STRATTANVILLE – Clarion-Limestone clinched at least a share of its first Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference title since the 1993 season with a 48-16 win over Moniteau Friday night at C-L.

"It (KSAC title) is great for the kids," C-L’s first-year head coach John Kundick said. "They wanted it so bad, they worked really hard for it and now it is a reality. They deserve it."

The Lions (8-0 overall, 7-0 KSAC), who can clinch the outright KSAC title with a win over A-C Valley, used the formula they have used all season to beat the Warriors: a strong running attack and a stifling defense.

C-L racked up 276 yards on the ground and 359 overall. Meanwhile, the Lions’ first-team defense held Moniteau to negative 4 yards and one first down on the night while not allowing a touchdown.

The Warriors (3-5, 3-5) had a little more success with their second team in the game managing 61 yards and two scores.

"Our second team came out and played well," Moniteau’s first-year head coach Steve Wilson said. "They have had a very good junior varsity season winning every game but one."

Brendan Huwar had a big game for C-L rushing for 126 yards and four touchdowns. He now has 19 rushing touchdowns and 20 total scores on the season.

"Brendan is a great kid and works hard," Kundick said. "When you look out on the field, you cane tell when he is having a good night and feels good. He puts it into overdrive and goes hard."

While the loss was tough to take for Moniteau, the Warriors still have a shot at the District 9 Class AA playoffs if they beat Pymatuning Valley (Ohio) next week.

"Our (school’s) policy for making the playoffs is you have to be .500 unless you have an odd schedule," Wilson said. "So we can go to the playoffs at 4-5 if we win next week. And we plan on doing both of those things. We hit the meat of our schedule here at the end with Karns City, Redbank Valley, Clarion and Clarion-Limestone. They are the four titans (in the conference). But we feel we are getting better."

C-L started the game slowly needing almost the entire first quarter to put points on the board finally scoring on a 1-yard run by Huwar with 2:20 left in the quarter to take a 7-0 lead.

"It seems like we come out slow every game," Kundick said. "I don’t know what it is. Everyone seems to be doing something different to stop the run, and the kids need some time to see what is going on. Then they adjust to that. But it is something we are going to work on. We can’t be coming out slow all the time."

While the Lions were slow starters, they quickly put the Warriors away scoring four touchdowns in the final 6:31 of the second quarter.

The first score came at 6:31 when Huwar bulled in from 6 yards out to make it a 13-0 lead.

Less than a minute later, Brad Beggs stepped in front of a Clay Kohlmeyer pass and intercepted it. He returned the interception 29 yards for a touchdown and a 20-0 Lions lead. It was the 13^th interception thrown by Kohlmeyer this season.

A little over three minutes later the Lions struck again this time on a 1-yard run by Huwar. Rocky Davis’ third extra point of the night made it 27-0.

C-L had one more score in it before halftime hitting pay dirt on a 29-yard pass from Hayden Johnston to Ben Brooks with 19 seconds left in the half. The score gave the Lions a 34-0 halftime lead.

In the second half, C-L added two more scores in the third quarter.

David Brooks made the score 41-0 on a 1-yard run with 7:30 left in the quarter, and Huwar scored his fourth touchdown on the night when he sprinted in from 18 yards out with 1:29 left in the quarter.

With the score 48-0, the Lions pulled their starters with 10:48 left to play. Moniteau soon followed suit, and the game became ugly with two lost C-L fumbles and five penalties between the two teams for 54 yards. C-L had four of the fouls for 49 yards.

Moniteau got its first touchdown with 5:07 left in the game on a 7-yard run by freshman Matt Schandelmeier. Josh Warburton ran in the two-point conversion to make it 48-8.

The Warriors then made it 48-16 on a 7-yard run by Garth Kohlmeyer and a two-point conversion scamper by Schandelmeier.

C-L closes out the regular season when it hosts A-C Valley at 7:30 p.m. Friday, while Moniteau hosts Pymatuning Valley at 7 p.m.

Moniteau – 0 0 0 16 – 16

C-L – 7 27 14 0 – 48

C-L – Brendan Huwar 1 run (Rocky Davis kick) 2:20

C-L – Huwar 6 run (Kick failed) 6:31

C-L – Brad Beggs 29 interception return (Davis kick) 5:36

C-L – Huwar 1 run (Davis kick) 2:20

C-L – Ben Brooks 29 pass from Hayden Johnston (Davis kick) :19

C-L – David Brooks 1 run (Davis kick) 7:32

C-L – Huwar 18 run (Davis kick) 1:29

M – Matt Schandelmeier 7 run (Josh Warburton run) 5:07

M – Garth Kohlmeyer 7 run (Schandelmeier run) 1:17

First Downs 4 17

Rushes-Yards 31-7 43-276

Passing Yards 50 83

Passing: Comp-Att-Int 5-10-1 4-12-1

Total Yardage 57 359

Punts-Avg. 9-28.2 2-24.5

Fumbles-Lost 2-0 3-2

Penalties-yards 6-40 9-84

Rushing – Moniteau: Pat Rumbaugh 6-(-19), Clay Kohlmeyer 2-(-9), Steve Saul 11-11, Ryan Rumbaugh 7-5, Matt Schandelmeier 2-8, Garth Kohlmeyer 2-8, Josh Warburton 1-3. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 6-23, Nate Tote 3-5, David Brooks 5-27, Brendan Huwar 16-126, Tyler Skiba 1-1, Cam Speer 1-0, Shawn Stewart 2-4, Ben Brooks 8-79, Brad Beggs 1-11.

Passing – Moniteau: Clay Kohlmeyer 1-for-5, 8 yards, 1 Int; Garth Kohlmeyer 3-for-4, 34 yards; Josh Warburton 1-for-1, 8 yards. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 4-for-10, 83 yards, 1 TD, 1 Int; Nate Tote 0-for-2, 0 yards.

Receiving – Moniteau: Pat Rumbaugh 1-8, Greg Kepple 2-17, Eric Hilliard 2-25. Clarion-Limestone: Brad Beggs 1-7, Harley Doane 1-28, Ben Brooks 2-48.

Punting – Moniteau: Clay Kohlmeyer 7-218, 31.1 avg; Matt Schandelmeier 1-20, 20.0 avg; Garth Kohlmeyer 1-16, 16.0 avg. Clarion-Limestone: Hayden Johnston 1-40, 40.0 avg. Dustin Hartzell 1-9, 9.0 average.

Interceptions – Moniteau: Steve Saul. Clarion-Limestone: Brad Beggs