KARNS CITY — The lead was 28-6. The game wasn't over.

Karns City watched its 22-point lead become victimized by Clarion-Limestone's deadly passing attack Friday night at Diehl Stadium.

“I knew we had to keep on scoring there and we didn't,” KC coach Ed Conto said. “Passing is their strength and defending the pass is our weakness.

“And when we lost a starting cornerback and safety (Dalton Beham and Hunter Rowe to injury) in the first half, that became very concerning.”

The Lions (3-4) rallied for a 34-28 lead with 3:15 to go, only to see the Gremlins (5-2) put together a 12-play, 67-yard drive to pull out a 35-34 victory.

“We didn't execute in our running game as well in the second half,” Conto said. “I don't think they stopped us as much as we stopped us.

“But when we had to finish off a drive, we did.”

Karns City faced a fourth-and-2 at the C-L 49 with just over a minute to play. Josh Wimer, on just his second carry of the game, got the two yards to keep the final drive going for the Gremlins.

Sophomore quarterback Anthony Kamenski found Devin Ryan for a 27-yard completion on the next play. Kamenski rolled out for eight yards and got out of bounds at the 12-yard line with 39 seconds to play.

“He made the kind of plays you look for out of your quarterback,” Conto said. “He played smart. He kept his composure.”

Clay Garing scored the winning touchdown — his third TD of the night — on a 5-yard run with 35 seconds left.

Garing had 27 carries for 134 yards. He scored on a 14-yard run and and a 33-yard screen pass in the first half. He became KC's feature back when Dalton Beham left the game with an injury in the first half.

Beham had five carries for 104 yards — including a 65-yard TD run on the second snap of the game — before going out.

“I thought I'd get the same amount if carries I usually get,” Garing said of his team's offense without Beham. “There was nothing really different.

“We found a way to win.”

The Lions' loss foiled a career-night by senior quarterback Brenden Makray, who threw for 497 yards and four touchdowns.

“This was probably the best I've seen Brenden throw the ball,” C-L coach Dave Eggleton said. “He was really stepping into his passes and delivered the ball.

“We had plays there in the passing game in the first half. We just didn't make them. I was disappointed with the way we started this game.”

The Gremlins scored twice off turnovers in the first half. A Rowe interception preceded a 43-yard scoring drive and a Lucas Williams fumble recovery — set up by a Sebastian Troutman's hit on Makray — set up the 33-yard screen pass to Garing..

That Garing score extended the KC lead to 28-6 with 4:34 left in the first half.. Makray responded with a 67-yard TD strike to Hummell just over a minute later.

The Lions nearly scored again at the end of the half, but a touchdown pass was negated as Makray was beyond the line of scrimmage when he threw the ball.

Karns City had two long touchdown runs wiped out by holding penalties.

“We helped them out a little by not finishing off those possessions,” Conto said.

Makray found Austin Newcomb for a 72-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. He connected with Kyle Kerle for an 84-yard strike in the fourth and a 22-yard pass to Kerle set up the go-ahead TD run with 3:15 left.

Kerle had 10 catches for 257 yards.

“We will be a solid Class A playoff team,” Eggleton said. “We just gave a very good Triple-A team all they could handle tonight.”

KC rushed for 385 yards in the game.

Cl-Limestone 6 6 8 14 — 34

Karns City 14 14 0 7 — 35

First Quarter

KC — Dalton Beham 65 run (Clay Garing kick), 11:15

C-L — Ayden Wiles 2 run (run failed), 4:21

KC — Sebastian Troutman 1 run (Garing kick), :40

Second Quarter

KC — Clay Garing 14 run (Garing kick), 7:28

KC — Garing 33 pass from Anthony Kamenski (Garing kick), 4:34

C-L — Riley Hummell 67 pass from Brenden Makray (run failed), 3:18

Third Quarter

C-L — Austin Newxcomb 72 pass from Makray (Riley Hummell run), 2:30

Fourth Quarter

C-L — Kyle Kerle 84 pass from Makray (pass failed), 10:19

C-L — Colby Himes 1 run (Ayden Wiles pass from Makray), 3:15

KC — Garing 5 run (Garing kick), :35

Individual Statistics

Rushing: Clarion-Limestone, Brenden Makray 2-(-4), Riley Hummell 3-10, Austin Newcomb 2-3, Ayden Wiles 5-22, Colby Himes 1-1. Karns City, Anthony Kamemnski 2-17, Dalton Beham 5-1-04, Sebastian 12-73, Clay Garing 27-134, Noah Kepple 2-14, Mitchell Kelsea 1-4, Josh Wimer 2-(-3), Hunter Jones 6-23, TEAM 1-(-3), Hunter Rowe 1-5, Devin Ryan 5-16.

Passing: Clarion-Limestone, Brenden Makray 19-30-497-1. Karrns City, Anthony Kamenski 4-9-79-0.

Receiving: Clarion-Limestone, Riley Hummell 3-85, Austin Newcomb 5-140, Trey Haines 1-7, Kyle Kerle 10-257. Karns City, Noah Kepple 1-9, Clay Garing 1-33, Trevor Knox 1-11, Devin Ryan 1-27.