By Duane Cochran
For the Times West Virginian
FAIRMONT —
It won’t take long for Fairmont State’s 2010 football team to see how well it stacks up against quality competition.
That’s because right out of the gate the Falcons will face a huge test Thursday night when they travel to Clarion (Pa.) University for a 6 p.m. meeting with the Golden Eagles at Memorial Stadium.
Clarion completed a remarkable turnaround last year under Jay Foster, who is beginning his fifth year at the school. After going 4-29 in Foster’s first four years, the Golden Eagles pretty much shocked everyone but themselves in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference’s Western Division when they finished 8-3 overall, 6-1 and in second place in the league (they were picked to finished seventh last fall) and narrowly missed the NCAA Division II playoffs.
“I said this two years ago Jay Foster is a first-class individual who does things the right way. I knew all along it was only going to be a matter of time before things would start going for him and last year, boy they pretty much put it all together,” said FSU head coach Mike Lopez. “They went from 3-8 two years ago to 8-3, darn near won the PSAC-West and almost made the national playoffs.
“He’s a defensive guy and you compare last year’s defense and this year’s defense they have to the one they had two years ago and it’s a night and day difference. That’s where he was having issues on defense and they got those ironed out last year. He’s got a ton of starters back on that side of the ball so we know going in we’ve got our hands full.”
Clarion toppled FSU 33-21 last year in the season opener and started 2009 at 2-2. Then in week five the Golden Eagles lost in the final minutes to eventual PSAC-West champion California (Pa.) University which last fall made its third straight trip to the NCAA Division II playoff semifinals.
At 2-3 and coming off a heartbreaking loss Clarion could’ve folded, but instead the Golden Eagles regrouped and won their final six games to finish at 8-3 and Foster was named the PSAC-West Coach of the Year.
This season Clarion is picked third in the PSAC-West’s preseason coaches’ poll behind Cal and Indiana (Pa.) University.
The Golden Eagles are led on offense by diminutive, but ultra-talented senior running back Alfonso Hoggard (5-2, 150). The third-team Don Hansen Football Gazette All-America selection, first-team All-Region and PSAC-West Offensive Player of the Year led the conference last fall in rushing (1,046), rushing touchdowns (17), overall touchdowns (19), points scored (118) and all-purpose yards (1,798).
Hoggard started his career as a receiver/all-purpose player and was a second-team All-American selection in 2008 in that role.
Another big threat on Clarion’s offense is 6-3, 200-pound senior wide receiver Jacques Robinson, who was second in the PSAC in receiving last fall with 70 catches for 819 yards and five touchdowns.
Senior linebacker Joe Fox and senior strong safety Nick Sipes return to lead a much-improved Golden Eagle defensive unit. Fox, a three-year starter and first-team all-league pick last year, was third on the team last season in tackles with 62, including nine tackles for losses and three sacks.
Sipes, meanwhile, garnered honorable mention All-America honors and was a first-team All-Region and first-team all league pick as he led Clarion in tackles with 112, including 12 for losses and six sacks.
Clarion leads the all-time series between the two schools, 10-5.
