Karns City football 2025 preview: What to watch, 3 things to know and schedule
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Riley Hamilton works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Riley Hamilton works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Riley Hamilton works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Riley Hamilton works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston runs drills during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Riley Hamilton runs drills during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Cole Johnston runs drills during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Hunter Scherer works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Hunter Scherer works on his footwork during a drill during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Karns City varsity football team practiced on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Coach Joe Sherwin watches as players work on form during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Coach Joe Sherwin watches as players work on form during football practice on Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025, at Karns City High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s CJ Emrick, left, Sean Slaughenhoupt, center, Kolby Blair, right, show off their power during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s CJ Emrick during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s CJ Emrick during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Kolby Blair during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Kolby Blair during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Sean Slaughenhoupt during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Sean Slaughenhoupt during the Butler Eagle Football Media Day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2025, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
Consistent runs to the playoffs require a constant influx of players capable of thriving in a football team's scheme, offensively and defensively.
That can be a difficult cycle to maintain, but Karns City's current streak of six trips to the postseason proves the Gremlins have been up to the challenge, including last year's 7-3 effort. At both skill positions and on the lines, KC is primed to once again be in the mix for a District 9 championship in 2025.
Junior quarterback Cole Johnston will be leading KC's offense for the third straight year. His freshman season was cut short due to a broken collarbone.
"Last year was his first full year of starting," KC coach Joe Sherwin said. "He brings a lot of experience to the position, and he's worked hard to make himself a good quarterback. We're looking forward to seeing what he can do."
What he's done so far is pretty impressive. Last year, Johnston passed for 830 yards, rushed for 627 and accounted for 17 total touchdowns.
Zach Kepple is in his eighth season as the team's offensive coordinator.
"He's put in a few things on offense, plays where we can best utilize Cole's ability," Sherwin said. "We're looking to pass the ball a bit more than we usually do. We may line up in the shotgun a few times this season."
The Gremlins are hoping a host of players at receiver will lead to reliable targets.
Riley Hamilton and Owen Kaufman return to lead a receiving corps that will also include Carter Farren and Bryce Galan. Hamilton had nine catches for 69 yards and a touchdown last year. With the passing game projected to be more active, he should see an increase in production.
"We're always able to hit teams with our running game, but an improved passing game will make us more deadly on offense," lineman Sean Slaughenhoupt said.
Starters back on the offensive line include a trio of seniors — center CJ Emrick, Slaughenhoupt at guard and tackle Kolby Blair.
"It should be one of our better lines," Sherwin said. "We're pretty experienced up front."
1. On the move: Seniors Hunter Scherer and Owen Heginbotham are set to shoulder the majority of carries in KC's ground game. Scherer paced last year's team with 794 yards and scored 14 touchdowns. Heginbotham added 562 yards and six scores.
"Hunter is a straight-ahead runner while Owen is quicker, more shifty and can run to the outside," Sherwin said.
Senior Nathan Hess, whose playing time was limited the last two years due to injuries, should provide a solid fourth option in the ground game. He gained 307 yards as a freshman in 2022.
2. Back for more: The defense should be stout with nine returning starters — Mason Bell, Slaughenhoupt and Scherer on the line, CJ Emrick and Shane Emrick at linebacker and Hamilton, Heginbotham, Kaufman and Johnston in the secondary.
Despite being a sophomore in 2024, Shane Emrick paced the team in tackles with 62.
"I'd say our defense as a whole is ahead of where it was entering recent years," Sherwin said. "We have a lot of ability in the secondary, but those guys need to step up their play from last year. We want to be able to throw different coverages at our opponents."
3. All in the family: The Gremlins football family, that is.
Sherwin is a Karns City grad and played for the Gremlins in the 1980s. His staff of assistants is full of KC alums — Kepple, TJ McFarland, Ethan Conto, Dalton Callihan, Jake Dailey and Ed Conto, himself the former varsity head coach.
McFarland is the head coach of the junior varsity team, and the junior high staff includes, you guessed it, more Gremlins in Josh Stimac, Alan Davis, Todd Weibel and Josh Griffiths.
“Joe was an assistant under Ed (for 18 seasons), and we all played for one or both of them,” Kepple said. “There’s a lot of football tradition at Karns City. When you have so many guys who shed blood, sweat and tears for the program as players, it’s pretty cool to have that connection now as coaches.”
- Aug. 22, 7 p.m. — at St. Marys*
- Aug. 29, 7 p.m. — vs. Brookville
- Sept. 5, 7 p.m. — vs. DuBois*
- Sept. 12, 7 p.m. — at Moniteau
- Sept. 19, 7 p.m. — vs. Punxsutawney*
- Sept. 26, 7 p.m. — vs. Clarion Area*
- Oct. 3, 7 p.m. — at Westinghouse
- Oct. 10, 7 p.m. — vs. Brockway
- Oct. 17, 7 p.m. — at Punxsutawney*
- Oct. 24, 7 p.m. — at Wilmington
*Division/section/conference game
Correction: This story was updated 1 p.m. Aug. 14, 2025, to indicate Karns City’s new division schedule.
