CHERRY TWP — Throwing the ball is overrated.

Just ask the Moniteau football team.

The Warriors ran the ball 37 times and threw just twice on their way to a 27-14 win over Punxsutawney Friday night at Moniteau.

The Warriors had defeated Punxsutawney earlier in the season, 21-14.

“Honestly we came out a little bit flat and they took advantage,” said Moniteau coach Bob Rottman. “I have to give them props for the start to the season we had and then to still come out here and fight after giving up an early touchdown. It’s awesome for them.”

Punxsutawney (0-7) was able to get the first points of the game off a 68-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kameron Falgout.

But Moniteau (2-5) answered on the following drive with an 11-yard touchdown run by JD Dessicino.

The Warrior running committee headed by Mason Mershimer, Dessicino and Chaz McGuire racked up 183 yards on 37 carries and three touchdowns.

Mershimer came up with some hard-nosed runs in the second half, which was one of the key factors that helped put the game away for the Warriors.

“Mershimer gives you everything he’s got on every single play,” Rottman said. “I can’t even begin to count the amount of yards he has gotten this year after contact.”

The score was tied at 14 at the half after the teams again exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter.

Both sides struggled to put points on the board in the third, but on the first play of the fourth, Moniteau quarterback David Stamm attempted and completed just his second pass of the game to Dessicino for a 36-yard score to put the Warriors on top 21-14.

Moniteau’s defense really tightened up in the second half as it held the Chucks off the board and limited them to less than 30 yards of offense.

“Last time we played them their two outside backers gave us a lot of trouble,” Nichol said. “We tried to keep them off the edge as much as we could, but they had a good game plan and made the plays.”

After the Warriors went up by seven early in the fourth, Moniteau forced the Chucks to punt and then went on an all-run, 12-play drive that took nearly eight minutes off the clock.

The drive was capped off by a McGuire 2-yard score.

“That’s what we’re supposed to look like on offense,” Rottman said. “We don’t have big plays in our offense, but if we can play clean and keep in front of the chains, that’s what it’s supposed to look like.

“That was an awesome drive and that’s what gets us excited a little bit.”

Punxsutawney 7 7 0 0— 14

Moniteau 7 7 0 13 — 27

First Quarter

P — Kameron Falgout 68 run (Peton Hetrick kick), 5:35

M — JD Dessicino 11 run (David Stamm kick), 1:32

Second Quarter

P — Falgout 11 run (Hetrick kick), 7:12

M — Mason Mershimer 7 run (Stamm kick), 6:56

Fourth Quarter

M — Dessicino 36 pass from Samm (Stamm kick), 11:52

M — Chad Mcguire 2 run (kick failed), 1:59

Individual Statistics

Rushing:Punxsutawney, Kameron Falgout 24-145, Zeke Bennett 15-45. Moniteau, Chaz Mcguire 15-69, David Stamm 2-4, Mason Mershimer 11-66, JD Dessicino 9-44.

Passing:Punxsutawney, Kameron Falgout 4-12-44-0. Moniteau, David Stamm 2-2-52-0.

Receiving:Punxsutawney, Justin Miller 1-6, Alex Phillips 3-38. Moniteau, Chaz McGuire 1-16, JD Dessicino 1-36.