CURWENSVILLE LOOKS TO DEFEND ITS D9 CLASS AA TITLE IN REMATCH AGAINST BROCKWAY

That is what the Karns City Gremlins are looking to do when they face Brockway for the District 9 Class AA Championship Friday night at Redbank Valley High School. Game time is set for 7 p.m.

The Gremlins (10-0), the Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference champions, stormed through the regular season with authority, outscoring their competition 473-79, a 394-point differential, tops in the district.

Karns City is also the only undefeated team left in the district after 10 weeks of play, is ranked second in the state by the PA Football News and sixth in the state by the Harrisburg Patriot-News.

The Gremlins are also trying to win their third straight district title, their fourth in five years and their fifth overall. 

And they are looking to win the district and advance to the PIAA state playoffs with a balanced offense and swarming defense.

Karns City has gained nearly 4,000 yards of total offense this season, 3,780 to be exact, with 2,363 of those yards coming on the ground and 1,417 yards by the passing game. And, according to Karns City second-year head coach Ed Conto, the Gremlins want to continue that trend. 

Running back Billy Graham leads the Gremlin ground game, having rushed the ball 159 times for 1,218 yards (7.7 ypc) and 28 touchdowns. Quarterback Erik Fuhrer has put solid numbers by going 66-for-118 passing (55.9%), 1,246 yards, 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions.

Brian Hilderbrand is Karns City's leading receiver with 30 catches for 567 yards (18.9 avg).

"We want to keep the offense balanced," Conto said. "Having a good running game and a strong passing game allows for some versatility to do some different things. But, of course, you also have to take what the other's team defense is willing to give you and roll with it."

In the case of the Brockway (7-3) defense, coach Ray Reckner wants his Rovers to keep the Karns City offense of the field.

"We don't want them to have the ball, because they can score from anywhere on the field," Reckner said.

Reckner know his team is heavy underdogs going into the contest -- the Rovers lost to Keystone 22-14 last week, while Karns City blanked Keystone 55-0 earlier in the season -- but is optimistic.

"We have an opportunity to win a district title and we're going in to try to do that," Reckner said. "Maybe we'll surprise some people."

Added motivation for the Rovers is to avenge a 36-8 loss to the Gremlins in last year's district title game. Also, Brockway has not won a district title since 1994.

The Rovers, as always under Reckner's tenure, survive and strive with their running game. Brockway rushed the ball 523 times this season for 2,240 yards and scored 28 touchdowns. In comparison, the passing game gained only 377 yards and scored five touchdowns.

Jeremy Sickeri leads the Brockway rushing crew (155 att., 673 yds., 4 TD's), while Jon Cantafio (128, 591, 5), Trenton Marnati (98, 404, 7) and Tom Buzard (47, 305, 4) are major contributors.

While everybody and their grandmother know Brockway wants to run the football -- Conto said he plans to stack the box and play a physical ballgame -- Reckner also knows his team will need to throw the ball effectively.

"We're going to have to throw the ball and be close to 50-50 (pass vs. run) to have any chance to win," Reckner said.

Even if the Rovers show balance on offense, they will have to deal with a physical Karns City defense that can stop the run and use its good team speed to defend the pass.

"We have good overall team speed in all the positions," Conto said. "We have quickness on the line, and I would rather have good overall team speed than just one burner."

"They have some good quality athletes all around," Reckner said, "You can't say enough about them. They're a very good football team and it's going to be a war for 48 minutes. They're going to hit you and we have to be ready to hit back. We're going in there ready to play physically."

Because the Rovers are the underdogs, they must capitalize on their opportunities to score and play mistake-free ball.

"We're going to have to have a very good day and they're going to have to have an off-day," Reckner said. "We're going to have to capitalize on their mistakes. If we get inside the red zone, we have to score."

Those things will be hard to accomplish against a playoff-seasoned, motivated and healthy Karns City squad.

"We have had great practices all week," Conto said. "The kids are excited and are ready to go out there and hit people. Our goal is to not overlook this game and avenge our lost to Sharon in the state playoffs."

The Gremlins lost to Sharon 14-6 in the first round of the state playoffs last season.

"We have a team that knows how to win and has played in big games," Conto added. "Erik (Fuhrer) doesn't get rattled, is very level-headed and is calm under pressure. We are healthier now than we have been all year, we have good depth and are able to move guys in and out."

With those factors weighed in with Karns City's big numbers statistically, it could be a long day for Reckner and the Rovers.