Karns City provides stiffer challenge, but Central Clarion wins District 9 Class 2A football title
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The Karns City Marching Band performs during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game against Central Clarion on Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Sean Slaughenhoupt (52) sacks Central Clarion quarterback Jase Ferguson (1) during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City running back Hunter Scherer (23) scores a touchdown against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City quarterback Cole Johnston (7) runs the ball against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Mason Bell (36) tackles Central Clarion runner Ethan Rex (22) during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's defense stops Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's offensive line squares up against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Owen Heginbotham (22) slips past Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Cole Johnston (7) runs against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City celebrates a touchdown by Hunter Scherer (23) against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Braden Slater (20) gets a first down against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City fans celebrate a touchdown by Hunter Scherer (23) against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Hunter Scherer (23) gets a first down against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Owen Heginbotham (22) runs the ball against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Braden Slater (20) breaks up a pass attempt by Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Hunter Scherer (23) blocks for quarterback Cole Johnston (7) as he runs the ball against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City cheerleader Braylynn Thompson and the squad celebrate a touchdown by Hunter Scherer (23) against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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The Karns City Marching Band plays a fight song to celebrate a touchdown by Hunter Scherer (23) against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Braden Slater (20) starts the game off with a kickoff return against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Braden Slater (20) shows Central Clarion it's hard to stop a Gremlin during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Cam Ealy (58) snaps the ball to quarterback Cole Johnston (7) during their matchup with Central Clarion in the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City’s Riley Hamilton (12) gets a first down against Central Clarion during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City quarterback Cole Johnston (7) passes the ball over a Central Clarion defender as CJ Emrick (51) blocks during the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Central Clarion won 37-20. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
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Karns City's Braden Slater runs the ball against Central Clarion in the District 9 Class 2A Football Championship game Friday, Nov. 1, 2024, at Brookville High School. Holly Mead/Special to the Eagle
BROOKVILLE — Jase Ferguson’s deep ball dropped gracefully into Central Clarion teammate Mason Burford’s hands, allowing him to wheel the rest of the way for a 63-yard score.
The connection, which came on the initial snap of the second half of Friday night’s District 9 Class 2A football championship game, permanently put the Wildcats ahead of Karns City in a 37-20 win at Brookville High School.
“I think going into half I thought we had the momentum at that time,” Gremlins coach Joe Sherwin said. “That first play, they grabbed it right back. We kept battling, but I don’t think we were fully able to gain back the momentum after that.”
“That first play was just huge,” Central Clarion coach Dave Eggleton said. “We talked about coming out hard in that second half and setting the tone early — and that’s what we did. ... I thought we really just out-played them in that second half.”
Central Clarion (11-0) entered the night averaging 56.8 points in games contested this years — its average margin of victory being 51.6 points. No opponent had stayed within better than five possessions of the Wildcats this season, including Karns City’s 65-0 loss to them Sept. 27.
“Everything went wrong in that game — and we realized that,” Sherwin said. “We didn’t dwell on it. After that, we just started playing better football. I think we just started jelling more as a team. ... I had a good feeling going into this game. I thought we could give them a good game, and I think, for sure, we did.”
In the rematch, Central Clarion couldn’t crack the scoreboard until 29 seconds remained in the first half. Ferguson found Burford from 13 yards out for the first of three touchdown links between the two on the night. That came two minutes after the Gremlins (7-3) drove 86 yards in 15 plays, punctuating the march with Hunter Scherer’s 2-yard plunge.
“They came out and they played physical,” Eggleton said. “They got in our face and played man-to-man. In the first half, we weren’t winning the one-on-ones. In the second half, we were — and that was the difference.”
Following Ferguson’s second scoring collaboration with Burford, a pair of penalties pushed Karns City to its own 6-yard line, then Brant Parker dragged Cole Johnston down in the end zone for a safety.
Ferguson made sure the Wildcats crossed the goal line on each of their next three possessions, twice with his feet and once more with Burford through the air.
Johnston responded to Ferguson’s first scoring scamper with an 86-yard keeper to cut the deficit to 10. Scherer neared a touchdown reception in the fourth quarter, but coughed the ball up. Teammate Shane Peters pounced on it to round out the contest’s scoring.
All told, the Gremlins kept Central Clarion closer than anybody else this year.
“We talked about, before the game, playing for your football life this time of year,” Eggleton said. “You could tell they were playing for their football life. We needed to step up and match that intensity, and we eventually did.”
Karns City 0 7 6 7 — 20
Central Clarion 0 7 23 7 — 37
Second Quarter
KC — Hunter Scherer 2 run (Braden Slater kick), 2:27
CC — Mason Burford 13 pass from Jase Ferguson (Thomas Uckert kick), :21
Third Quarter
CC — Burford 63 pass from Ferguson (Uckert kick), 11:47
CC — Brant Parker safety of Cole Johnston, 9:48
CC — Ferguson 1 run (Uckert kick), 6:36
KC — Johnston 86 run (Johnston pass failed), 5:39
CC — Ferguson 7 run (Uckert kick), 2:03
Fourth Quarter
CC — Burford 37 pass from Ferguson (Uckert kick), 9:47
KC — Shane Peters fumble recovery in endzone (Slater kick), 3:35
Individual Statistics
Rushing: Karns City, Cole Johnston 13-109, Hunter Scherer 14-57, Riley Hamilton 1-27, Owen Heginbotham 7-21, Braden Slater 5-(-2), TEAM 1-(-3). Central Clarion, Jase Ferguson 20-66, Ethan Rex 2-19, Noah Harrision 6-17, Mason Burford 1-5.
Passing: Karns City, Cole Johnston 4-15-46-2. Central Clarion, Jase Ferguson 11-20-235-0.
Receiving: Karns City, Hunter Scherer 2-25, Braden Slater 1-13, Shane Peters 1-9. Central Clarion, Mason Burford 4-127, Jesse Siwiecki 3-83, Ethan Rex 2-19, Braylon Beckwith 2-6.
