CLARION - With his team needing one last drive, Clarion football coach Larry Wiser didn't have to think twice about who would be getting the ball.

Leading Karns City 6-0 with 7:38 left in the game, the Bobcats fed halfback Chris McSwain the football nine times in a 10-play drive that culminated in the junior's 27-yard scoring run that gave his team a 13-0 lead.

The Gremlins did manage a late score when Stephen Black found David Black for a 36-yard touchdown pass with just over a minute to play.

But it proved to be too little, too late as Clarion (5-0, 4-0) recovered the ensuing onside kick to seal a 13-7 win Friday night at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.

McSwain ended the night with 32 carries for 243 yards and both of his team's scores.

"It wasn't much on my part at all," said McSwain. "We've got a big offensive line and I just ran through the holes they opened for me."

Clarion's fourth-quarter scoring drive began at the Bobcats' 20-yard line and took 4:29 off the clock.

"I thought our kids played hard tonight, except for that last drive that (Clarion) had," said Gremlins' coach Ed Conto. "We're still making some of the same mistakes."

A defensive stand sparked the Bobcats' first scoring drive.

Late in the first quarter, the Gremlins began a drive from their own 12-yard line.

Fifteen plays and nearly seven minutes later, Karns City faced a fourth-and-goal from Clarion's half-yard line.

Karns City's Josh Fiscus, who gained 54 yards on 14 carries in the game, was stonewalled at the line of scrimmage and the Bobcats took over in the shadow of their own goalpost.

The Gremlins had missed a 27-yard field goal earlier in the game, but that wasn't the reason why they went for the touchdown.

"Our kids are aggressive," said Conto. "They wanted the end zone, so we went for it.

"Josh went in a little high," he added of the fourth-down run. "Maybe if he would've stayed low and used more power - that's what we teach the kids."

An offside penalty on the Gremlins helped the Bobcats get an initial first down. Clarion's running game then took over.

McSwain gained 71 yards on seven attempts on the drive, which ended with his 1-yard scoring plunge.

Zack Seitz missed the extra point, but the Bobcats held a 6-0 lead with 2:17 left in the first half.

"We felt that a size advantage up front would allow us to consistently move the ball on the ground," said Wiser. "We had a few drives that stalled because of mistakes, but everything came together for us on that first touchdown drive."

Though McSwain & Co. continued to gain yards on the ground, Karns City's defense snuffed out two Bobcats drives in the third quarter with interceptions by Kyle Texter and David Black.

For the Gremlins' offense, Stephen Black completed 10 of 22 passes for 180 yards and the touchdown.

Texter grabbed four passes for 82 yards in defeat.

Conto did see improved play after last week's 51-7 loss to Redbank Valley, the Gremlins' worst defeat since 1976.

"If we play the rest of the season as hard as we did tonight, we may not lose another game," he said. "But we aren't about to settle for a loss. The playoffs are still a goal for us."

Karns City (2-3, 1-3) will host Moniteau next Friday.