BROOKVILLE — After finding out Thursday night there would be no playoff action for the Grove City High football team this season, the Eagles found just one cure for their disappointment.

Winning their final game.

Led by running back Chris Clark's 85 yards, the Eagles defeated Brookville, 25-16 in their season finale Friday.

"It (not making the playoffs) was disappointing," Grove City coach Jeff Bell said. "They weren't going to come up here and quit."

Grove City (6-3 overall, 4-3 in Region-3) will miss out on the playoffs, even though the Eagles have the same league record and are one win better than Hickory overall.

Hickory advances to the playoffs because it defeated Grove City earlier this season and owns the head-to-head tiebreaker.

"I would like to see the playoff system changed," Bell said. "Very easily we could have an eight-team playoff."

Brookville (4-5) might host Moniteau in the first round of the District 9 playoffs next week after brackets are released this weekend.

Redbank Valley and Brockway are other possible candidates to play the Blue Raiders next week.

"The big thing is losing will make us come together," Brookville coach Chris Dworek said. "We have to make that experience now make us work harder than we have ever worked before."

Grove City sealed the win with 1:43 to go in the fourth quarter when Clark ran it in from 28 yards out to put the Eagles up 25-16.

"He's a tough kid," Bell said. "He's one of the hardest workers on the team, and he does things full speed in practice."

A key play in the game was when Bell decided to go for the two-point conversion after running back Dwayne Martin put Grove City ahead 13-9 in the second quarter.

The two-point conversion was good, as quarterback Jesse Alfreno hit wide receiver Ryan King with a shovel pass to put Grove City up 15-9. When Clark scored the final touchdown, the two points made the margin nine — a two-possession game.

"We wanted to go up by six, because if they scored a touchdown, we could block the extra point and be tied," Bell said. "We looked at their extra point kicks on film, and we felt we could block one."

Grove City scored on its opening possession when running back Dan Sonntag got into the end zone on a 4-yard run.

Brookville responded on the ensuing drive when running back Max Kutz scored from 11 yards out to tie the game at 7.

Kutz was the leading rusher for the Blue Raiders with 78 yards on just eight carries, including 70 on that drive.

Although Kutz had solid numbers on that drive, Dworek wasn't pleased with the overall rushing attack.

"It was inconsistent, and that bothered me," Dworek said.

Kutz struck again early in the second quarter, tackling Sonntag in the end zone for a safety to give the Blue Raiders a 9-7 lead.

A Gordon Craig field goal for the Eagles put Grove City up 18-9 at halftime.

Kutz then scored his second rushing touchdown of the game with a 6-yard run.

The drive was started after Alfreno threw an interception to Kutz, setting up Brookville at the Grove City 40-yard line.