By Duane Cochran
For the Times West Virginian
CLARION, Pa. —
Talk to Zack Page and he sounds a bit like a broken record.
And with good reason since that’s what Fairmont State’s senior receiver and kick return specialist does best.
Thursday evening Page, who holds virtually all of FSU’s return records, put himself in the national record book when he became NCAA Division II football’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards in the Falcons’ 27-16 come-from-behind victory over Clarion (Pa.) University at Memorial Field.
Page headed into Thursday night’s game needing a mere three yards to become the all-time leader in career kickoff return yards. He got them and much more on the very first play of the 2010 season when he brought the opening kickoff back 22 yards. Page finished the game with four returns for 83 yards giving him 2,711 career kickoff return yards breaking the old mark of 2,630 set by Winona State’s Dave Lundy from 1991-94.
“It means a lot to me, but I’ve said this so often before because I really mean it. It’s really not what I did. It’s what our team did,” said Page, a 5-7, 165-pounder from Plain City, Ohio. “The guys up there blocking for me share this honor with me. We’ve got a great scheme installed by coach ‘B’ (Ricky Brumfield) and those guys do a great job of clearing lanes for me. All I have to do is run.
“Like I’ve said before my job is pretty easy. I’ve never really had a bad year here of returning kicks. That’s a testament to our entire return team and our scheme. The best part of this is we were able to do it in a win. That’s what really makes it feel special. The record is nice, but the win is the most important thing.”
Page, who is on pace to set two more national records before the end of the season, also returned a pair of punts in the victory for 18 yards. He now needs eight more kickoff returns to become Division II’s all-time leading in career kickoff returns and 260 more combined return yards on kickoffs and punts to become the national record holder in that statistical category.
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Fairmont State junior punter Ben Landis enjoyed a triumph return to the field Thursday night after missing all of 2009 with a knee injury. The junior from Johnstown, Pa. punted eight times in the victory for an average of 43.5 yards per kick. He had six punts of 40 or more yards, including a long of 50 yards. He also placed two balls inside the Clarion five-yard line and a total of five inside the Golden Eagles’ 20.
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On paper Clarion dominated FSU in the game, but on the field the Falcons made the plays which ultimately determined the difference in the outcome. The Golden Eagles outgained Fairmont State 494-217 and held a 30-8 advantage in first downs. Clarion, though, turned the football over four times, while FSU played turnover-free football.
The Falcons’ Perry Baker recovered a muffed punt at the Golden Eagles’ eight-yard line which led to his team’s first touchdown in the second quarter. In the third quarter FSU junior cornerback Ryland Newman picked off a pass and returned it 54 yards for a touchdown to close the gap to 16-13.
After FSU drove 83 yards in just six plays and took the lead for good with 13:22 to play on a 33-yard Cody Reed touchdown run, the Falcons sealed the victory when outside linebacker Brian Turner intercepted a pass and returned it 14 yards to the Golden Eagles’ 31. That eventually led to a one-yard TD run by Patrick Pinchinat which made it 27-16 with 5:22 left to play. Pinchinat, a junior transfer from Wingate University and Montgomery Community College, led the Falcons on the ground with 43 yards and a pair of touchdowns on just seven carries.
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Fairmont’s defense gave up a ton of yards in the victory (494), but only allowed the Golden Eagles to reach the end zone one time. Clarion scored its lone TD on its first drive of the game when it marched 65 yards in nine plays. After that FSU held the Golden Eagles to three field goals – the last of which came on Clarion’s first drive of the second half. Clarion had the football six more times in the second half, but were forced to punt three times, suffered interceptions twice and were held on a goal line stand in the waning seconds.
FSU sophomore outside linebacker Daniel Strosnider and Newman led the defense with 11 tackles apiece. Junior cornerback Raynell Hall had 10 stops and one interception, while true freshman inside linebacker Garrett Davis of Havana, Fla. was impressive in his Fairmont State debut finishing with nine stops, including one for a loss.
Look for Davis to play an increased role on the team this week when the Falcons host Notre Dame College at 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 11 in their home opener at Duvall-Rosier Field. That’s because senior inside linebacker Dan Dario suffered a hamstring injury in the third quarter Thursday night and will likely be sidelined for the second game.
