By Jonathan Shaffer

KARNS CITY – The Redbank Valley-Karns City clash Friday resulted in big plays and a big score.

Redbank’s Tyson Truitt caught four touchdown passes, but Karns City used a strong running game to beat Redbank 43-28 in Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference action.

Truitt led the Bulldogs (2-1 overall, 2-1 KSAC) with 169 yards on 5 catches and scored on receptions of 49, 49, 41 and 25 yards.

"Tyson’s a great athlete," Redbank coach Ed Wasilowski said.

Despite Truitt’s performance, Karns City gained 262 yards rushing on 44 carries (5.95 avg.), including Matt Carnahan’s 132 yards on 20 carries and 93 yards on 12 carries from Josh Fiscus, to outmuscle Redbank for the win.

"They just controlled the line of scrimmage the whole game," Wasilowski said. "You have to give Karns City credit. It hadn’t been a secret in our first two games that you can run at our interior defense, and they certainly did."

"Our offense just kept chugging along," Karns City coach Ed Conto said. "They just kept moving the football. We were never really stopped offensively. Then our defense finally started tightening up and getting pressure on the quarterback."

Early on it appeared Karns City would have no problems with the Bulldogs busting out to a 26-7 lead.

On the first play of the game, Fiscus broke free on a 55-yard touchdown run. Nate Wilson’s extra point went wide left, but the Gremlins had a 6-0 lead 18 seconds into the game.

Karns City kept things rolling by scoring on its next possession. Quarterback Erik Fuhrer led the Gremlins on the scoring drive by going 4-for-4 passing for 61 yards. Fuhrer capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Noll Steiner. Fiscus then ran in the 2-point conversion to give Karns City a 14-0 lead with 4:51 remaining in the first quarter.

Redbank responded on the following possession. On the second play from scrimmage, running back Ron Geist, who had minus-6 yards rushing in the first quarter, lobbed a pass to a streaking Truitt who caught it and ran into the end zone for the 49-yard touchdown.

"We should have had it in last week against Clarion," Wasilowski said referring to the halfback pass. "Everybody is attacking Ronny Geist so hard. We’ve had it in the playbook for a while. We just needed to slow someone down with it."

Brady Evans added the extra point to pull Redbank to within seven points at 14-7 with 3:59 remaining.

Karns City did not take kindly to the halfback pass for a touchdown and scored twice in the second quarter.

The first score came on a 2-yard run from Matt Carnahan with 9:28 left in the half. A bad snap caused the extra point to be unsuccessful, but Karns City led 20-7.

After forcing Redbank to go three and out on the ensuing possession, Karns City went 47 yards on six plays for the second touchdown.

Carnahan scored his second touchdown of the game with a 1-yard plunge with 4:47 left. The conversion failed, though the Gremlins had a 26-7 lead.

After amassing a 19-point lead, Karns City saw most of it dissipate before halftime.

Redbank took its next possession 76 yards on two plays. On the first play, Geist broke free for a 27-yard gain. The Bulldogs followed that with a 49-yard touchdown pass from third-string quarterback Jason Smith to Truitt.

Smith started the game because first-stringer Shane Reed and second-stringer Cody Doverspike were out due to disciplinary reasons..

"I give credit to my quarterback coach Frank Fabian for having Jason ready," Wasilowski said. "He’s a good athlete, and he is only a sophomore. He will continue to get better. He looked pretty cool out there tonight."

Reed was benched for the first half and saw limited action in the second half. Doverspike did not dress for the game. Another player, lineman Andrew Kespelher, was held out of the first half.

"I was worried about how our kids would handle things coming in," Wasilowski said. "I was really worried about it in the first quarter. Once they saw Jason make some plays, they started to believe in him."

After Evans made the point after to make the score 26-14, the Bulldogs kicked off to Karns City’s Carnahan. Carnahan was nailed on the kickoff return and fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Evans at the Karns City 44-yard line.

Three plays later, Smith found Truitt on a 41-yard touchdown pass with 2:42 left. Evans made the extra point once again, as the Bulldogs trailed by only five points, 26-21, going into halftime.

"I was tickled pink to be down only five points going into halftime," Wasilowski said.

"The mistakes we made are mainly mental," Conto said. "We had breakdowns in our defenses. We shouldn’t have made some of the mistakes we did."

The Bulldogs had possession to start the third quarter, but Nate Wilson intercepted a Smith pass on the third play from scrimmage.

Redbank then forced Karns City into a third-and-7 before the Bulldogs were penalized for defensive holding giving Karns City the automatic first down.

The Gremlins took advantage of the situation scoring six plays later on a 6-yard touchdown run by Fuhrer. Wilson’s extra point gave Karns City a 33-21 lead with 5:48 left

Redbank rallied on the next possession, as Truitt capped off a seven-play, 65-yard drive with a 25-yard touchdown catch. Evans added the extra point making the score 33-28 with 1:51 left in the third quarter.

Karns City responded with a touchdown of its own. Fuhrer scored on a 1-yard keeper at the 11:57 mark of the fourth quarter in helping the Gremlins to a 40-28 lead.

The Redbank offense sputtered in the fourth quarter gaining only three total yards of offense.

Meanwhile, Karns City tacked on a 27-yard field goal by Nate Wilson with 57 seconds left.

Redbank will host Sharpsville Sept. 20, while Karns City will travel to Clarion.

KARNS CITY 43, REDBANK VALLEY 28

SCORING SUMMARY

Redbank Valley 7 14 7 0 - 28

Karns City 14 12 7 10 - 43

FIRST QUARTER

KC – Josh Fiscus 55 run (Kick failed), 2:18

KC – Noll Steiner 12 pass from Erik Fuhrer (Fiscus run), 4:51

RV – Tyson Truitt 49 pass from Ron Geist (Brady Evans kick), 3:59

SECOND QUARTER

KC – Matt Carnahan 2 run (Kick failed), 9:28

KC – Carnahan 1 run (Conversion failed), 4:47

RV – Truitt 49 pass from Jason Smith (Evans kick), 4:08

RV – Truitt 41 pass from Smith (Evans kick), 2:42

THIRD QUARTER

KC – Fuhrer 6 run (Nate Wilson kick), 5:48

RV – Truitt 25 pass from Smith (Evans kick), 1:51

FOURTH QUARTER

KC – Fuhrer 1 run (Wilson kick), 11:57

KC – Wilson 27 field goal, :57

TEAM STATISTICS

RV KC

First Downs 10 17

Rushes-Yards 31-63 44-262

Passing Yards 193 137

Passing: Comp-Att-Int 6-14-2 10-16-0

Total Yards 256 399

Punts-Avg. 4-129 2-71

Fumbles-Lost 2-0 4-1

Penalties-Yards 7-70 8-68

Rushing – Redbank Valley: Ron Geist 19-70; Brandon Johnston 2-3; Bryce Miller 1-3; Graham Snyder 1-1; Jason Smith 7-(-4); Shane Reed 1-(-10). Karns City: Matt Carnahan 20-132 2 TD; Josh Fiscus 12-93 TD; Erik Fuhrer 8-24 2 TD; Mike Croyle 2-13; Noll Steiner 1-4; Jordan Collins 1-(-4).

Passing – Redbank Valley: Jason Smith 4-for-9, 139 yds., 3 TD 2 INT; Ron Geist 1-for-1, 49 yds., 1 TD, Shane Reed 1-for-4, 5 yds. Karns City: Erik Fuhrer 10-for-14, 137 yds., TD; Mike Croyle 0-for-2.

Receiving – Redbank Valley: Tyson Truitt 5-169, 4 TD; Brandon Johnston 1-24. Karns City: Noll Steiner 7-91 TD; Nate Wilson 1-17; Kevin Trimbur 1-16; Matt Carnahan 1-13.

Punting – Redbank Valley: Ron Geist 4-129 (32.3 avg.). Karns City : Mike Croyle 2-71 (35.5).

Punt Returns – Redbank Valley: Tyson Truitt 1-6. Karns City: Jordan Collins 2-12.

Kickoff Returns – Redbank Valley: Tyson Truitt 4-76; Bryce Miller 2-24; Ron Geist 2-16. Karns City: Matt Carnahan 3-93; Josh Fiscus 1-27; Mike Stimac 1-7.

Fumble Recoveries – Redbank Valley: Brady Evans.

Interceptions – Karns City: David Black; Nate Wilson

Sacks – Karns City: Jon Fox 2; Matt Carnahan; Kevin Trimbur.