Central Clarion is paying particular attention to detail this week as the Wildcats prepare for formidable foe in Cambria Heights in state playoffs

The Central Clarion offensive line has been a big part of the Wildcats’ success this season. They will be in for a test on Saturday afternoon against blitz-heavy Cambria Heights in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals

CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Film sessions can be brutal.

Everything is dissected. Everything is picked apart frame by frame. Mistakes — no matter how small — are pointed out.

For the Central Clarion football team, it’s a necessity. Even though the Wildcats were winning games in routs this season — sometimes by 60 or more points — attention was always paid to how they could get better.

It’s one of the reasons why Central Clarion will take on Cambria Heights in the PIAA Class 2A quarterfinals at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Armstrong High School.

“This team has no ego,” said Wildcats’ coach Dave Eggleton. “When they walk into the film study, they know it’s not personal. All the coaching staff likes every one of them, loves every one of them, but we want them to be better, and we want to fix the mistakes, and they want to be better. It’s just a credit to these guys.”

Sometimes the players call themselves out.

Junior linebacker Charlie Hepfl is famous for this in the film room.

“He’s the best for that,” Eggleton said. “He’ll say, ‘Coach, I was terrible in this play,’ and that might be the nice way of putting it. All the guys, they have no problem with seeing their mistakes and trying to fix them, to make themselves better.”

The players take the criticism as it is intended.

A way to help them improve and keep from getting stagnant.

“If the coaches didn’t do that, there’s no way we would get better,” said senior Jesse Siwiecki. “We probably have the best coaching staff for that, honestly, because without film study and everything we do on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, we wouldn’t be where we are at all.”

“It’s impossible to have a perfect game, but to get as close as possible is the goal,” said senior Noah Harrison. “We get held (accountable). Our goal is to play as clean as possible and focus on the mistakes we can learn from and get better.”

There will be a lot of film digested this week heading into the game against undefeated Cambria Heights (13-0).

It’s the stiffest test the Wildcats (12-0) have faced so far.

The Highlanders can give teams fits on both sides of the ball.

Central Clarion will have to contend with a dizzying array of running backs that Cambria Heights can throw at an opponents.

“They have three guys who can carry the ball,” Harrison said. “That’s not easy to game plan for. So I think our main goal is to dominate up front and do what we can to slow them down.”

The Wildcats will also have to deal with a team that loves to blitz.

“They send a lot of pressure,” Eggleton said. “They are a blitz-heavy team, so being ready to pick up the blitz, our offensive line having their heads up in the run and pass game. Our line really needs to step up. When they send the blitz, which is often, they need to identify it and they need to pick it up. We have to read our keys. We have to line up — they do a lot of things formationally — so alignment is huge this week.”

Central Clarion must also be able to take advantage of that blitz.

Big plays can be had and the Wildcats — who have shown a penchant for scoring points in a hurry — need to make a few.

“I’ll quote coach (Ed) Wasilowski from Redbank, who was a longtime coach there — ‘When you blitz a lot, one band or the other is going to end up playing,’” Eggleton said. “It causes big plays one way or the other, so hopefully we can neutralize that blitz.”

Central Clarion has the players to do it.

Jase Ferguson is again having a big campaign with 2,904 yards passing and 46 touchdowns. He’s also gained 1,126 yards rushing and scored 13 TDs.

Ferguson has completed 70% of his throws.

Sophomore Ethan Rex leads the team in receptions with 64 for 700 yards and 14 touchdowns. Junior Mason Burford has 38 catches for 890 yards and a team-leading 15 TDs and Siwiecki has emerged as another deep threat with 588 yards on just 18 receptions and six scores.

Kohen Kemmer has also done well over the middle with 25 receptions for 371 yards and six touchdowns.

Central Clarion can also get it done on the ground. The Wildcats have 2,273 yards and 31 touchdowns rushing. They are averaging 8.7 yards per carry.

Defensively, Hepfl leads the team with 93 tackles and Ferguson has six interceptions from his safety spot.

Central Clarion finally got over that hump in the first round of the state playoffs.

The Wildcats lost the last two seasons to Westinghouse in that round, but routed Farrell 41-6 last week to move on.

“It felt awesome because the past two years, we’ve had a sour taste in our mouth,” Harrison said. “It was good to get that win and get some momentum building.”

Central Clarion is well aware of what it needs to do to beat Cambria Heights and keep that momentum rolling into the semifinals.

“I think as long as our O-line can pick up all the blitzes and give Jase the amount of time he needs, and open up holes from the running backs … I think that will be key for us,” said senior offensive lineman Matt Alston.

“We have guys who are never going to back down from a challenge,” Siwiecki added. “We’re always going to come head first into anything. I think that’s how we’re going to fight in this game.”