Commodores get their kicks

Every turning point had something to do with a foot, whether it was by kickoff, punt or point-after and field-goal attempts.

The one that mattered most was attached to a 6-foot-4, 285-pound senior left tackle whose straight-ahead kicking style is a throwback to a bygone era.

Mike Fazio's 25-yard field goal gave Perry a 12-9 victory over Clearfield on Friday night in a PIAA Class AAA first-round game at Cupples Stadium.

The Commodores (11-1) will play Erie Strong Vincent (10-1), a 28-7 winner over General McLane, in the quarterfinals.

"It was a lot of pressure," Fazio said. "I had it in my mind when we kept getting field-goal position that it could come down to a kick."

After all, it had all night.

District 9 champion Clearfield (10-1) scored first when Tanner Kelly's punt skipped off the leg of return man Jerod Venson at the Perry 1 and into the end zone. Venson recovered the loose ball and escaped, but the Commodores were penalized for blocking in the back, an automatic safety that gave Clearfield a 2-0 lead.

Perry was forced to kick off, and Josh Harbold returned it 34 yards. Six plays later, Kelly tossed a 26-yard touchdown to Mike Scoggins to make it 9-0.

Perry took advantage of two Bisons personal foul penalties to get inside the 10, but a Desmond Brentley-to-Bill Davison touchdown pass was negated by a holding penalty. The Commodores had to settle for a 29-yard field goal by Fazio to cut it to 9-3.

Perry had a chance to take the lead when Will McIntosh decked Clearfield's Matt Morgan on a punt return, forcing a fumble recovered by the Commodores. Brentley, who completed 15 of 27 for 166 yards, threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Gary Nolen. But Fazio had difficulty changing into his kicking shoe and rushed the point-after attempt, missing it wide right to keep it tied at 9-9.

"Whenever we kick the ball, it's an adventure," Perry coach Bill Gallagher said, "whether we're kicking or receiving."

The same could be said for Clearfield, especially after Kelly's punt ricocheted off the back of up-man Shane Davis and Perry recovered at the Clearfield 18. But, after a penalty, Fazio missed a 37-yarder.

"They didn't score off it," Clearfield coach Tim Janocko said, "but we ended up playing on our side of the field the rest of the time."

The Bisons lost Harbold, their leading rusher with 1,737 yards entering the game, to an ankle injury and were forced to pass. Aundre Wright's interception of a Tanner Kelly pass set the stage for the winning drive.

Brentley completed a 39-yarder to Nolen -- who had five catches for 72 yards -- at the Clearfield 2. But Perry's Jared Williams was dropped for losses of 3 and 10 yards before an 8-yard pass to Venson gave Perry a fourth-and-goal at the Clearfield 7 with 4:04 left.

During a timeout, Fazio changed his shoe and prepared himself. This time, the ball split the uprights.

"I knew it was going to come down to me," Fazio said, "and I had to step up."