HOG WILD: Karns City Rushes for 601 Yards, Luke Cramer Scores Five TDs, in Old-School Attack for 70-21 Win Over Bradford

KARNS CITY, Pa. (EYT/D9) — The Gremlins partied like it was 1899.

The Karns City football team ripped all the pages out of the playbook that contained passes against Bradford on Friday night. It was older-than-old-school, turn-of-the-last-century football, a time when the game was very much glued to the grass and mud and years before the forward pass was even conceived.

Luke Cramer, one of several running backs who rotated at “quarterback,” rushed for 183 yards on just eight carries and scored five touchdowns, and the Gremlins gained 601 yards on the ground — thought to be a school record — in a 70-21 win over the Owls at Diehl Stadium.

(Pictured above, Luke Cramer)

“We ran it all week. We repped it all week,” Cramer said. “We were coming in with mindset we’re gonna run them over.”

And Karns City did. That was out of necessity.

Freshman quarterback Cole Johnston was injured last week in the Gremlins loss to Brookville and senior QB Mason Martin is still recovering in a Pittsburgh hospital after suffering a serious head and chest injury against Redbank Valley on Sept. 1. Martin had successful surgery on Friday to replace his cranial flap — a big step in his recovery. He is making progress each day, his father, Denny, said.

Early this week, Sherwin and his coaching staff were hopeful Johnston could play. When it became apparent he could not go, they shifted gears into expanding a package they have implemented over the years called “Hogs,” an offensive set out of a wildcat/single-wing formation.

“We had to put it together this week and the guys really practiced it and executed it well,” Sherwin said. “The offensive line blocked really well, and we just we executed. That’s what it came down to.”

It took Karns City (4-5) just three plays to start the ground assault. Cramer split the a Bradford defense for 19-yard TD run and a 7-0 lead a little more than a minute into the game.

After a blocked punt, the Gremlins scored again on a 10-yard run by Cramer to go up 13-0 with less than three minutes gone.

Bradford (3-6) responded with a long drive that ended on a 7-yard touchdown scramble by quarterback Talan Reese.

That was the last real glimmer of hope for the Owls.

Cramer scored again a 33-yard run. Owen Heginbotham added a 30-yard TD run and Cramer burst up the middle, shedding tacklers and stiff-arming them out of a way, on a rumbling 52-yard run early in the second quarter to increase the lead to 35-7.

Hunter Scherer scored from 38 yards out and Cramer added his fifth TD of the half from the 1 for a 49-7 advantage at the break.

Karns City had 389 yards rushing in the first two quarters on just 22 plays.

All of Cramer’s yards came in the first half. Heginbotham added 82 yards on six attempts; Zach Kelly 78 on five carries; and Scherer 56 on four rushes.

Braden Slater had 85 yards on four carries, including a 74-yard TD in the second half.

In all 12 Karns City players piled up the 601 yards on just 41 attempts.

(Karns City and Bradford players, as well as coaches and officials, huddle in prayer for Mason Martin after the game with a No. 2 on the hillside behind them in honor of the injured Gremlin)

“How many passing yards?” Sherwin quipped, smiling.

It was reminiscent of a two-game stretch last season when Karns City QB Eric Booher played with a broken bone at the base of the thumb on his throwing hand. The Gremlins didn’t throw a pass in those two games, winning them both over Ridgway and St. Marys.

Sherwin, who has been a part of the program for several decades, said he didn’t remember a game in which Karns City had more than 600 yards rushing.

“Wow,” Cramer said, grinning when told the rushing number. “That’s what we came in here trying to do. We came in wanting to run the ball and that’s what we did.”

There were some bright spots for Bradford.

Reese was 17-of-35 for 311 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Matthew Perry was there for him at receiver with nine grabs for 121 yards and a touchdown. Jake Franz caught four passes for 145 yards and a TD.

“Their quarterback is a good quarterback; they run a good offense,” Sherwin said. “They do some dangerous things with the screens and so forth. They keep you honest that way. They have some good quality receivers. So it was it was a challenge for us.”

Karns City is in full playoff mode. The Gremlins needed this win and a victory next week at home against Mount Union to reach .500 and enter the District 9 Class 2A playoffs.

“Our playoffs have already started,” Sherwin said.

That makes it even more important for Karns City to have Cramer running like his old self again.

The senior was hurt late in Week 2 last season, tearing his ACL.

Cramer said against Bradford, he felt for the first time his old burst.

“It’s been a long road from my injury to get back,” Cramer said. “Game by game, I’m getting back and gearing up for playoffs here. We have to win out to make the playoffs and that’s our focus.”