GREMLINS TRAVEL TO PANTHER COUNTRY IN KEY KSAC GAME

Karns City (0-1 overall, 0-1 KSAC) at Keystone (1-0, 1-0)

Week Two - 7 p.m. Friday Sept. 6

KNOX – It may only be Week Two, but Friday night’s KSAC showdown between Karns City at Keystone at 7 p.m. in Knox has the makings of an important game in the conference.

Karns City (0-1 overall, 0-1 KSAC) really can’t afford to drop a second straight conference game if it wants to compete for the KSAC title, while Keystone (1-0, 1-0) needs to be able to beat the Gremlins if they want a chance at the conference crown.

The Gremlins are looking to right the ship after suffering their worst loss against a District 9 team since 1978 last week when Clarion-Limestone beat them 42-6. Keystone, meanwhile, is looking to recapture the late magic it found in a 30-8 win over a pesky Union squad. The game was tied at eight until late in the third quarter when Union exploded for 22 unanswered points.

Karns City hopes to rely on quarterback Erik Fuhrer, though Fuhrer status and effectiveness may be in doubt because of a hand injury suffered last week. Fuhrer finished the C-L game, and there has been no indication he won’t play against Keystone.

In the game last, Fuhrer was 7-for-16 passing for 84 yards while also running the ball nine times for 24 yards and a touchdown.

Other key players for Ed Conto’s Gremlin include running back Mike Stitt (8 carries, 34 yards) and wide receivers Nate Wilson (3 catches, 48 yards) and Noll Steiner (3 catches, 45 yards).

Another key injury situation for Karns City could be offensive lineman/linebacker Jeff Wagner. Wagner was hurt in the first half of the C-L game and watched the remainder of the game on the sidelines using crutches. His status for Friday’s game against Keystone was not available.

The Panthers will look to their dual quarterback system of Billy Colwell and Buck Neely to ignite the offense. While neither of them threw the ball particularly well last week, Colwell was 2-for-6, 37 yards, 1 TD) and Neely was 2-for-7, 6 yards, both ran the ball effectively out of the shotgun. Colwell rushed 16 times for 105 yards and two touchdowns, with 100 yards coming in the second half, while Neely carried 13 times for 73 yards.

Other key performers for the Panthers could be Sam Swartzfager (11 carries, 50 yards), Barry Swartzfager (1 catch, 27 yards, 1 TD) and Bobby Telesz. Keystone will need to do a better job throwing in Telesz direction against Karns City. In the Union game, the Panthers threw just once to Telesz (an incompletion), last year’s top receiver in District 9.