CLARION, Pa. - Alfonzo Hoggard rushed for 134 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead the Clarion football team to a 42-21 homecoming victory against Gannon Saturday afternoon.

Hoggard's 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown with 5:56 left in the third quarter broke open a tight game and sparked a 21-0 run by the Golden Eagles which put the outcome to bed.

The contest was tied at seven following Jon Richardson's (Warren, Ohio/Warren G. Harding) one-yard scoring run 1:50 into the second quarter. However, Clarion responded with two touchdowns in the final nine minutes of the quarter to assume a 21-7 halftime advantage. Hoggard accounted for both touchdowns, scoring on runs of seven yards and one yard. The later came with 1:13 remaining in the half.

Gannon was starting to grab the momentum back after Zach Boedicker (Northfield, Ohio/Nordonia) connected with Geoff Hicks (Buffalo, N.Y./Cleveland Hill) on a 35-yard touchdown pass with 6:09 left in the third quarter.

Unfortunately, all the momentum was squashed with one play. Hoggard took the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a touchdown, bumping the Clarion lead up to 28-14.

The play was the start of three consecutive touchdowns for Clarion. Hoggard added his fourth touchdown on a 41-yard run early in the fourth quarter. Thirty seconds later, John Fuhrer capped the Clarion scoring with a two-yard touchdown run after a Gannon interception.

Khalid Walker (Oakland Park, Fla./American Heritage) caught his first career touchdown from Bob Bartley (Allison Park, Pa./Hampton) with 3:37 left in the game to account for the final 42-21 score.

Richardson led the Gannon rushing attack with 68 yards and one touchdown. The senior tailback has scored at least one touchdown in every game this season.

Boedicker added 48 yards on seven carries. The junior quarterback was also 13-of-23 for 134 yards and one touchdown through the air. Bartley went 10-of-19 for 101 yards and one touchdown in a relief effort.

Corey Bradley (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) and Evan Twombly (Baldwinsville, N.Y./Baldwinsville) hauled in five catches each for 53 and 50 yards, respectively.

Defensively, John Chisolm (Trenton, N.J./Burlington Township) headlined the tacklers with 10 stops. Matthew Neal-Mink (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) added nine tackles. Randy Colling (Arcade, N.Y./Pioneer) and Kevin Minor (South Euclid, Ohio/Shaw) chipped in five stops apiece.

Hoggard was the story for Clarion. In addition to his 87-yard kickoff return, the 5-foot-4 tailback rushed for 134 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries. He also caught two passes for 19 yards.

Gannon dropped to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division with its third consecutive loss. Clarion improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in conference play. The Golden Knights return to action Saturday, October 10 at cross-town rival Mercyhurst. Game time is scheduled for 12 noon. The contest can be seen live on WSEE TV 35 and heard live on Jet Radio 1400.

For a complete box score from Saturday's Gannon-Clarion football game, please click here.