KARNS CITY — It’s not about how you start, it’s how you — you know how it goes.

“I think good programs improve as the year goes on — and the ones that do rise to the top,” Punxsutawney football coach Alan Nichol said. “Of course, over at Karns City, they’re noted for that. So, we’re going to have to match and we’re going to have to step up and be a good Week 7 football team to win the game.

“Because I know Karns City will be.”

The Gremlins (3-3) will pay the Chucks a visit Friday night with their sights set on beginning a climb that continues into the postseason.

Including last week’s 50-15 defeat to Central Clarion, Karns City is 19-10 in regular season games on the back half of the schedule since 2017.

The lopsided score its last time out didn’t tell the entire story.

“I think it was 29-15 going into the fourth quarter,” Gremlins coach Joe Sherwin said. “I thought we played well up to that point. Even in the first half, they had two scores — but one was a fumble return for a touchdown — so we really only gave up one score in the first half.

“I was really happy about that.”

Luke Cramer paces Karns City with 39 tackles. Owen Heginbotham and Mason Bell follow closely behind with 38 apiece. Against Punxsy (4-2), they’ll face off with an attack that resembles their team’s own.

“I think our two teams have, offensively, a lot of the same philosophies,” Sherwin said. “We want to run the ball, but at the same time, we want to be able to hit a few passes and so forth to keep the defense honest.

“I think it’s going to be a close game and a good game.”

Nichol concurred. His team is on a two-game winning surge — having narrowly beaten DuBois, 25-24, last week, and blown past St. Marys, 49-7, before that.

“Like Karns City, we like to run the football,” Nichol said. “But, whenever you have talent, you use everything to your disposal. I think that’s been a thing that’s given us a lot of momentum.”

Sophomore quarterback Maddox Hetrick has shown his worth by balancing out the Chucks’ attack. He’s completed 67% of his passes for 1,097 yards and nine touchdowns thus far.

Nichol expects the middle of the Gremlins’ defense to be tough.

“We’re going to make them defend the entire field and see what happens,” he said.

For Karns City, Sherwin has seen consistent improvement out of freshman triggerman Cole Johnston, who’s passed for 239 yards and two scores in five contests.

“We’re just kind of telling him little things here and there, and I think he’s been receptive to those,” Sherwin said.

He’ll be chased around by the senior combination of Matthew Grusky and Nick Wisnesky, who have collaborated for 9.5 sacks this go-round. Behind them, all-conference linebacker Mason Nesbitt — who totaled 84 tackles in 2022 — is finally healthy. He lines up beside Landon Martz, who leads the team with 48 takedowns.

Gremlins sophomore Hunter Scherer has run for a team-high 397 yards and six touchdowns on 62 totes. Cramer has carried the ball 70 times for 362 yards and eight scores.

“I think this is a pretty pivotal game in our season,” Sherwin said. “We’ve got four weeks left in the regular season, so we just want to improve each week and — when it comes time for the playoffs — we’ll be playing our best football.”