Gremlins healthy, hungry
KARNS CITY — A healthy Gremlin is a dangerous Gremlin.
With an injury list as long as the first-down chains for much of the season, the Karns City football team was at nearly full strength heading into its District 9 Class AA semifinal home playoff game against St. Marys Friday night.
And it showed.
Tristan Rhoades, one of the walking wounded for much of the season, returned the opening kickoff 79 yards for a touchdown and Tyler Kepple, who a month ago was contemplating throwing passes with his off hand because of an injury to his right shoulder, had 142 yards and two touchdowns in the air to lead the Gremlins to a 34-14 win over the Dutchmen.
“Just getting guys back has been the key,” Kepple said. “We're just clicking now.”
It wasn't that way three weeks ago in a loss to Oil City. The Gremlins were routed in the first half of that game, but put up a better effort in the second half.
Since then, Karns City (8-3) has rolled off three straight impressive wins.
“(The second half against Oil City) was the turning point,” said Karns City coach Ed Conto. “We didn't lay down and get beaten like dogs. Maybe the young guys learned a little bit from that.”
The win against St. Marys (5-6) was perhaps the most stirring during the winning streak.
The Gremlins had touchdown drives of 64 and 53 yards on their first two offensive possessions and led 21-6 lead at the half.
Wyatt Everetts, still recovering from a sprained ankle, capped both drives with scoring runs.
His most impressive play, though, came in the third quarter when he took a screen pass from Kepple and turned up field before running into resistance from the Dutchmen at the 10.
Everetts, who is just 5-foot-7 and 147 pounds, dragged a slew of St. Marys would-be tacklers the final 10 yards into the end zone for the 47-yard score and a 28-6 Karns City advantage.
“Keep pumping the legs, keep churning along. That's all I can say,” Everetts said, describing the play. “Our coaches always say to keep those legs moving because something good can happen.”
Everetts finished with 50 yards rushing and 88 yards receiving.
Karns City had 10 different players carry the ball. Rhoades led the ground attack with 67 yards on just five carries.
The speed of Rhoades and Everetts was a huge advantage against St. Marys.
“They were faster than we were, no question,” said St. Marys coach Joe Schlimm. “What Karns City does offensively is so diverse. They are able to throw the ball, run the fullback, get on the perimeter, they can run the option. They are a very good football team.”
St. Marys had some success running the football at times, as well.
Alex Feldbauer rushed for 109 yards on 24 carries and scored a pair of touchdowns for the Dutchmen.
St. Marys, though, converted only two third downs of longer than 5 yards and one of those came on a Karns City penalty.“We are not a good team when it is third-and-long,” Schlimm said. “That's been our story all season long.”Karns City may be writing quite a chapter on its season story.Despite all of the injuries — including a season-ending one to last year's leading rusher Glenn Toy — the Gremlins find themselves back in the District 9 championship game where they will face Kane, which knocked off Brookville 35-34, on a day and at a site and time to be determined.“If we do win the district title, it's going to be some story to tell,” Kepple said. “It's going to be about all the people we had out and how we stuck together and got through it.“If you notice, I have a smile on my face about that,” Conto said. “Coming into the year with Toy and everybody healthy, I thought the talent was there to get back (to the district title game). Then Toy got hurt and everyone else got hurt and everything collapsed.“But the young guys stepped up and the few seniors left stepped up. I have to give them credit.”Karns City 34, St. Marys 14St. Marys 6 0 8 0 — 14Karns City 14 7 7 6 — 34SM KC13 First Downs 1548-215 Rushes-Yards 41-2034 Passing Yards 1421-4-0 Comp.-Att.-Int 9-12-0219 Total Yards 3452-0 Fumbles-Lost 2-02-20 Penalty Yards 2-0First QuarterKC — Tristan Rhoades 79 kickoff return (Zach Moore kick), 11:47SM — Alex Feldbauer 2 run (conversion failed), 6:24KC — Wyatt Everetts 16 run (Moore kick), 2:02Second QuarterKC — Everetts 7 run (Moore kick), 8:46Third QuarterKC — Everetts 47 pass from Tyler Kepple (Moore kick), 7:07SM — Feldbauer 5 run (Cody Baker run), 2:20Fourth QuarterKC — Dakota Mohney 8 pass from Kepple (kick failed), 9:26Individual StatisticsRushing: St. Marys, Alex Feldbauer 24-109, Cody Baker 10-65, Joe Luchini 12-43, Robbie Glass 1-5, Alex Coudreit 1-(-6), Team 1-(-1). Karns City, Tristan Rhoades 5-67, Wyatt Everetts 6-50, Jake Laughery 5-32, Adam Whited 4-22, Zach Moore 4-20, Dakota Mohney 3-8, Tyler Kepple 8-5, Brandon Bauldoff 3-5, Christian Turner 1-3, Matt Conto 1-(-8), Team 1-(-1).Passing: St. Marys, Alex Coudreit 1-4-4-0. Karns City, Tyler Kepple 9-12-142-0.Receiving: St. Marys, Robbie Glass 1-4. Karns City, Wyatt Everetts 3-88, Dakota Mohney 3-23, Matt Conto 2-32, Zach Moore 1-(-1).
