HERMITAGE — Karns City is a tough, hard-nosed football team, but sometimes: Speed kills.

The Hickory Hornets raced past the Gremlins to a 42-20 victory on Friday night with an explosive offense that Karns City simply couldn't slow down.

“They're probably the fastest team I've coached against in the last 12 years,” said Karns City coach Ed Conto. “I mean, they were fast.”

DeShawn Coleman provided most of the sting for the Hornets (5-1) with 208 rushing yards on just 14 carries.

After the Gremlins (3-3) held Coleman to minus-4 yards on his first two touches, the junior consistently ripped off big gains, including a 72-yard sprint that supplied Hickory with a 14-0 cushion. Coleman rushed for 145 yards in the first quarter alone.

Despite the discouraging start, Karns City showed some resolve and didn't let Hickory enjoy a runaway victory.

The Gremlins answered with a 10-play, 74-yard drive that ended with an Alex Kinkela 1-yard touchdown. Adam Garing added the extra point to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 54 seconds to go in the first quarter.

“I liked the fact that we fought back and made it a game there for a while,” said Conto. “We could have given up and we could have gotten rattled. We didn't and that's what I want to see out of our guys.”

The Hornets quickly regrouped, though, covering 80 yards on six plays. Mike Nardone widened the gap to 21-7 with a 1-yard quarterback sneak.

Later in the second frame, a Karns City field goal attempt went awry, thanks to a low snap. However, the Gremlins forced a fumble two plays later which was pounced on by Justin Hutchison.

The Gremlins capitalized with Kinkela's second score of the game, this time from 2 yards out, to trim the Hickory advantage to 21-14.

Although Hickory suddenly found itself in a tightly-contested ballgame, the Hornets never flinched.

On Hickory's next play from scrimmage, Nardone went deep to Andrew Smith for a 48-yard touchdown.

“They know how to bounce back and I'm happy that we did,” said Hickory coach Bill Brest. “With that ball-control offense that Karns City has, we needed to bounce back.”

Hickory took the 28-14 lead into halftime and extended the gap to 35-14 on the final play of the third quarter. Coleman found the end zone for the third time on a 9-yard jaunt.

Hickory effectively ended the game on Karns City's following drive. As he threw, Brady Ellenberger was mauled by a swarm of Hornets and Hayden Rorhbacher — a 5-foot-10, 230-pound lineman — picked off the fluttering pass and returned it 64 yards for a touchdown.

Later in the fourth, Jerod Hutchison found the end zone to cap the scoring for the Gremlins.

“I was pleased our guys played hard and played the whole game,” said Conto. “We gave them everything we've got, but they just had some weapons there that we were unable to contain.”

Brest wasn't particularly impressed with his team's performance — largely due to mental miscues that included 10 penalties for 84 yards — but didn't dismiss the importance of collecting a victory.

“We are happy with the win,” said Brest. “Karns City is a team that is a well-coached team, a disciplined team. They're hard-nosed and physical.

“Coach Conto is a great guy,” added Brest. “I have a lot of respect for him and his staff.”

Notes: Glenn Toy led the Gremlins with 87 rushing yards on 12 carries, while Kinkela gained 86 on 15 totes. ... Two of Karns City's three losses have come to Wilmington and Hickory, which are heavily favored to meet in the Class AA District 10 title game. ... Wilmington handed Hickory its only loss in a 28-27 thriller last week.