KARNS CITY — One school ... one sport ... and a whole lot of dominance.

That's what the boys and girls soccer teams at Karns City High School have combined for this fall.

While the Gremlin boys will enter the District 9 playoffs with a record of 17-1, the girls will do so with a mark of 11-4. Both squads won Upper Allegheny Valley Soccer League-South Division titles without losing a game in division play.

The effort adds to a strong tradition for both programs. The boys, who have won five district titles and one most recently as 2016, have now won a division championship for the 15th straight season. On the girls side, 20 district titles have been earned in 23 years.

KC's boys have benefitted from an injection of talent from the football team, with four players pulling double duty on the gridiron and pitch this season.

“We originally had just 13 players on our roster,” said Gremlin coach Jim Grenninger. “Then we got the kids from football and there's been a lot of bonding within the team. We've grown since the start of the season.”

The defense is anchored by Ryan Truax, Zach Tack, Josh Wimer, Gage Cowoski and Matt Griffiths. The last three are imports from KC's football team, as is midfielder Brayden Christie.

“There's a lot of communication on that defense,” said Grenninger. “Ryan is a sprinter on the track team and brings a lot of speed. Josh has great footwork and has done a great job of getting the ball up to our midfielders.

“All of our back line take a lot of pride in what they do. They know they have a big part in Jake Weckerly's success at goalkeeper. We have allowed a district-best .078 goals per game this year.”

“The defense has played great,” Weckerly said. “I have faced minimal shots this season, thanks to them.”

Weckerly has earned 10 of his 26 career shutouts this season. His 49 career wins are second in program history to Grenninger's son, Josh, who posted 51 before graduating in 2009.

“Jake is not afraid of anything back there. He is full of confidence,” Grenninger said. “There are times when we're in a tough spot. Jake just smiles and says, 'I got it.'”

The offense is led by sophomore forward Dakota King, who has 36 goals and six assists. He has more than doubled his goals from last season (17).

“Last year, Dakota relied just on his speed, but has matured a lot,” Grenninger said. “He had nine breakaways last year that he did not score on. This season, if he gets a breakaway, he's going to score.”

Senior forward Austin Fahlor has added 22 goals and 10 assists and junior midfielder Nate Rondinelli has contributed 16 goals and 18 assists.

The Gremlins open the playoffs by facing Elk County Catholic in a District 9 Class A semifinal at 5 p.m. Wednesday at Brockway. They hope to reverse their fortune from last year, when a 1-0 lead over Saint Marys in the title game turned into a 3-1 defeat.

“To get back there this season and close the deal would mean the world to me,” said Weckerly.

The Gremlin girls had to deal with adversity long before the season began. In June, Hannah Knoll, who scored over 20 goals for last year's district championship team, tore her ACL and was lost for the season.

“We also graduated several seniors and that affected how much offense we had returning this year,” said senior midfielder Hunter Dittman. “It was worrisome and it took us a few games to get organized once the season started.”

Dittman is part of KC's trio of leaders on offense. She and freshman forward Olivia Rumbaugh have both scored 13 goals and have a combined 21 assists. Junior forward Brooke Stahlman paces the team with 14 goals and has added nine assists.

“The players have responded well,” said KC coach Tracy Dailey. “We have some girls in different positions, but they've rolled with the changes. I've been very pleased with the offense. The forwards are getting a lot of opportunities.”

Senior Kailyn Behrens and juniors Alexis Fennell and Cameron Roofner lead the defense, a group that Dailey described as “very sound, very strong.”

Senior Cambree Powers starts in net after splitting time there last year and has also excelled.

The Gremlins play Clearfield in the district's Class AA semifinals at 5 p.m. Tuesday at Brockway. The two schools met in last year's championship game, with KC winning 3-0.

“The girls are anxious to get out there,” said Dailey. “They know nothing will be given to them. They have to earn it.”

Aside from the talent the Gremlins possess, intangibles have also played a role in their success.

“We're a pretty confident group,” Dittman said. “This team has a lot of heart and we push ourselves to be the best we can be. We hold each other accountable.”