minutes later to give the Rams a 17-3 advantage.
Clarion roared back to tie the game twice before halftime.
Simmons ran 15 yards for his first score and quarterback Anthony Guercio found JaTawn Williams with a 46-yard scoring strike to make it 17-17 with 1:33 remaining in the half.
The two teams traded scores in the final 93 seconds.
Hardyway hit receiver Jaden Ashby with a 36-yard touchdown pass with :57 remaining. Simmons countered with a 2-yard for his second TD with :04 remaining to knot the halftime score at 24.
Barnett broke several tackles and galloped 77 yards for the go-ahead score starting the second half, giving the Rams a 31-24 lead.
The rest of the quarter belonged to Clarion, led by Simmons
It started with Guercio teaming with Davon Jones on a nine-yard score with 10:22 left in the third quarter to tie the game. Simmons followed by cashing in a Shepherd turnover for a 5-yard TD, followed by a 3-yard score for a 45-31 lead with 4:28 left in the quarter.
Kurtas finished the quarter with a 32-yard field goal to give Clarion a 45-31 advantage.
Hardyway fired a nine-yard scoring strike to senior receiver Marcus Nicholson with 5:54 remaining in the game before Kurtas tacked on a 30-yard field goal to close the scoring
Hardyway completed 27-of-39 passes for 306 yards and three scores. Guercio was 26-of-35 for 413 yards and a pair of scores for the Golden Eagles. Tight end Caysen Lanza was the top receiver with nine catches for 99 yards, while running back Grant Swinehart added eight grabs for 74 yards.
Barnett rushed 15 times for a game-high 212 yards to pace the Rams.
Shepherd totaled 530 yards of total offense and Clarion totaled 603.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Shepherd Goes 1-1 at Crimson Hawk Classic
INDIANA, Pa. – Shepherd University split a pair of matches during the second day at the Crimson Hawk Classic on Saturday.
The Rams (9-2), who went 3-1 on the weekend, recorded a 25-22, 25-23, 23-25, 25-23 win over Charleston (5-3) before dropping a 25-19, 16-25, 25-19, 25-14 to host IUP (8-2).
Outside hitters Amya Davis recorded 14 kills and Ada McCoy added 12 kills to lead the Rams.
Smithsburg’s Emily Ryder and Sophia Ryan (each had a match-high five blocks. Madigan Fdaircloth produced 13 digs and Macy Buso recorded 30 assists.
In the second match, Rylee Lenz (and Davis each had eight kills against IUP. Ryan added seven kills and eight blocks. Buso posted 31 assists, while Faircloth had 13 digs.
COLLEGE MEN’S SOCCER
Seton Hill 3, Shepherd 2
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd (1-4-0) dropped couldn’t overcome a two-goal deficit in a loss to Seton Hill (4-1-0).
Seton Hill got the early lead when James Aubrey scored at 4:21 off an assist by Villads Jensen. The Griffins made it 2-0 at 9:51 when Vasilis Christodoulou scored on an assist from Aubrey.
Boonsboro’s Mac Long assisted on a goal by midfielder Aaron Sullivan at the 16:21 mark to trim the deficit to one goal.
The Griffins added another goal when Aubrey scored on an assist from Julian Marker at the 75:17 mark. Shepherd answered with an unassisted goal by Ebenezer Solomon at the 88:40 mark.
Seton Hill had a 17-11 advantage in shots and a 7-4 edge in shots on goal. The Rams had a 4-3 advantage on corner kicks.
WOMEN’S SOCCER
Shepherd 18, Mansfield 0
SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.Va. – Shepherd midfielder Anaya Lozano had five goals and a pair of assists to lead the Rams (3-0-2) over Mansfield (0-5-0) on Saturday.
Lozano’s five goals tie the Shepherd single-game mark set by Julia Young against Salem International on Oct. 22, 2007. Her 12 points in a game established a Shepherd record.
Midfielder Olivia Gardner had three goals and an assist, while midfielder Ella Furlong tallied three goals. Forward Merritt Delk added two goals and three assists, while forward Lydia had a goal and three assists. Midfielder Reagan Ackermann and forward/defender Sofia Carrera each had a goal and an assist.
Junior midfielder Taylor Schuck (Springfield, Va./West Springfield) and midfielder Sarah Peternel each had a goal, while midfielder Annabelle, midfielder Adrianna Morales, midfielder Annabelle Wunderlich, midfielder Mary Beth Skelton and midfielder Josie added an assist.
Shepherd had a 56-0 advantage in shots with a 36-0 edge in shots on goal. The Rams had an 11-0 margin in corner kicks.
