By Rich Rhoades

CLARION — After a one-year absence from the District 9 football players, Karns City got back on track and will play for another title.

The Gremlins, three-peat champions from 2007 to 2009, secured another berth at a Class AA title when they beat Brookville for the second time this year in a 40-25 shootout at Clarion University’s Memorial Field Saturday afternoon.

Karns City was 4-6 last year, its first losing season in 15 years, and didn’t go to the playoffs.

“After last year, we challenged this group of kids to get back to it,” Karns City head coach Ed Conto said. “A lot played last year and it was on them we didn’t make it and they took it serious about getting back to the playoffs.”

They’ll get another chance in the finals at Moniteau, which beat the Gremlins in a barnburner, 26-24, in the opening game of the year. The game is set for 7 p.m. Friday at Clarion's Memorial Stadium.

Against Brookville, Karns City (8-3) did it with an overwhelming ground game that amassed 478 yards. Glenn Toy and Alex Kinkela rushed for 147 and 136 yards respectively and scored two touchdowns apiece.

“I told our guys before the game that we’re going to need 400 yards rushing,” Conto said. “That’s what we needed to get I thought.”

Gremlins quarterbacks Brady Ellenberger and Tyler Kepple attempted just two passes and completed none.

“If we’re running the ball that well, why get away from it?” Conto added.

Toy’s first scoring run came on the opening drive of the game from 25 yards out, but Brookville (5-6) responded with a touchdown on Steven Kennedy’s 35-yard pass to Sebastian Kerr.

Kennedy, who ran for 171 yards against the Gremlins in their first meeting, threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns. He completed 14 of 22 passes, leading a Raiders offense that racked up 414 yards, but not enough points to hang with the Gremlins.

The Gremlins went up 14-7 by the end of the first quarter on Kinkela’s 4-yard run.

Late in the second quarter, Karns City had a fourth-and-7 play from its own 47 and pulled out a fake punt. Tyler Kepple was on his way to a first down run, but was penalized for an illegal forward pass as he tried to pitch the ball to a teammate. The result was the Gremlins turning it over on downs with the Raiders getting the ball  at the Gremlins’ 42 with 30.7 seconds on the clock.

Kennedy and the Raiders made them pay for the gamble as they worked the two-minute drill to perfection, ending it with Kennedy’s 14-yard pass to Derek Shattenberg with no time on the clock. Cameron Yard missed the extra point kick and the Raiders still trailed by one point at 14-13 at intermission.

Brookville kept the momentum going when it took the second-half kickoff and drove 79 yards on 10 plays with Zach Vroman scoring on a 10-yard run. After a failed two-point try, the Raiders would hold their only lead of the game at 19-14 with 7:07 left in the third quarter.

But Karns City dominated from there as the Gremlins scored in their next four possessions to take command of the game. Kinkela scored on a 20-yard run, Jerod Hutchison ran in from 16 yards out and Glenn Toy blasted 63 yards to give Karns City a 33-19 lead with 4:41 remaining.

Brookville did score again when Kennedy found Shattenberg again for a 72-yard scoring play with 3:23 left.

Karns City secured things for good with Ethan Williams’ 22-yard run with 3:08 remaining.

KARNS CITY 40, BROOKVILLE 25

Score By Quarters

Brookville       7          6          6          6          —        25

Karns City     14        0          6          20        —        40

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

K - Glenn Toy 25 run (Adam Garing kick), 8:49.

B - Sebastian Kerr 35 pass from Steven Kennedy (Cameron Yard kick), 6:26.

K - Alex Kinkela 4 run (Garing kick), 2:44.

Second Quarter

B - Derek Shattenberg 14 pass from Steven Kennedy (kick failed), 0:00.

Third Quarter

B - Zach Vroman 10 run (run failed), 7:07.

K - Alex Kinkela 20 run (run failed), 4:11.

Fourth Quarter

K - Jerod Hutchison 16 run (kick failed), 8:40.

K - Glenn Toy 63 run (Garing kick), 4:41.

B - Derek Shattenberg 72 pass from Steven Kennedy (kick failed), 3:23.

K - Ethan Williams 22 run (Garing kick), 3:08.

            B         K

First Downs    17        18

Rushes-Yards  36-155 54-478

Passing Yards 259      0

Comp-Att-Int  15-25-0            0-2-0

Total Yardage 414      478

Punts-Average            4-25.8  1-33

Fumbles-lost    2-0       0-0

Penalties-Yards           8-36     5-40

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing - Brookville: Zach Vroman 19-73, Brodie Zacherl 6-36, Steven Kennedy 8-29, Nathan Bonfardine 2-17, Dane Gilhousen 1-0. Karns City: Glenn Toy 15-147, Alex Kinkela 15-136, Jerod Hutchison 8-61, Tyler Kepple 4-51, Brady Ellenberger 4-34, Ethan Williams 3-32, Cody Coyle 1-10,  Wyatt Everetts 3-4, Zach Moore 1-3.

Passing - Brookville: Steven Kennedy 14-for-22, 221 yards, 3 TDs; Zach Vroman 1-for-2, 38 yards; Cameron Yard 0-for-1. Karns City: Brady Ellenberger 0-for-1, Tyler Kepple 0-for-1.

Receiving - Brookville: Sebastian Kerr 6-113, Derek Shattenberg 4-100, Cameron Yard 2-36, Zach Vroman 1-20, Brodie Zacherl 1-(-7), Brock Bietz 1-(-3).