BROOKVILLE — The best way to defend Brookville? Don't give the Raiders the football.

And when they do have it, make them hold on to it.

Make sense?

That's the plan Karns City has figured out as the Gremlins (4-0) visit Brookville (4-0) for a 7 p.m. kickoff Friday.

Brookville is averaging 40 points per game in its last four regular season contests with KC, all wins. That includes a 44-0 pasting vs. Karns City last season, a loss the Gremlins avenged with a 16-14 decision in the District 9 playoffs.

“We threw six interceptions in that (regular season) game last year, which was awful for us,” KC coach Joe Sherwin said. “Kaden Scherer didn't play in that game, it was just a bad night all the away around.

“Obviously, we want to run the ball. That's what we do. The best way to control Brookville is to keep the ball out of their hands.”

When it is in the Raiders' hands, it doesn't stay there very long.

“We were looking at film, trying to see what they do on the goal-line so we could set up our goal-line defense ... and they were never on the goal-line,” Sherwin said. “Their scores come from 20 yards out or more.

“They try to hit the big play. We're going to have to keep their guys in front of us, allow the short completions, make them drive the field and hope they make a mistake.”

Brookville sophomore quarterback Charlie Krug — younger brother of former record-setting Raider QB Jack Krug — has thrown for 863 yards and 10 touchdowns. Brayden Kunselman is his favorite target with 23 catches for 484 yards and six scores.

Jackson Zimmerman leads the Raiders' ground game with 240 yards and four TDs on 29 carries.

“Charlie has grown a lot from Week 1 to Week 5,” Brookville coach Scott Park said. “He's making good decisions with the ball.

“Kunselman weighs maybe 140 pounds, but he's shifty. He can catch a little 3-yard pass, shed a couple of tackles and break one.”

Defensively, Brookville is led by defensive end Hunter Smith, who has 26 tackles and a team-high five quarterback sacks. The Raiders have intercepted 13 passes, led by Kunselman's five picks.

“Our line does a good job of pressuring the quarterback,” Park said. “Hunter is a big part of that. And our secondary can get to the football.

“Anytime you play Karns City, you want to stop their run. You always want to put a team in position to do things it normally doesn't like to do.”

Eric Booher passed for 155 yards and two touchdowns last week against Moniteau — a 62-yarder to Cooper Coyle and 25-yarder to Micah Rupp.

Sherwin lauded the play of linebacker Luke Garing and safety Coyle last week.

“Cooper Coyle has developed into a solid two-way player for us,” Sherwin said.

“We're going to have to be balanced offensively to move the ball on Brookville. I know they're going to stack eight in the box against us to try stopping our run. If I was coaching against us, that's what I'd do.”

The Gremlins lost running back-linebacker Zach Blair to a broken wrist last week. The team hopes to get him back late in the season.

Booher will see more time at linebacker to fill in. Sophomore Lucas Wright will also see action.

Brookville only returns three starters on offense and five on defense from last year.

“We needed guys to step up for us this season and that's happened,” Park said. “Karns City will be a great test for us. We're going to find out where we're at as a football team.”

Karns City leads the series 24-12-2. The Gremlins' last regular season win in the series was 49-6 in 2016.vs.