CLARION — What started out with promise ended in disaster Friday night for Karns City.

Brandon Hesidence nailed Sharion quarterback Lane Voytik for a 20-yard loss on third down from the KC 11-yard line, forcing the Tigers to punt to end their first possession.

Sharon (9-3) punted only once more the rest of the night in cruising to a 67-17 victory over the Gremlins in their PIAA Class 3A football playoff game at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.

The 67 points allowed marked the most permitted in a game in KC gridiron history. The Gremnlins allowed 54 to East Brady in 1979.

“This just got away from us,” KC coach Ed Conto said. “When you're playing this late in the season and the score starts to get out of hand, kids can lose focus.

“This wasn't our real team out here tonight. Sharon has great athletes, but we should have been able to play them better than this.”

A short punt gave the Tigers possession at the KC 31-yard line midway through the first quarter. Two plays layer, Voytik found Ziyon Strickland for a 23-yard touchdown pass, the first of a number of big plays turned in by the Tigers.

The score reached 47-7 by halftime. Four of Sharon's five second-quarter touchdowns were on plays of 23 yards or more. The one that wasn't — Jordan Wilson's 6-yard scoring run with one minute left in the half — was set up by a 49-yard interception return by Strickland.

Sharon intercepted three passes in the first half. Tristan Ballard returned thefts 17 and 53 yards, both setting up touchdowns.

“We moved some personnel around defensively and everybody bought in to what we were trying tyo do,” Sharon coach Jim Wildman said. “The turnovers were a big help tonight.

“No, I wasn't expecting to win by this type of score. But I've said all along our quarterback has a good arm if we give him time back there. Tonight, our offensive line gave him time.”

Karns City (7-5) picked up its lone first-half touchdown on a 76-yard run by Dalton Beham. He finished the game with 188 yards on 15 carries and rushed for more than 1,300 yards on the season.

“Dalton ran hard tonight. So did Clay Garing,” Conto said. “But we didn't give them a whole lot of help.”

Wilson was a good counter to Beham for Sharon, running for 171 yards and three scores.

Garing booted a 29-yard field goal and Anthony Kamenski scored on a 9-yard run in the second half for the Gremlins.

“We never quit playing hard, right to the end,” Conto said.

Sharon did not turn the ball over. Karns City had four turnovers, the last resulting in a 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Brady Ortiz.

“We put one together tonight,” Wildman said. “We've got three or dour guys who can make plays on the perimeter and we got the ball to them.”

The Tigers rolled up 348 yards of offense in the first half on 30 plays. Voytik threw for 228 yards and four TDs in the first two quarters. Sharon had 458 yards offensively on the night.

Karns City rushed for 332 yards in the defeat.

Sharon 14 33 14 6 — 67

Karns City 0 7 3 7 — 17

First Quarter

S — Ziyon Stricikland 23 pass from Lane Voytik (Aaron Nichols kick), 5:41

S — Strickland 2 run (Nichols kick), :21

Second Quarter

S — Jordan Wilson 47 run (Nichols kick), 7:07

S — CJ Parchman 23 pass from Voytik (kick failed), 6:50

KC — Dalton Beham 76 run (Clay Garing kick), 6:26

S — Strickland 75 pass from Voytik (kick failed), 6:09

S — Parchman 37 pass from Voytik (Wilson run), 2:54

S — Wilson 6 run (kick failed), 1:00

Third Quarter

KC — Garing 29 field goal, 7:39

S — Wilson 39 run (Nichols kick), 6:05

S — Brady Ortiz 66 fumble return (Nichols kick), 3:16

Fourth Quarter

KC — Anthony Kamenski 9 run (Garing kick), 10:42

S — Keyshawn Barrett 4 run (run failed), 5:43

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Sharon, Lane Voytik 1-(-20), Jordan Wilson 12-171, Ziyon Strickland 4-27, Keyshawn Barnett 2-15, Brady Ortiz 2-13. Karns City, Anthony Kamenski 3-19, Dalton Beham 15-188, Clay Garing 8-48, Sebastian Troutman 7-51, Hunter Jones 3-9, Josh Wimer 2-7, Dalton Pyle 2-12, Corry Dunmyre 1-(-1),Mitchell Kelsea 1-0, Henry Leroy 1-(-1).

Passing: Sharon, Lane Voytik 9-16-228-0, Keyshawn Barnett 1-2-24-0. Karns City, Anthony Kamenski 5-16-33-3, Dalton Beham 1-1-7-0.

Receiving: Sharon, Diyon Strickland 5-137, James Mckinney 1-2, CJ Parchman 2-60, Kam Fisher 1-24, Warren Nixon 1-19. Karns City. Clay Garing 2-20, Anthony Kamenski 1-7, Dalton Beham 2-12, Sebastian Troutman 1-1.