NEW BETHLEHEM — “A play here, a play there, that’s the difference between winning and losing,” Moniteau coach Wade Vogan said Friday night after the Warriors lost 24-17 to Redbank Valley in a Keystone Shortway Athletic Conference crossover.

The Warriors (3-6) entered the second quarter tied at 14 with the Bulldogs after the first quarter and entered halftime down 17-14. Redbank Valley (5-4) held Moniteau scoreless in the second and third quarters and concentrated on stopping their running game.

“We had a game plan to run the ball a little more, and they physically dominated (us),” Vogan said. “We couldn’t run the ball on them tonight.

The Warriors finished with 29 yards on 28 carries.

“Hats off to Redbank,” Vogan said. “They physically manhandled us up front.”

The Warriors kept the game close with their defense, but Redbank Valley’s running game was maintained a positive consistency.

Two Bulldog touchdowns came on the ground and their passing touchdown was on a screen pass, which looked more like a run after running back Brock Barrett carried the screen 85 yards for the score. The rushing corps combined for 147 yards on 41 carries. Barrett’s score was the first of the game and he carried the ball three times for 33 yards..

“That’s a run; technically it’s a pass, but he ran it really well,” Redbank Valley coach Edward Wasilowski said. “He couldn’t get to the outside, he makes a nice cut, even on this greasy field, and turns it up inside.”

Wasilowski said he was happy with the victory, especially since the Bulldogs needed to win to make the playoffs. He said there was a little bit of nervousness though after Moniteau replaced their quarterback in the fourth quarter and suddenly began moving the chains.

Quarterback Chance Nagy started the game. Nagy threw for a 54-yard touchdown in the first quarter to receiver Dalton Anderson, but struggled as the game continued. He missed all but one of his other six attempts, two of which ended in interceptions. Quarterback Hunter Fitzingo replaced Nagy and began a couple of bursting drives down the field. Fitzingo completed seven-of-13 passes for 78 yards. He set up kicker Steven Fawcett with a 30-yard field goal with 6:30 left in the fourth quarter, and a number of his incompletions were on dropped balls, including a dropped pass in the end zone.

“Yeah, I’m glad they didn’t bring him in earlier,” Wasilowski said. “We were playing kind of soft and giving him stuff underneath.”

Fitzingo also replaced Nagy late in Moniteau’s loss to Karns City on Oct. 21; although, this outing was an improvement from his one-of-five completions performance against the Gremlins.