The Karns City-Kane game was inadvertently omitted from the Butler Eagle's football coverage in Sunday's edition. Here is a report on that game.

KANE — Well-played defense and well-timed plays.

That combination enabled Karns City to orchestrate a come-from-behind 22-9 KSAC large-school division football victory at Kane Friday night.

The Gremlins (5-2) trailed 9-0 entering the fourth quarter.

“Our defense held us in there,” Gremlins coach Joe Sherwin said. “If it wasn't for our defensive effort, our offense would never have had the opportunities late.”

The host Wolves (5-2)scored on a 39-yard Aaron Hottel field goal and 9-yard Zuke Smith touchdown pass to Ricky Zampogna in the third quarter. The game was scoreless at halftime.

Early in the final quarter, Karns City faced a 3rd-and-10 from its own 13-yard line. Quarterback Anthony Kamenski got loose for a 31-yard run to keep the drive alive. Hunter Rowe then broke free for a 49-yard scamper to the Kane 12.

Those plays set up a short Rowe touchdown run to pull Karns City within 9-7.

Riley Davis then made a game-turning play on special teams.

Davis blocked a Kane punt inside the Wolves' 40 and returned it all the way to the 3-yard line. Luke Garing scored on a run from there and the Gremlins had a sudden 15-9 lead.

“Riley almost took that ball off the punter's foot,” Sherwin said. “The ball may have bounced once off the ground and landed right in his hands.

“I thought he was going to take it all the way in, but they caught him.”

Kaden Scherer intercepted a Smith pass to set up a 6-yard TD run by Kamenski for the 22-9 lead. Kamenski had two touchdowns runs called back by penalties earlier in the game.

Kane drove downfield looking for a late score, but Scherer picked off another pass at the 1-yard line to help preserve the victory. Rowe had an interception as well.

Rowe rushed for 85 yards in the contest while Kamenski had 59 on the ground.

“Nathan Waltman had a big game at linebacker for us. I'm sure he was in double digits in tackles,” Sherwin said. “Kaden's two interceptions were big ... This win will hopefully give us momentum going down the final stretch of the season here.

“Kane's defense is very good. They had a defensive tackle who gave us a lot of trouble and (linebacker) Teddy Race is the real thing. He made a lot of tackles, but got injured in the second half.”

Karns City hosts Ridgway — which shut out Clarion over the weekend — at 7 p.m. Friday at Diehl Stadium.