CHERRY TWP — To complete its journey from 0-10 two years ago to reaching the District 9 playoffs, Moniteau football needed a spark.

It received two.

After not carrying the ball in the first half, junior Aidan Shakley gained 64 yards on just nine totes in the final two quarters Friday against Brookville.

That burst of offense was vital on a night when rain turned the field at Moniteau’s Luciano Plesakov Stadium into a virtual slip-and-slide.

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But midway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors still trailed the Raiders 2-0.

Then, Aiden Kern’s 22-yard run to pay dirt gave the Warriors the only score they needed in a 6-2 victory that clinched a berth into the District 8/9 Class 2A postseason.

The decisive play came on a jet sweep to the left.

“(Offensive lineman) Carter Knight actually called the play,” Moniteau head coach Clay Kohlmeyer said. “He was the lead blocker on the play.”

It culminated a 77-yard drive which saw Shakley gain 41 yards on seven carries and Weston Cook complete his only pass of the game, good for 11 yards to Kayne Scott at midfield.

“I was thinking touchdown the whole way,” Kern said of his scoring run.

Kern, a senior, was on Moniteau’s varsity team for that winless season in 2024. He and his teammates have lifted Moniteau (4-4) into the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

“Knowing I’ve been able to make an impact on this program, it means everything to me,” he said.

The Warriors won for the fourth time in five games after starting the season 0-3.

The Class 2A playoffs in District 9 is an open tournament. But Kohlmeyer wanted his team to earn a berth by finishing .500.

“We told our guys on Monday that if we won this game, we’d be going to the playoffs,” Kohlmeyer said. “The (district’s) deadline to enter is next week. If we had lost, we wouldn’t have entered.”

Shakley did not have a chance to make an impact in the first half, when Moniteau gained just 4 yards on five offensive plays.

“The energy we’re feeling right now is awesome,” he said. “I love playing in the mud.”

The Warriors seemed to grab early momentum when their defense stopped Brookville (1-7) at the 1-yard line on fourth down, ending a 59-yard drive to begin the game.

But on Moniteau’s first play from scrimmage, Cook was tackled in the end zone for a safety by Zach Phillips.

The Raiders entered the game having passed for just 122 yards all season.

“They’re big up front, and that concerned us,” Kohlmeyer said. “We knew they would try to run it down our throats.”

And the Raiders did move the ball, but they also turned the ball over on downs three times in the first half, the last instance coming when Knight stuffed Chase Nimmo on a fourth-and-goal play from the 4.

“At halftime, I heard our guys saying that they knew we could score, we just needed the ball,” Kohlmeyer said.

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Brookville was dealt a major blow when Nimmo suffered a leg injury and was taken off the field by stretcher with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.

A steady rain then became a downpour. Moniteau’s game-winning drive began with 59 seconds left in the third.

The Raiders had trouble with snaps all night long, fumbling seven of them in the game.

Phillips intercepted a pass and recovered five fumbles, four of them from his own team, along with being credited with the safety.

Moniteau visits Keystone next Friday.

Brookville 2 0 0 0 — 2

Moniteau 0 0 0 6 — 6

1st Quarter

B — Safety, Weston Cook tackled in end zone, 3:21

4th Quarter

M — Aiden Kern 22 run (run failed), 6:15

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Brookville, Chase Nimmo 23-89, Blake Porter 11-15, Owen Weaver 4-(-9), Zach Phillips 6-34, TEAM 2-(-10). Moniteau, Weston Cook 4-(-1), Liam Allison 10-2, Aiden Kern 3-35, Aidan Shakley 9-64.

Passing: Brookville, Owen Weaver 3-3-39-0, Zach Phillips 0-3-0-0. Moniteau, Weston Cook 1-6-11-1.

Receiving: Brookville, Zach Phillips 1-12, Chase Nimmo 1-9, Blake Porter 1-18. Moniteau, Kayne Scott 1-11.