Karns City boys soccer beats St. Marys for 9th District 9 title as Camden Slater capitalizes on big chance
BROOKVILLE — Karns City boys soccer coach R.J. Carson had high hopes for sophomore forward Camden Slater.
“This is his first year of playing soccer, but he was a starter since Day 1,” Carson said. “We knew he had a big goal in him. We’ve been telling him all season, ‘Be ready because your chance will come.’”
That opportunity came in the 61st minute of Monday’s District 9 Class 2A championship game against St. Marys at Brookville Stadium.
With the score tied 1-1, Slater was moving toward the net from the right side when teammate Mason Bell let a shot go from 10 yards that was saved but not controlled by Dutch goalie Mason Nicklas.
The ball caromed to Slater, who used his right knee to direct the ball into the net for the deciding score in a 2-1 victory that brings district bragging rights back to Karns City.
“I was fired up,” said Slater, who has three goals this year. “I really believed that the team that scored the next goal would win.”
It is the ninth district crown for KC and its first since 2022.
The Gremlins and Dutch met in the regular season Sept. 18 with St. Marys winning a physical game 2-0.
“We knew tonight could be different because this field (at Brookville) is much bigger, much wider,” Slater said.
The Dutch (11-7) controlled play early in the rematch, forcing KC goalie Brock Dittman to make four saves in the first 12 minutes. But the tide began to turn when the Gremlins earned a pair of corner kicks in the 14th minute.
The game remained scoreless until Bell beat Nicklas with a shot eight minutes before halftime.
Teammate Brody Zediker had taken possession 40 yards from his own net and worked the ball upfield for 50 yards before finding Bell open.
It was Bell’s team-leading 14th goal of the season.
“He wants to be a game-changer, and he was tonight,” Carson said of Bell. “We anticipated a rush from St. Marys to start the game. We just had to find our groove.”
St. Marys, which had been denied by Dittman and KC’s defense for the first 56 minutes, scored the tying goal when Vincent DeFilippi’s header following a corner kick sailed past the goalie.
Slater’s goal came exactly four minutes later.
Nicklas made eight saves for the Dutch. Dittman had 13 stops.
“He’s like Randy Moss with his hands,” Carson said of Dittman, a sophomore. “I’ve never seen him muff a ball.”
KC (10-9) has now won six of its last eight games.
“We weren’t sure what this year would bring, but wanted to make the most of it,” Dittman said. “We’ve been playing with a lot more consistency.”
Carson is in his third season as the Gremlins’ head coach. In 2023, KC lost in the district title game before missing the postseason last year.
“I owe a lot to my assistant Justin Ryan and Tracy Dailey (KC’s girls coach). She’s been a great mentor.” Carson said. “I’m very thankful, very blessed.”
Karns City will play in a subregional playoff at 6:30 p.m. Thursday in Brockway against the winner of Tuesday night’s District 5 championship game between Somerset and Bedford.
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Karns City’s Mason Bell (17) kicks past St. Marys’ defense in a District 9 Class 2A Boys Soccer Championship game Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, at Brookville High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Colton Christie heads the ball against St. Marys in a District 9 Class 2A Boys Soccer Championship game Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, at Brookville High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Karns City’s Ty McFarland (1), middle, celebrates with Brody Zediker (14) and Mason Bell (17) after Bell scored their first goal against St. Marys in a District 9 Class 2A Boys Soccer Championship game Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, at Brookville High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
