KARNS CITY — Count Karns City coach Ed Conto among those happy to see Moniteau in the District 9 Class AA championship game.

You also can count him among those who don't enjoy facing a team twice in one season.

"I'm glad to do it here because their coaches are friends of ours," said Conto about Warriors coach Jeff Campbell and his staff.

"So, I don't mind to do it. We beat them (39-19 on Oct. 12), so you don't know if they'll do something different. It's not my favorite type of thing to do,"Conto added.

The Warriors had entered Saturday's district semifinal on a four-game losing streak to drop to 5-5, but following a bye week, the squad rebounded with an impressive 38-12 triumph over Brookville.

"That's what I expected," said Conto. "They have a very good coaching staff and we talk to them a lot. They've had a bunch of hurdles to overcome and they're jelling at the right time."

Warriors quarterback Tyler Armagost passed for 310 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 77 yards and three scores.

"Tyler's the man. He's the best pure quarterback in District 9," said Conto. "I know (Redbank Valley's) Jake Smith gets a lot of credit, but he couldn't hold a candle to Tyler.

"He can run. He can throw. (The Gremlins') Anthony Stimac is a good, all-around quarterback. Tyler's a precision quarterback. I believe he can play at the next level. He has what colleges are looking for."

Armagost has completed 122 of 260 passes for 2,021 yards, 23 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

He has also rushed for 379 yards on 101 carries and nine scores, second only to James Shope (12), who also leads the Warriors in rushing (983 yards on 138 carries).

"Tyler's the key and James Shope is a good accessory. He has speed and makes great plays.

Armagost has a group of receivers who are some of the best. Josh Loos leads Moniteau with 33 catches, 608 yards and nine touchdowns. Dakota Campbell (24-337-7), Clay Casper (19-405-3) and John McFadden (19-236-1) are also viable threats.

"They all are consistent," said Conto. "They catch the ball, but they all do more than just catch passes. A lot of them were running backs when they came up through their system.

"They know what to do once they catch the ball,"Conto added.

The Gremlins (11-0) continued their strong play, rolling over Brockway 62-28 Friday in their semifinal game.

"Offensively, we had the ball about 26 or 27 plays," said Conto and (Brockway) had 69. We scored so fast and they ran more plays. Our defense was getting a little tired.

"Our special teams set up some quick scores and our defense did a great job," Conto added.

Stimac has developed into one of the premier quarterbacks in District 9, completing 61 of 129 passes for 1,302 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Cameron Turner (18 receptions, 374 yards, five TDs), Stephon Conto (12-217-2) and Josh Callender (11-275-4) have been Stimac's top targets, while Matt McConnell has four touchdowns, Cody Williams three and Mike McConnell two.

The Gremlins running-back-by-committee system has continued to thrive as four runners, Brett Green (551 yards), Markus LaVan (432), Josh Stimac (399) and Anthony Stimac (351), have rushed for at least 350 yards and combined for 27 touchdowns. In all, the Gremlins have rushed for 38 scores.

The thought of being undefeated this late in the season was a mystery to Conto, but he has seen his team continue to develop.

Last year, the team lost to Brockway in the championship final but has found its way back with a core of young players.

"The kids have come on and done a great job," said Conto. "Anthony has really progressed. We're still young, so there's still a lot of little things we can do to get better.

"Hopefully, we'll keep improving. This time of year, some kids might be ready to switch gears. It's hunting season and basketball is starting, but you have to keep working.

"Hopefully, they stay focused. You have the state playoffs to look forward to and it takes a lot of mental strength,"Conto added.

Video highlights of Saturday's Karns City-Moniteau District 9 title game will be available at www.butlereagle.com.