Grounded: KC rushes for 342 yards in defeat of rival Moniteau
KARNS CITY — It was vintage Karns City football, right from the start.
On the first drive of Friday’s game against rival Moniteau, the Gremlins moved 53 yards, all on the ground, with five different players carrying the ball. Zach Kelly capped the march with a 6-yard scamper to give KC an early lead.
“They (Warriors) knew it was coming, but we didn’t care. We ran it anyway,” said KC sophomore Hunter Scherer, who rushed for 44 yards in the game. “That drive was a great way for us to grab the momentum.”
And the Gremlins held onto it by rushing for 342 yards in a 48-15 defeat of Moniteau at Diehl Stadium.
Luke Cramer led the pack with 105 yards, but Braden Slater (67 yards) and Owen Heginbotham (57) also did their part to help the Gremlins control the game.
“Scoring like we did on the first drive of the game was huge,” said KC coach Joe Sherwin. “We wanted to come out of the gate fast and we like to get a lot of guys involved. When we do that, it just makes us more dangerous to defend.”
It was the Gremlins’ sixth consecutive win over the Warriors and, after an 0-2 start to the season, KC has reeled off three straight victories in impressive fashion.
“We’re peaking right now,” said Scherer.
Late in the first quarter, Scherer picked off a Trent Beachem pass and returned it 16 yards for KC’s second touchdown. He added a touchdown run in the second quarter, as did teammate Luke Cramer, and the Gremlins (3-2, 2-1) held a commanding 28-0 lead.
Moniteau’s offense then finally hit its stride. Beachem connected with Ashton Grossman for 23 yards and Kole Scott for another 12 before Blaine Jamison turned an intermediate pass play into a 40-yard score.
There was only 2:15 left before halftime when KC began its ensuing drive, but freshman quarterback Cole Johnston completed his first two passes of the game — 11 yards to Kelly and 30 yards to Taite Beighley — to set up Scherer’s third score of the game on a 2-yard run.
The Warriors (1-4, 0-3) forced two turnovers in the first half, recovering a fumble in the first quarter and cornerback Isaiah Thompson intercepted a Johnston pass at the goal line in the second period. But the 35-7 halftime deficit was heard loud and clear among coach Bob Rottman’s team.
“We never had momentum tonight,” he said. “They jumped on us early and we were just trying to hang on after that.”
The Gremlins succeeded in making Moniteau one-dimensional. Part of it was the big lead they had built, but they also stuffed the Warriors’ ground attack. Running backs Kole Scott and Logan Campbell were fired a combined 11 times in the first half and gained just 35 yards.
“We got beat up front, but we had a freshman at guard and another at tackle and it was new for them,” said Rottman.
“We’ve faced some good quarterbacks, but our No. 1 goal on defense is always to stop the run,” said Sherwin.
Cramer and Heginbotham both scored on touchdown runs in the third quarter for KC.
Brendin Sankey took over at quarterback for Moniteau and threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Jamison late in the fourth.
The score put the Warriors into double digits in points, something Moniteau had not done against Karns City since they last defeated the Gremlins, 20-14 in 2018.
“We have to learn to bring the fight to a football game,” said Rottman. “We have to do it quickly, though, if this team is to realize its potential. We’re already halfway through the season.”
Moniteau travels to Bradford next Friday while Karns City hosts Central Clarion.
Moniteau 0 7 0 8 — 15
Karns City 14 21 13 0 — 48
First Quarter
KC — Zach Kelly 6 run (Kelly kick), 7:18
KC — Hunter Scherer 16 interception return (Kelly kick), 2:29
Second Quarter
KC — Luke Cramer 1 run (Kelly kick), 11:28
KC — Scherer 20 run (Kelly kick), 4:38
M — Blaine Jamison 40 pass from Trent Beachem (Ashton Grossman kick), 2:21
KC — Scherer 2 run (Kelly kick), 1:00
Third Quarter
KC — Cramer 2 run (Kelly kick), 5:37
KC — Owen Heginbotham 16 run (kick failed), 3:52
Fourth Quarter
M — Jamison 29 pass from Brendin Sankey (Kole Scott pass from Sankey), 1:17
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Moniteau, Logan Campbell 9-33, Adam Grossman 1-2, Trent Beachem 6-(-10), Kole Scott 7-15, Brendin Sankey 3-30, Ashton Grossman 1-(-13). Karns City, Luke Cramer 13-105, Hunter Scherer 5-44, Owen Heginbotham 5-57, Mason MacTaggart 2-13, Zach Kelly 2-6, Braden Slater 4-67, Cole Johnston 3-(-6), Shane Emrick 2-32, Bryce Galan 5-24.
Passing: Moniteau, Trent Beachem 11-17-146-2, Brendin Sankey 2-4-48-0. Karns City, Cole Johnston 4-15-65-1.
Receiving: Moniteau, Logan Campbell 2-6, Brendin Sankey 5-60, Ashton Grossman 1-23, Liam Allison 1-19, Kole Scott 2-17, Blaine Jamison 2-69. Karns City, Taite Beighley 3-54, Zach Kelly 1-11.
