KARNS CITY — Emily Schumacher is not normal.

And that's a good thing.

Since the seventh grade, the senior soccer, track, cross country and basketball player at Karns City has known her true calling.

Even from that early age, she has known she wants to become an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

In layman's terms, a plastic surgeon.

“I really enjoyed the time I spent with my dentist,” Schumacher says, perhaps becoming the only person who has ever uttered that statement.

She has already helped reconstruct the fate of several sports teams at Karns City.

Schumacher has been a part of three District 9 soccer championships and now one district basketball championship.

That came Saturday as the Gremlins routed Clarion-Limestone.

Of all the titles, that one has stood out for Schumacher.

“This is definitely one we worked very hard for,” Schumacher said. “We worked really hard for the soccer ones, too, not to put anything we did in soccer down, but this one was special.”

It was special because when Schumacher was a freshman basketball player at Karns City, the Gremlins won just three games.

This one was special because even two years ago, Schumacher didn't expect to have a D-9 championship medal around her neck.

“We were standing in the hallway waiting for the other teams to get off the court before the KSAC championship game,” said Karns City girls basketball coach Dave Kerschbaumer. “She was standing off by herself and I asked her if she was OK. She said, 'I didn't think we'd ever get to this spot.'”

Schumacher is used to winning.

She's been to the PIAA Track and Field and PIAA Cross Country Championships as an individual and as part of a relay team.

Karns City has seen a lot of success this year in all sports, Schumacher and Emily LoPresti in particular.

LoPresti and Schumacher were both part of a girls soccer team that blitzed its way through the regular season and district playoffs undefeated.

“I think it's just an unwillingness to lose,” Kerschbaumer said. “They brought that attitude with them and it's been contagious.”

Schumacher is the only senior on the girls basketball team at Karns City.

She has taken that role seriously.

“I think we all do a pretty good job keeping tabs on each other,” Schumacher said. “Maybe they look more to me. As far as the basketball dynamic goes, I'm not the best player. I'm not real basketball savvy, but I definitely put a lot of effort into causing chaos for the other team. I quite enjoy doing that.”

While she bring chaos to the opponent on defense with her endless energy and daunting speed, she brings order to her own team — in her own unique way.

“She keeps everyone loose,” Kerschbaumer said. “She'll do something and everyone will say, 'Oh, shoe,” and break the tension. She does that very well. She doesn't let anyone get too big headed, either.”

LoPresti has been playing both soccer and basketball for much of her life. She said soccer is her favorite sport, but she's enjoying just as much success on the basketball court.

“Hard work pays off,” LoPresti said.

So does rabid fan support.

The Karns City students have rallied around their successful sports teams this season, no more so than during the basketball run.

It's been a good year to be a Gremlin. The football team also won a district crown this fall.

It has made other schools envious.

“It makes us laugh when people from other schools say they wish they went to our school,” LoPresti said. “It also makes us proud.”

Karns City will take on Girard in the first round of the PIAA Class AA playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday at Clarion High School.

That's the next chapter in this success story the Gremlins would love to author.

“Oh, it's a lot of fun, that's for sure,” Schumacher said. “Winning D-9 is not necessarily everything as far as our goals go. It was one of the things we wanted to accomplish, but we have more we want to do.”