Cole Johnston’s clutch layup boosts Karns City past Clarion, keeps playoffs in sights
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Karns City's Cole Johnston (11) passes the ball in a boys basketball game agains Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) scores in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Owen Kaufman (1) guards Clarion's Dylan Smail (24) in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Cole Johnston (11) prepares to shoot in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) attempts to reach the net in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brennan Harmon (10) takes possession of the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns CIty's Brennan Harmon (10) makes a layup in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Keagan Schrecengost (44) prepares to shoot in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brennan Harmon (10) blocks Clarion in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) blocks Clarion from scoring in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) scores in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Xavier Bartoe (23) prevents Clarion from scoring in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) looks to pass the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Cole Johnston (11) passes the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) attempts to reach the net in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Keagan Schrecengost (44) looks to pass the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brennan Harmon (10) passes the ball in a boys basketball game agains Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brennan Harmon (10) drives toward the net in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) steals the ball from Clarion in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Keagan Schrecengost (44) looks to pass the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Brennan Harmon (10) passes the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) scores in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Keagan Schrecengost (44), left, and Jacob Jones (3) attempt to steal the ball from Clarion in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Shane Peters (55) looks to pass the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City head coach Zach Kepple celebrates his team's win over Clarion in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Keagan Schrecengost (44) looks to pass the ball in a boys basketball game against Clarion at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Cole Johnston (11), left, and Owen Kaufman (1) block Clarion from scoring in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Karns City's Cole Johnston (11), left, and Brennan Harmon (10) celebrate their win over Clarion in a boys basketball game at Karns City High School on Monday, Feb. 3, 2025. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
KARNS CITY — Karns City boy basketball’s playoff hopes were nearly out the door.
But with his go-ahead, baseline layup with 5 seconds left in the second overtime of Monday night’s game against Clarion, Cole Johnston lifted the Gremlins to a 70-69 win and kept the postseason aspirations alive.
Six seconds earlier, the Bobcats’ Dylan Smail staked his side to a one-point lead with a 2 for 2 trip to the free-throw line.
Karns City coach Zach Kepple called a timeout to split Smail’s free throws, both in an attempt to ice him and also to draw up a play.
“That’s a play that we’ve run off of foul shots a lot,” Kepple said. “Typically, it’s not Cole going to the corner, it’s Jacob Jones because of the 3(-point) opportunity. We just kind of changed up responsibilities, and then, with the change-up and the fast pace of what was going on, we ended up not getting guys really in the right spot.
“But we got the ball where it needed to be — in the corner with Cole.”
He drove from the right corner and scored. The Gremlins (8-11) entered needing to win out in order to reach the District 9 playoffs with the required .500 record.
“I’m comfortable in that situation,” Johnston said. “I knew that I could take my guy to the basket.”
“I thought our defense just collapsed,” Bobcats coach Sam Heeter said. “We didn’t get back quick enough. I didn’t have a timeout to use ... to kind of get us set up.”
After Johnston’s score, Kepple was worried only that his players didn’t foul. A Clarion 3-point try didn’t fall on the other end as time expired.
Karns City had been up 67-61 after beginning the second overtime on a 6-0 run. Shane Peters started that surge with an and-one and another make.
“I think that helped our confidence,” Peters said. “(To) put some points on the board, that just got us more pumped up.”
There were 13 lead changes before halftime. Peters bucketed 19 of his game-high 34 points by then.
“I think he’s averaging 20 almost points per game, and he’s averaging 15-16 rebounds a game,” Kepple said. “Tonight, I have him at 20 rebounds. ... I think, statistically, he has more offensive rebounds than anyone else on the team has total rebounds.”
The Bobcats (13-5) went ahead with the first basket of the second half and clung to that advantage until Jones’ trey made it 59-56 with 2:09 to go in the initial overtime. Peters provided the aforementioned two-possession cushion on the Gremlins’ next trip down the floor.
Keagan Schrecengost’s two clutch free throws with 6 ticks left in regulation forced the extra periods. Owen Kaufman broke up an inbounds attempt at half-court shortly after.
Karns City hosts North Clarion on Wednesday. It visits Union on Friday, then brings in Keystone on Feb. 10.
“It’s our path to the playoffs,” Kepple said. “We don’t want to make excuses and decided to argue our way in. We want to be there, .500, and then make the noise.”
“Knocking (Clarion) off really boosts the confidence going into the next few games,” Johnston said.
Clarion 15 15 17 7 7 8 — 69
Karns City 14 17 12 11 7 9 — 70
CLARION 69
Mason Burford 7 7-7 22, Dylan Smail 6 3-4 16, Wyatt Watterson 3 0-0 8, Derek Smail 2 4-4 8, Nathan Frederick 3 0-0 7, Parker Miller 1 0-0 3, Quinn O’Neill 1 0-0 3, Treyvan Hooks 1 0-0 2. Totals: 21 14-15 69.
KARNS CITY 70
Shane Peters 13 8-11 34, Cole Johnston 7 3-4 18, Brennan Harmon 3 0-0 6, Jacob Jones 2 0-0 6, Keagan Schrecengost 2 2-2 6. Totals: 27 13-17 70.
3-point goals: Clarion 7 (Watterson 2, Frederick, Burford, D. Smail, Miller, O’Neill); Karns City 3 (Jones 2, Johnston)
