KC blows out Bradford
KARNS CITY — Karns City played the hammer and Bradford the nail.
The Gremlins (7-1, 8-1) found the endzone on all but one of their nine possessions in putting the wounded Owls away by a 55-8 score at Diehl Stadium Friday night.
“We didn't want to take a step back,” Karns City coach Joe Sherwin said. “We wanted to keep progressing forward and work on our techniques. There's a lot of season left and we've got some big games coming up.”
Both Luke Garing and Luke Cramer punched in a pair of rushing touchdowns in the first half. Garing got the scoring barrage going little over three minutes into the opening quarter, finishing the job off from three yards out after Cooper Coyle plowed ahead for 37 yards on the play before.
Bradford's wheels spun on the next drive. The Owls (0-9, 0-9) chose to go for it in their own territory on fourth-and-two, but quarterback Elijah Fitton's pass missed the mark.
“We were so outmatched,” Bradford coach Jeff Puglio said. “We didn't think we were going to get a stop. We thought our best chance was to try to get a first down.”
Minutes later, Cramer made use of the giveaway, rumbling past the goal-line on an eleven-yard rush, showing an Owl linebacker to the ground on the way. Micah Rupp would grab a short pass from Eric Booher and race 51 yards the Gremlins' next time out. The scoring strike was the only play of the series.
“We're so banged up with injuries,” Puglio said. “We're down 13, 14 starters. We basically (fielded) a JV team tonight.”
The visitors finally caught somewhat of a break near the end of the first quarter, when what would have been a 44-yard punt return by Karns City's Coyle was called back because of a block in the back. Rather than Bradford's 38-yard line, the Gremlins began the march from their own 11.
It still didn't matter. Five plays later, Garing broke loose for a 63-yard scamper, putting his team up 28-0.
“When those types of things are clicking, it's tough to stop,” Sherwin said.
Desperate, the Owls almost converted a fourth down try on the next drive. Isaac Herrero poked Fitton's deep pass away from Jerid Wilmoth, though, and Cramer added to the lead shortly after.
Only halftime could halt KC's offensive proceedings.
Bradford was afforded only four snaps in the third frame as Karns City wound the clock. Each Mason McNany, Jerry Kummer, Mason Martin, Tyler Wolfe, and Callen Robinson were granted carries on successive plays in the quarter. None of the aforementioned players had more than four carries total entering the contest.“We like to get everybody a shot running the ball,” Sherwin said. “We've got a nice stable of backs and we want to keep them interested.”Both Zach Kelly and Cooper Coyle saved touchdowns by putting stops to lengthy Bradford kick returns. Still, Fitton's scrambling would help connect with Nate Girdlestone for a shutout-ruining touchdown in the fourth stanza.Martin would follow up a 59-yard scamper with a 20-yard touchdown run before the final whistle sounded, adding to Robinson's score earlier in the quarter.Bradford 0 0 0 8 — 8Karns City 21 14 6 14 — 55First QuarterKC — Luke Garing 3 run (Zach Kelly kick), 8:51KC — Luke Cramer 11 run (Kelly kick), 5:08KC — Micah Rupp 51 pass from Eric Booher (Kelly kick), 3:21Second QuarterKC — Luke Garing 63 run (Kelly kick), 11:14KC — Luke Cramer 8 run (Kelly kick), 5:29Third QuarterKC — Levi Hawk 10 run (kick failed), 8:35Fourth QuarterKC — Callen Robinson 11 run (Kelly kick), 10:14B — Jerid Wilmoth 9 pass from Elijah Fitton (Girdlestone run), 6:35KC — Mason Martin 20 run (Kelly kick), 0:12Individual StatisticsRushing: Bradford, Elijah Fitton 10-47, Nate Girdlestone 1-15, Jerid Wilmoth 2-(-5). Karns City, Mason Martin 4-94, Luke Garing 4-87, Zach Blair 3-46, Luke Cramer 8-42, Levi Hawk 2-38, Cooper Coyle 2-36, Callen Robinson 3-17, Jerry Kummer 3-15, Eric Booher 1-15, Nate Garing 3-12, Zach Kelly 3-11, Cole Hilliard 1-5, Mason McNany 1-3, Tyler Wolfe 1-3.Passing: Bradford, Elijah Fitton 12-26-104-0. Karns City, Eric Booher 5-7-121-0.Receiving: Bradford, Dalton Dixon 4-42, Jerid Wilmoth 3-34, Nate Girdlestone 1-13, Kaleb Schenfield 1-12, Ryan Ward 1-3, Ashton Smith 1-2, Matt Perry 1-(-2). Karns City, Micah Rupp 3-88, Nate Garing 1-18, Luke Garing 1-15.
