No secrets will be kept from Karns City when the Gremlins face District 5 champion Chestnut Ridge in the PIAA Class AA football playoffs Friday night.

“We know what they’re going to do and it’s up to us to keep them out of third-and-short, even fourth-and-short situations,” KC coach Ed Conto said.

The teams meet at 7 p.m. at Northern Bedford High School in a rematch of last year’s state playoff game won by Karns City, 35-29.

The Lions (9-3) like to employ a power running game. Quarterback Beau Bosch has completed just 30 of 76 passes for 419 yards and five touchdowns all season.

But he’s carried the ball 162 times for 748 yards and 13 TDs.

“He’s like having a second fullback in our backfield,” Lions coach Max Shoemaker said.

“We tackled that kid last year and he’d get an additional three yards just falling forward,” Conto recalled.

Bosch is 6-foot-5, 220 pounds and signed an early letter of intent with Lafayette College as a defensive end. He has six quarterback sacks on the season.

Fullback Matt Wiley, 6-3, 195, has rushed for 909 yards and nine touchdowns for the Lions. He leads the team with 115 tackles from his linebacker position.

“We’re not particularly big up front,” Shoemaker said. “Steve Davis, our center, is 6-1, 267, and Austin Buttry, our right guard, is 5-9, 240.

“Everyone else is probably under-sized for their position.”

JD Weyant is Chestnut Ridge’s leading receiver with 14 catches for 262 yards and five TDs. The rest of the team has just one touchdown reception.

“They are capable of throwing and we have to respect that, but this team likes to pound the ball,” Conto said. “It’s the use four downs to gain 12 yards and move the sticks philosophy.”

The Lions rarely turn the ball over — throwing one interception all season — and thrive on taking the ball away. Safety Noah Osman leads the state with 10 interceptions and Chestnut Ridge has picked off 20 passes as a team.

“Noah does a good job of playing center field and chasing down the football,” Shoemaker said.

Karns City (11-1) will be in better shape physically than it was in last week’s 49-21 win over previously unbeaten Kane.

Running back-cornerback Tristan Rhoades is expected to play after missing the Kane game and guard-linebacker Mike Olkowski will be available after making a scholarship trip to South Carolina last weekend.

“Those are two key people who will make us stronger,” Conto said.

Rhoades still leads the Gremlins ground attack with 589 yards and five TDs.Zach Moore has rushed for 569 yards and nine TDs, Wyatt Everetts 502 yards and eight scores. As a team, KC has rushed for 3,413 yards and 48 touchdowns.

Tyler Kepple adds 1,601 yards and 30 touchdowns passing. Dakota Mohney has 34 catches for 541 yards and seven TDs, Logan Moroney 32 catches for 558 and nine TDs.

“It will be a huge task keeping all of those racehorses in the barn — and they’ve got a stall full,” Shoemaker said. “That team has had plenty of success putting points on the board.”

Chestnut Ridge hasn’t been bad in that area, either, defeating Westinghouse 55-20 and Bedford 55-21 in the playoffs thus far. The Lions’ three losses have come against unbeaten Berks Catholic (41-13), 10-2 Central Martinsburg (33-6) and Fort Hill, Md. (21-17), which is in its state semifinals.

Karns City has won 10 straight games, Chestnut Ridge eight of its last nine.

“This game will be played on a grass field, so you wonder about field conditions,” Conto said. “Some kids are mudders, others aren’t. But a slick field can help the passing game sometimes because defensive linemen have trouble getting off the ball.”

Cody Deal leads KC’s defense with 89 tackles. Olkowski has 51 stops, Everetts 50 tackles, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries. Adam Whited has five of his team’s 27 quarterback sacks.

Sean Van Meter has hit all five of his field goal attempts for the Lions, including a long of 43 yards. Moore is one of two on field goal tries for KC — a 36-yarder three weeks ago — and has hit 31 of 33 PATs.

“This was a competitive game last year and we’re expecting more of the same,” Conto said.