KARNS CITY — Both Karns City football coach Ed Conto and Clarion football coach Larry Wiser are looking forward to their clash this week.

It’s a chance to see where they stand.

“That’s what we hope,” Conto said. “It’s a good way to see if you’re improving at all. Hopefully, we can challenge them and they can challenge us.”

Karns City (3-0) and Clarion (3-0) haven’t had much in the way of challenges so far this season.

Karns City has out-scored its three opponents 157-13. Clarion hasn’t given up a point yet this season while winning games 54-0, 68-0 and 67-0.

“Both teams up to this point haven’t faced too much adversity,” Wiser said. “We are going to face adversity down there and how are we going to react to it?”

Both teams also have put up some gaudy numbers.

The Bobcats have already rushed for 1,078 yards as a team and are averaging 10.9 yards per carry. The Gremlins have rolled up 910 yards rushing.

Clarion senior Ian Corbett, who finished fifth at the PIAA Class AA Track and Field Championships in the spring in the 100-meter dash, leads the Bobcats with 323 yards on 24 carries and nine touchdowns.

Tristan Rhoades leads Karns City’s ground game with 227 yards on just 14 carries.

Both teams have had the luxury of using lots of players so far this season.

Karns City did get a test from St. Marys last week.

Even though the Gremlins won 42-0, the Dutch mixed things up on offense and were aggressive on defense.

“They showed us a lot of looks and formations and we lined up properly,” Conto said. “On defense, St. Marys brought the house. They were bringing seven, eight guys on every play and really made us work. And their guys played hard the whole game. They forced us to work hard the whole times.”

Meanwhile, the Gremlins defense was dominant. St. Marys had minus-1 yard of offense.

“We played a really good defensive game,” Conto said.

The Gremlins will have to do it again against the Bobcats.

“Corbett is one of the fastest kids in the state,” Conto said. “Their quarterback (Brendan Miller) runs well and they have a couple of guys who can catch the ball. They are a well-rounded team.”

Last year Clarion beat Karns City, 42-7, but that was early in the season.

Wiser said that had that game been played later in the year, it most likely would have been much closer.

“We had the luxury of having some experienced guys up front,” Wiser said. “And Eddie was still trying to see how everything fit together.”

This year will be a litmus test for both teams.

And both relish it.

“Last year, we went up there and they exposed some things,” Conto said. “That’s how you get better.”