Edinboro, Pa. – Bo Swartz plunged into the endzone with 23 seconds left in the fourth quarter erasing a 20-0 deficit as the Edinboro football team scored a win in their PSAC West opener with Clarion on Saturday inside Sox Harrison Stadium.
 
Clarion held a 20-0 lead when the Scots took over at their own 23-yard line with 6:32 left in the third quarter. After a two-yard run from Caron Robinson, Nico Marchitelli connected on a 35-yard strike to Logan Brooks to push the ball to the Clarion 38. Robinson rushed for six and then 24 more to set up first and goal from the Golden Eagle 8-yard line. A pass interference penalty moved the ball to the 2-yard line and two plays later Bo Swartz punched in a 1-yard touchdown run. Swartz would run in the two-point try to cut the lead to 20-8.
 
On the ensuing Clarion drive, the Golden Eagles moved the ball to the Edinboro 24, before Daunte White sacked Zach Switzer to end the third quarter and pushed Clarion back to the 31. On the first play of the fourth quarter, a Clarion personal foul nullified a 48-yard field goal and forced a punt.
 
The Scots turned the ball over on downs at their own 49, but the defense held and forced a punt. Frankie Passantino III pinned the Scots at their own 3-yard line, but after a four-yard run from Jerry Dinkins III, Marchitelli dropped a pass to Jaret Frantz for 35 yards advancing the ball to the Edinboro 42. Marchitelli broke contain and rushed for 15-yards to the Clarion 43. An unsportsmanlike penalty on the Golden Eagles helped the Scots convert a third and eight. Edinboro made good on the opportunity when Marchitelli found Dinkins in the left flat for a six-yard touchdown cutting the lead to 20-15 with 4:16 to play.
 
The Edinboro defense stepped up again forcing a three-and-out and getting the ball back at the at their own 36. On third and 10, Marchitelli connected with DaeDae Allen for 14 yards moving the ball to midfield. Marchitelli hit Allen again this time for 40 yards to the Clarion 10-yard line. Dinkins put the Scots at the 1-yard line with a nine-yard run. After being stopped on second and third down, Swartz bulled through on fourth and one to put the Scots up 21-20 with 23 seconds to play. The two-point try failed.
 
Clarion took the touchback and Jose Ferguson completed the pass to Davon Jones to advance the ball to the Golden Eagle 47. The final heave was intercepted by Nate Deanes at the Edinboro 10 sealing the victory.
 
After a slow start to the game, a good punt return from Khalon Simmons set Clarion up at the Edinboro 26. Switzer threw a 24-yard strike to Jones to put Clarion up 7-0 with 6:16 remaining in the opening frame. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 14-0 when Switzer hit Dominik Thomas for a 28-yard touchdown with 3:37 on the clock in the first.
 
With 3:16 left in the first half, Switzer rushed in from three yards out to push the Clarion advantage to 20-0. JT Taylor blocked the extra point attempt to send the teams into the locker room 20-0.
 
Marchitelli finished the game 13-of-30 for 222 yards and a score. Allen had four catches for 81 yards. Robinson toted the ball 10 times for 46 yards while Dinkins finished with 12 carries for 44 yards.
 
Daunte White paced the defense making nine tackles, six solo, with 4.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Ty Reali added six stops and Taylor, Carlos Morales and Amari Jones each made five stops.
 
Switzer passed for 159 yards on 12-of-19 passing with two touchdowns. Simmons was the leading rusher for the Golden Eagles with 41 yards. Griffin Buzzell tallied 11 stops to lead the Clarion defense.
 
The Scots moved to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in PSAC West play. They return to action on Saturday when they travel to IUP for a 2 p.m. kick against the Crimson Hawks.