Numbers game
KARNS CITY — There were a lot of strange — and crooked — numbers in the opening game of the 2014 season for the Karns City football team against Brookville at Diehl Stadium Friday night:
The Gremlins had 14 players with at least one rushing attempt.
The Gremlins had two quarterbacks combine to throw three touchdown passes — all in the first quarter
The Gremlins committed 10 penalties for 80 yards, two infractions wiping out a pair of touchdowns.
The Gremlins fumbled five times, losing four — two coming on plays at the Brookville 1-yard-line.
The Gremlins defense held Brookville to minus-2 yards of offense until late in the first half and stuffed the Raiders' running game to the tune of minus-8 yards on 33 carries.
It all added up to a 60-6 Karns City win over Brookville.
“We basically started 20 guys on offense and 18 guys on defense,” said Karns City coach Ed Conto. “We rotated a lot of guys, so it's going to take us a couple of weeks to get clean. Give us three or four weeks, we'll get everything cleaned up.”
There were plenty of clean scores for the Gremlins.
Tyler Dunn scored easily on an 11-yard pass from Caleb King, one of two Karns City quarterback who played in a rotation against the Raiders.
Dunn also scored later in the half on a 13-yard run when he jogged untouched into the end zone.
Tristan Rhoades also scored a pair of touchdowns on a 32-yard pass from King and a 41-yard run. He was virtually untouched on both scores.
King, who played two possessions to start the game before yielding to Cody Deal for two possessions in the rotation, was 3-of-7 for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
Deal, who also plays linebacker, was 4-of-6 for 57 yards and a 5-yard touchdown pass to Collin Dunmyre, who also scored on a 10-yard run to close the first half for Karns City with a 47-0 lead.
“What I saw from the sideline, I was pleased,” Conto said. “A lot of times what you see is not the same as what you see on film. We made a lot of big plays.”
Rhoades led Karns City with 58 yards rushing on three carries. Dunn had three receptions for 48 yards and also had 32 yards rushing on two carries.
Even the backups got into the act for the Gremlins.
Colt Beham had a 46-yard touchdown run in the third quarter and Chandler Turner had an 88-yard kickoff return for a score following Brookville's only touchdown of the night, a 75-yard hook-up from Bobby McGranor to Wyatt Shaffer.
Things were not all rosey for Karns City from an injury standpoint.
Fullback/linebacker Mav Kelsea, slotback/safety Ethan Conto and tight end/defensive end Cooper Shepard all suffered potential season-ending injuries.
“I sure hope not,” Conto said. “It would be a bittersweet win then, that's for sure.”
