By Rich Rhoades

CLARION — Riding a strong effort by their defense, the Brookville Raiders shut down Moniteau and advanced to the District 9 Class AA Championship game with a 14-7 win over the Warriors Saturday night at Clarion University’s Memorial Stadium.        

Next up for the 9-2 Raiders are the top-seeded and 10-0 Brockway Rovers next Friday at Clarion University. It’s the first time the teams have met in the finals since 1998 and the first playoff meeting since the Raiders beat the Rovers in the semifinals on their way to the district title in 2006.

Against Moniteau (5-6), the Raiders limited the Warriors to just one first down and 11 yards of offense in the second half and held Moniteau to just 121 yards for the game.

Warriors quarterback Kyle Armagost was sacked four times in the second half and was limited to minus-8 yards on 17 carries, his longest run being nine yards. He completed just 6 of 22 passes for 93 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Despite the defensive effort, the Raiders couldn’t relax until the final two kneel-downs of the game. Even though the Raiders offense ended all but two of their 13 possessions in Moniteau territory.

Raiders running back Ryan Kerr had a strong game as the team’s workhorse out of the backfield, gaining 195 yards on 34 carries to nearly match his output against the Warriors the first time around (34 carries, 197 yards). He scored both touchdowns on runs of two yards in the first quarter and 27 yards on the opening drive of the second half.

But despite outgaining the Warriors 392-121, the Raiders couldn’t dominate nearly as much on the scoreboard as they failed to score points on four of five trips inside the Warriors’ 20-yard line, the first time coming on their opening possession of the game, stalling on downs at the Moniteau 4.

Kerr’s first TD run put the Raiders up 7-0 and it looked like a two-touchdown lead late in the second quarter, but Conan Gilhousen fumbled the ball away at the Warriors’ 4-yard-line.

Limited to no first downs and just 36 yards of offense in their first five possessions, the Warriors’ offense woke up and put together their only scoring drive after the turnover, going 96 yards on just five plays. Armagost’s 42-yard completion to Ethan Pry helped set up another Armagost-to-Pry connection on a 37-yarder that produced points.

The TD passing play was all about Armagost’s ability to make the play. He bought time with a long scramble and found Pry wide open in the back of the end zone, eventually tying the game at 7-7 after Adam Porter’s point-after kick with 1:12 left in the first half.

The Raiders came up empty in another drive deep into Moniteau territory before halftime when Raiders kicker Cameron Yard missed a 25-yard field goal as time expired.

The Raiders’ game-winning scoring drive turned out to be the first possession of the second half when they needed six plays to go 59 yards with Kerr’s 27-yarder finishing it off with 10:48 left in the third quarter.

While the Raiders stuffed Moniteau’s offense the rest of the way, Brookville managed one more deep drive that came up empty. The Raiders set up for a Yard 33-yard field goal, but the play fell apart, nearly costing the Raiders dearly. On the scramble after the snap, Yard wound up getting hit as he managed to throw the ball forward.

What could have been a long fumble return for the Warriors turned out whistled dead as an incomplete pass and the Raiders defense took care of things from there.

NOTES: The Raiders ended a playoff three-game losing streak to the Warriors, who ended their year in the postseason in 2008, 2007 and 2004. … The Raiders have never lost a playoff game at Clarion University and are now 3-0. The other CUP wins were Karns City in the 2006 Class AA final, and Redbank Valley in the Class AA 2004 final. … Kerr upped his season total unofficially to 1,420 yards, putting him in fifth place in the team’s top season rushing performances. He’s now at 15 touchdowns, two behind the team season record held by Brent Orr and Doug Miller. … All six of Armagost’s completions went to Pry. … Brookville’s Brock Bietz made his fifth interception, one play after the Warriors’ Joey intercepted Steven Kennedy, and returned the pick 40 yards to the Warriors’ 40, setting up the Raiders missed field goal drive at the end of the first half. … Of Moniteau’s five first downs, three came on its scoring drive.

BROOKVILLE 14, MONITEAU 7

Score By Quarters

Moniteau        0          7          0          0          —        7

Brookville       7          0          7          0          —        14

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

B -Ryan Kerr 2 run (Cameron Yard kick), :30.

Second Quarter

M - Ethan Pry 31 pass from Kyle Armagost (Adam Porter kick), 1:12.

Third Quarter

B - Ryan Kerr 27 run (Cameron Yard kick)

                                    B                     M

First Downs                18                    5

Rushes-Yards              58-307             27-20

Passing Yards             85                    93

Comp-Att-Int              6-14-1              6-22-1

Total Yardage             392                  113

Punts-Average                        4-30                 8-39

Fumbles-lost                3-2                   4-0

Penalties-Yards           5-46                 4-20

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Brookville: Ryan Kerr 34-195, Steven Kennedy 11-73, Conan Gilhousen 7-29, Jared Heschke 2-15, Brock Bietz 1-2, Team 3-(-7). Moniteau: Dustin Geagan 9-32, Kyle Armagost 17-(-8), Team 1-(-4).

Passing - Brookville: Steven Kennedy 6-of-13, 85 yards, 1 Int.; Cameron Yard 0-of-1. Moniteau: Kyle Armagost 6-of-22, 93 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int.

Receiving - Brookville: Jared Heschke 4-67, Conan Gilhousen 1-16, Brock Bietz 1-2. Moniteau: Ethan Pry 6-93.

Interceptions - Brookville: Brock Bietz. Moniteau: Joey Deal.

Sacks – Brookville: Mike Crane, Josh Frondek 0.5, Madison Shobert 0.5, Garret Weaver, Conan Gilhousen. Moniteau: Drew Yeckel.

Kick returns – Brookville: Nathan Bonfardine 1-8. Moniteau: Kyle Armagost 2-27.

Punt returns – Brookville: Sebastian Kerr 2-4. Moniteau: Ethan Pry 1-2.