Gremlins leave mark
BEAVER FALLS — Karns City doesn't put much stock in moral victories.
The Gremlins' football team wanted a real, tangible one against WPIAL champion Aliquippa in the PIAA Class AA quarterfinals at Reeves Field on the campus of Geneva College Friday night.
And they felt like they could do it.
“We believed we could win,” said Karns City coach Ed Conto.
For three-plus quarters, it appeared that belief — and a swarming, physical defense — was going to be enough as the Gremlins led 11-8 with 10 minutes remaining in the game.
Aliquippa, though, rolled off 19-straight points and Karns City had to settle for that bitter moral victory in a 27-17 loss.
“We left a mark on this field tonight,” said Karns City senior fullback/linebacker Maverick Kelsea. “We gave them their toughest competition of the year. We hit them the hardest. I can guarantee that. If we would have won this game, we would have shocked the state. We came close ... it hurts.”
Conto echoed that statement.
“It does hurt,” Conto said. “Not good enough. We can't be satisfied with that.”
Turnovers hurt both teams, but Karns City in particular.
The Gremlins (12-1) were picked off four times in the game, one ending a drive inside the Aliquippa 20 and another returned 50 yards by Darnell Gardner for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter that gave the Quips a 27-11 lead and all but sealed the game.
“It was a great football game, but we made the turnovers,” Conto said. “You can't make the turnovers.”
Aliquippa (14-0) made a big turnover on its first possession when tailback Kaezon Pugh was stripped inside the Karns City 5 and Gremlins' linebacker Chandler Turner recovered at the 2.
Karns City then launched a nine-play, 98-yard drive that was capped by a 13-yard touchdown run by Collin Dunmyre.The Gremlins lined up in an odd formation on the extra point and holder and quarterback Jacob King scooped up a bad snap and found Eric Dodd standing all alone in the end zone for a 2-point conversion and an 8-0 lead for Karns City.Aliquippa answered right back with a seven-play, 71-yard touchdown drive capped by a 4-yard run by Pugh, who was stuffed on the ensuing 2-point conversion run, but pitched the ball back to quarterback Sheldon Jeter. Jeter beat two Karns City defenders to the pylon and the score was tied, 8-8.The score stayed that way for two-plus quarters and the Gremlins were feeling the frustration build from Aliquippa.“We shut up a lot of doubters tonight,” Kelsea said. “Everyone thought this was going to be a blowout. (Aliquippa) thought it was going to be a blowout by halftime. It wasn't.”Karns City took an 11-8 lead on a 24-yard field goal by Kaiden Powers with a little more than 10 minutes remaining in the game.Even that score was just a moral victory.Karns City had lined up for a 28-yard field goal attempt on fourth-and-6, but an encroachment call on the Quips moved the ball up to the 6 for fourth-and-1. The Gremlins opted to go for it and converted, but had to settle for a field goal anyway.“We had them on the ropes, but we let them off,” Conto said. “That's something you can't do with them. They just have too many athletes to do that.”For Aliquippa, the adjustments in the second half were simple.“Just play better,” said Quips coach Mike Zmijanac. “We just played a lot better. The game plan on defense stayed the same. Sometimes you're not quite ready to play this game. After you play at Heinz Field against South Fayette, you're just not quite ready mentally. Those kids (at Karns City) and those coaches, they are working, too. They are watching film and busting their butts. They played a great game.”Aliquippa crowded the box all game and dared Karns City to throw.The Gremlins were just 3-of-16 passing for 65 yards and the four interceptions.“They brought everyone and their mother up (in the box to stop the run),” Conto said.Still, it took a 10-yard run by Pugh, who finished with 182 yards rushing on 32 carries, for Aliquippa to take its first lead of the game at 14-11 with 8:36 remaining.The Quips added a 1-yard TD pass from Jeter to Thomas Perry and the Gardner pick-six for a 16-point lead with 3:27 left.Cullen Williams snuck the ball into the end zone from the 1 to close the gap to 27-17, but the 2-point conversion run failed.Karns City recovered the ensuing onside kick, but turned the ball over again and Aliquippa ran out the clock.The Quips will play the winner of the Hickory-Central Martinsburg game, which was scheduled to be played Saturday afternoon.“I thought we played well enough and hard enough to win this game,” Conto said. “I'm proud of them. So close, but yet so far.”
Karns City 8 0 0 9 — 17Aliquippa 8 0 0 19 — 27A KC11 First Downs 1433-190 Rushes-Yards 42-195132 Passing Yards 659-13-0 Comp.-Att.-Int 3-16-4322 Total Yards 2601-1 Fumbles-Lost 0-010-72 Penalty Yards 4-26First QuarterKC — Collin Dunmyre 13 run (Eric Dodd pass from Jacob King), 5:22A — Kaezon Pugh 4 run (Sheldon Jeter run), 2:21Fourth QuarterKC — Kaiden Powers 24 field goal, 10:04A — Pugh 10 run (run failed), 8:36A — Thomas Perry 1 pass from Jeter (Jassir Jordan kick), 4:23A — Darnell Gardner 50 interception return (kick failed), 3:27KC — Cullen Williams 1 run (run failed), 1:18Individual StatisticsRushing: Karns City, Kaiden Powers 5-66, Collin Dunmyre 14-46, Chandler Turner 7-45, Seth Silverio 5-20, Cullen Williams 6-17, Maverick Kelsea 1-5, Eric Dodd 3-2, Jacob King 1-(-6). Aliquippa, Kaezon Pugh 28-182, Thomas Perry 1-8, Kiyon Fooks 2-6, Jassir Jordan 1-0.Passing: Karns City, Cullen Williams 3-10-65-2, Jacob King 0-5-0-2, Chandler Turner 0-1-0-0. Aliquippa, Sheldon Jeter 8-12-133-0, Jassir Jordan 1-1-(-1)-0.Receiving: Karns City, Evan Stitt 2-33, Chandler Turner 1-32. Aliquippa, Jassir Jordan 6-114, Bobby Cashaw 1-18, Thomas Perry 1-1, Sheldon Jeter 1-(-1)
