CHERRY TWP — Numbers don’t matter much to Elk County Catholic.

The Crusaders are all about execution.

ECC was limited to 154 yards and six first downs Friday night at Moniteau, but forced three turnovers and returned a kickoff for a touchdown in posting a 15-6 high school football victory over the Warriors.

Despite having only 19 players, the Crusaders are 2-0 on the season.

“We know what our numbers are compared to other teams, so we have to grind games out,” ECC coach Terry Gerg said. “These kids will remember games like this. We played error-free ball and made a big play on special teams.

“We tell our kids all the time ... we have to play well in all three phases ... nothing fancy, just hard-nosed football.”

Operating primarily out of the single wing, ECC attempted only three passes all night.

Moniteau’s defense had limited the Crusaders to just 29 yards of offense and one first down when David Anderson intercepted a David Dessicino pass and returned it 33 yards to the Warriors’ 13-yard line with 3:04 left in the half. Noah Cherry got loose up the middle for a 13-yard scoring run on the next play.

A conversion run by Ben Reynolds gave ECC (2-0) an 8-0 lead, an advantage it never lost.

“I have to eat this one as the head coach,” Moniteau coach Bob Rottman said. “I should have stuck with what we do best and run the ball. We tried some other things and they didn’t work out.

“Our kids played well enough to win, but we didn’t win. When that happens, it’s on the coach.”

The Crusaders didn’t turn the ball over all night. The Warriors’ (0-2) had one scoring threat in the first half, but it ended on a botched snap from the ECC 34-yard line with 10:26 left in the half. Alex Gahr covered the ball for the Crusaders.

Moniteau did put together a 7-play, 80-yard drive in the third period that ended with a Logan Campbell 1-yard scoring burst on the first play of the final quarter. The conversion run failed and the Warriors, trailed, 8-6.

Any momentum Moniteau had was stolen away when Reynolds returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. Reynolds booted the PAT.

“We saw something there in the return game and the kids executed the play beautifully,” Gerg said.

“They made plays when they had to,” Rottman said of ECC. “They played a clean game. We have to clean some things up.We’re still struggling in the passing game. We’re turning the ball over, taking penalties. We hurt ourselves.”

Moniteau generated 14 first downs and 255 yards of offense while limiting ECC’s production.

Both teams received productive games from their running backs. Hunter Stalker had 21 carries for 154 yards for the Warriors, generating most of the yardage on his team’s touchdown drive.

“Hunter just runs straight ahead,” Rottman said. “A lot of kids try to dance, look for a hole, it doesn’t work that way. You run hard, take what you can get, and Hunter does that. Matt Martino had a great game at guard for us, too.”

Cherry paced ECC with 12 carries for 130 yards and a touchdown. He now has 311 yards and three touchdowns through two games.

“He’s tougher than a cinder block,” Gerg said. “Noah’s a junior who’s been starting for us since he was a freshman. He’s a hard-nosed football player.”

Moniteau travels to Cameron County next Friday.

Elk Co. Catholic 0 8 0 7 — 15

Moniteau 0 0 0 6 — 6

Second Quarter

ECC —Noah Cherry 13 run (Ben Reynolds run), 2:59

Fourth Quarter

M — Logan Campbell 1 run (run failed), 11:57

ECC — Reynolds 80 kick return (Cherry kick), 11:45

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Elk County Catholic, Noah Cherry 12-130, Ben Reynolds 10-9, Frankie Smith 5-15. Moniteau, David Dessicino 12-7, Hunter Stalker 21-154, Logan Campbell 5-15, Isaiah Thompson 2-3, Mathew Baptiste 1-4.

Passing: Elk County Catholic, Ben Reynolds 0-3-0-0. Moniteau, David Dessicino 11-19-72-2.

Receiving: Moniteau, Logan Campbell 4-20, Hunter Stalker 2-1, Colton Thomas 1-4, Ashton Grossman 2-35, Isaiah Thompson 1-3, Adam Grossman 1-9.