EARLY SEASON KSAC MATCH-UP PITS KARNS CITY AT CLARION-LIMESTONE

Karns City (1-0 overall, 1-0 KSAC) at Clarion-Limestone (1-0, 1-0)

Week Two - 7:30 p.m. Friday Sept. 5

By Chris Rossetti

STRATTANVILLE – In one of the most anticipated games of the early season, Karns City visits Clarion-Limestone in a battle between the last two KSAC champions.

Last year it was C-L’s time to reign on top defeated Karns City 42-6 in a season-opening contest that left the Gremlins, who didn’t lose another KSAC game the rest of the way, looking for the number of the truck that hit them. The way the Lions looked at it was it was fitting payback from the 2001 season when Karns City captured the KSAC title thanks to a 25-7 Week One win at C-L. Since that point, the Lions have won 18 straight regular-season games and are 21-2 overall.

This season both teams come in with 1-0 record. Karns City got its season off fast with a 45-0 romp over West Shamokin. C-L, meanwhile, got a misleading 22-0 win over A-C Valley in a game that was called with just under three minutes left in the first half because of lightening. After a conference, the game was decided to be a final at that point. At the time of the storm, the Lions were at the A-C Valley 25-yard line and were poised to make a rout of the game.

In the win over West Shamokin, Karns City was led by running back Mike Stimac’s 12 carries for 96 yards and three touchdowns. Quarterback Mike Croyle, making his first varsity start, was 9-for-12 passing for 128 yards. Chris Picket was his favorite target with four catches totaling 96 yards.

The Lions weather-shortened win over A-C Valley included a 1-yard touchdown run by Brendan Huwar, a 10-yard touchdown pass from Hayden Johnston to Brad Beggs and Erik White blocking a punt and recovering it in the end zone for a touchdown.

Huwar led the offense with 10 carries for 60 yards, while Johnston rushed seven times for 27 yards while going 2-for-5 passing for 20 yards.

The C-L defense was outstanding limiting A-C Valley to minus 40 yards of offense on the night that included a couple of bad snaps on punts. Even without those miscues, the Falcons’ offense managed minus three yards.