KARNS CITY BEATS C-L

WEEK 1

CLARION TWP. – Karns City came into its game with Clarion-Limestone ranked seventh in the state, and the Gremlin showed why with a 25-7 win over the Lions Friday night in the season opener for both KSAC teams.

Karns City's Billy Graham led the Gremlins with 170 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns. Karns City gained 281 total rushing yards on 33 attempts.

"They pounded the football and were more physical," C-L Clyde Conti. "We hit Graham and he would make yardage.

The Gremlins were without their starting quarterback going into the game in junior Erik Fuhrer, who suffered a concussion in a scrimmage the week before.

Senior Ian Ferguson, who was the starting quarterback for Karns City last season before being supplanted by Fuhrer, was the starter. Fuhrer is expected to play in Karns City's next game.

"This team is good, they are very good," Conti said. "They are bigger and stronger. We may be more athletic; we are more like basketball players. I don't know if anybody will knock off this Karns City team in our conference. It will take a very good team outside our conference to beat them."

The Lions' success happened to coincide with the rain and an injury to senior running back/safety Dan Alderton, who was hurt early in the second quarter and did not return. His status is indefinite.

"All I can say is that Dan has some kind of shoulder injury," Conti said. "I don't think his injury cost us the game. We made other mistakes."

Conti had refrained from naming a starting quarterback until Thursday night and went with senior and two-year returning starter J. J. Ferguson. Ferguson was at quarterback until the last series of the first half, as freshman Hayden Johnston played almost the entire second half.

"When Hayden played, it is a different style team," Conti said. "I think for a freshman that he did a nice job. He ran the ball real well (14 carries, 101 yds.).

"We will watch videotape and name a starter for next week from there. Both boys are good athletes. J. J. has taken us to the playoffs. I didn't want to start Hayden because I liken it to starting a 20-year old phenom in baseball and you are going to throw him against the Yankees in Yankee Stadium."

It was J. J. Ferguson who made a quick impression early on, connecting on the third play of the game with Chad Conti for a 56-yard play. The reception put the ball on the Karns City four-yard line, where Alderton scored from a yard on fourth-and-1 a few plays later.

The Lions possessed the early advantage and maintained it before Graham and his teammates started to roll.

Early in the second quarter, Graham got the ball on an option play on fourth-and-three and broke loose for a 29-yad gain that put the Gremlins on the C-L 11. On the very next play, Graham shed tacklers on his way into the endzone for an 11-yd TD run.

Even though Karns City missed the extra point and C-L still had a one-point lead, it didn't faze the Gremlins.

Late in the second quarter, the Lions attempted to move the ball out of their end when Brian Hilderbrand picked off a J. J. Ferguson pass, which set Karns City's next score.

The Gremlins moved the ball to the C-L two-yard line before Graham plunged into the endzone for a touchdown. Karns City could not convert the two-point conversion, but led the game 12-7 with 2:30 left in the first half.

"The interception is what hurt us," Conti said. "It was the big turnaround play in the game. What can you say, we made a mistake on it."

Karns City took advantage of the mistake, the inclimate weather and Alderton's injury and poured it on early in the second half.

The Gremlins received the ball to start the third quarter and, on the second play from scrimmage, Hilderbrand busted out on a 56-yard touchdown run at the 11:03 mark. Beau Rattigan came in to tack on the extra-point and make the game 19-7.

Then Graham showed his big-play ability just a little over midway through the third quarter.

After a C-L punt put the Gremlins on their own 31-yard line, Graham got the ball on the first play from scrimmage and was gone. It was 69 yards later at 5:35 that Graham was in the endzone for his third TD of the game.

Ian Ferguson pitched the ball out to Graham on an option for the two-point conversion, but C-L stuffed the attempt.

C-L had spurts of movement later in the half and came close to scoring, but their only opportunity failed after Rocky Davis narrowly missed a 32-yard field goal attempt.

Despite his team's struggles in the second half and Karns City's success in the ground, Conti was not upset with his kids.

"We played hard," Conti said. "I am pleased with our effort. We just played a team that was stronger than us and had more talent."

C-L will play a non-conference game in St. Marys on Friday.

BOX SCORE

Karns City 0 12 13 0

Clarion-Limestone 7 0 0 0

Score By Quarters

First quarter

C-L- Dan Alderton 1 run (Rocky Davis kick), 9:01

Second quarter

KC- Billy Graham 11 run (PAT failed), 11:01

KC- Billy Graham 2 run (conversion failed), 2:30

Third quarter

KC- Brian Hilderbrand 56 run (Beau Rattigan kick), 11:03

KC- Billy Graham 69 run (conversion failed), 5:35

KC C-L

First downs 7 10

Rushes-yards 33-281 48-194

Passing yards 21 84

Passing: Att-Comp.-Int. 9-3-1 12-4-1

Total yards 302 288

Penalties-yards 3-25 4-35

Punts-Avg. 1-57 5-32.4

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing-Karns City: Billy Graham 21-170 3 TD's, Brian Hilderbrand 4-83 1 TD, Ian Ferguson 1-17, Mike Stitt 4-7, Beau Rattigan 1-2, Jim Frazer 1-1, Matt Carnahan 1-1. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 14-101, Ben Brooks 10-60, Dan Alderton 10-30, Chad Conti 6-20, Brendan Huwar 4-(-6).

Passing-Karns City: Ian Ferguson 3-for-9, 21 yds., 1 INT. Clarion-Limestone: J. J. Ferguson 2-for-3, 71 yds., 1 INT, Hayden Johnston 2-for-9, 13 yds.

Receiving-Karns City: Billy Graham 1-8, Joe Callihan 1-8, DJ Black 1-5. Clarion-Limestone: Chad Conti 2-71, Ryan Smith 2-21, Justin McKissick 1-11.

Interceptions-Karns City: Hilderbrand 1. Clarion-Limestone: Brad Beggs 1.

Fumble Recoveries-Karns City: Hilderbrand 1. Clarion-Limestone: Team 1.

Punting-Karns City: Ian Ferguson 1-57 (57.0 avg.). Clarion-Limestone: Johnston 5-162 (32.4 avg.).

Punt returns-Karns City: Hilderbrand 2-17. Clarion-Limestone: None.

Kick returns-Karns City: Ian Ferguson 1-16, Hilderbrand 1-0. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 2-11, Chad Conti 1-13, Ben Brooks 1-0, Brendan Huwar 1-0.