CHERRY TWP - Its quarterback was sidelined with a high ankle sprain and its offense could not run the football.

Regardless, Clarion-Limestone gutted its way to an 8-7 victory in a mutual Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference season opener Friday night at Moniteau.

"I've never had a team face such long odds and dig down so deep to win a football game," third-year C-L coach Todd Smith said. "This win is the biggest I've ever coached.

"It's certainly the most meaningful," he added, choking back tears.

Lions quarterback Scott Davis suffered a high ankle sprain late in the first half, his team trailing 7-0 after failing to score on three possessions inside the Warriors' 30-yard line.

He hobbled around during C-L's final offensive series of the half, but he couldn't play in the second half after throwing for 103 yards in the first two quarters.

A 37-yard run by the Warriors' Matt Schandelmeier with 2:26 left in the half was the only touchdown of the first half - though Moniteau just missed scoring another one.

Ryan Protzman recovered a Lions fumble at the C-L 31-yard line on the first play from scrimmage after the touchdown. Four consecutive running plays netted a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line.

Schandelmeier carried to the 1-yard line, Adam Cousins was stopped for a yard loss on second down and the Warriors called their final timeout with 16 seconds left.

On third down, Cousins took a handoff and was cut down short of the goal line. The Warriors frantically tried lining up for a fourth-down play, but time expired before the snap.

"Hindsight's 20-20, hey, kick the field goal," Moniteau coach Steve Wilson said. "We were a foot from the goal line. I've got confidence we can score from there.

"Hats off to their defense because they stopped us. We'll go to work on that - and next time, we'll score from there."

"Huge, huge stop by our kids," Smith said. "That was awesome."

With Davis out, Tuffy Brooks, who caught six passes for 73 yards in the first half, took over at quarterback for C-L in the second half. He was handed great field position immediately as a shanked Moniteau punt gave the Lions possession at the Warriors' 29.

Brooks found Ryan Reddinger for a 17-yard completion and a first down at the Moniteau 16.

Moniteau sophomore Kyle Mauthe stopped Kaleb Klosky for a 4-yard loss, then the Warriors' Ryan Eberline and Justin Castello sacked Brooks. A fourth-down pass from the 13 was knocked away by Travis Shaffer.

Schandelmeier had three sacks in the first half as the Lions drove to the Moniteau 27-, 3- and 16-yard lines on three possessions, only to come up empty.

"We were getting frustrated on the field and on the sidelines," Smith admitted. "But after that goal-line stand to end the first half, I told the kids in the locker room we'd find a way to score, then go for two to get the win."

A 12-yard punt return by Brooks gave C-L the ball at the Moniteau 28 with 10:13 left in the game. On third-and-4 from the 10-yard line, Brooks found Kyle Jones alone in the back of the end zone for a TD with 7:55 remaining.

The Lions don't attempt many PAT kicks, so with the injury to Davis, who also is their kicker, they went for two on the conversion.

Brooks rolled right and hit Andy Wilson in the end zone for the go-ahead points.

"I thought our defense played well," Wilson said. "Hold a team like that to eight points, you should win. Our offense has to improve."

The Warriors attempted only one pass in the first half and it was intercepted. But David Rumbaugh caught aerials for 23 and 9 yards to help move Moniteau to the Lions' 20-yard line in the final quarter.

On second down from there, Matt Hetrick sacked Garth Kohlmeyer for an 8-yard loss and the Warriors wound up turning the ball over on downs.

Moniteau got the ball back at its own 33-yard line with 1:34 in the game and no timeouts remaining. A 24-yard completion to Protzman on fourth-and-7 moved the ball to the C-L 40, but Hetrick intercepted Kohlmeyer on the next play.

"We knew coming into this game that our passing game was way behind," Wilson said. "We had to run the ball no matter what they put in front of us.

"Adam (Cousins) cramped up, Matt Schandelmeier was in and out of the game with stomach and leg cramps - half our kids were cramping up. I don't know what was going on there."

Schandelmeier had 17 carries for 82 yards and Cousins had 13 for 78 yards - 77 in the first half.

C-L netted 40 yards rushing, including the sacks.

"Moniteau's the most physical team we'll play," Smith said. "If you don't play physical with them, you're not gonna beat them.

"We're not very big, but we delivered some hits. Our whole game plan was centered around Davis. He's the kid who can make it go for us. When we lost him, we still found a way to punch one in. I'm thrilled with this effort tonight, just thrilled."