Wildcat Gridders Fall To Karns City In District Nine Opener (Posted 10/25/20)

on 25 October, 2020 at 18:35

The Central Clarion Wildcats fell in the District Nine Play, to the visiting Karns City Gremlins, 34-9 at Memorial Stadium on Friday (October 23rd). But with this Covid crazy season being what it is, there is a possibility that the Wildcats may be able to still arrange to pick up another game.

(Image by Laura Burford) Ethan Burford and Cal German

Central opened the scoring, on their second possession. The Wildcats started the drive at their own forty-four and marched down to the Gremlins’ six yard line and on a 4th and 3, elected to go for a Beau Verdill field goal. Verdill was on the mark for the twenty-three yarder, giving the Wildcats a 3-0 lead, with 4:30 left in the first quarter.

(Image by Mindi Verdill) After the game: (L-R) Beau Verdill, Ethan Burford, Cutter Boggess and Cooper Shall.

The Gremlins answered with a forty-eight yard touchdown pass from Eric Booher to Gage Cowoski down the left sideline, at 2:51 in the opening stanza. Owen Colwell was good on the extra point, giving KC a 7-3 lead.

Karns City moved their lead to 13-3 on a one yard run, up the middle, by Luke Gahring with 4:05 on the second quarter clock.

Gahring would score on a two yard run, with 9:41 left in the third. Colwell’s point after was good and the Gremlins led 20-3.

Cole Coon ran the ball in from the two for the Gremlins, with 10:14 left in the game and with Colwell’s PAT, KC led 27-3.

(Image by Mindi Verdill) Logan Lerch and Beau Verdill

The Wildcats would close the gap to 27-9, with 9:41 left, with Cal German hitting Hunter Craddock down the right sideline on a 50 yard touchdown aerial. But the Gremlins would answer with two yard touchdown run by Gahring. Colwell’s kick set the final score.

CAT QUOTES

Coach Wiser

This has been, up to this point a really good season. I’m disappointed that weren’t able to win. I thought we had a great week of practice and we just, for whatever reason, made so many mistakes, coming out to night.

And we had changes to some personnel due to injuries and so forth. Jason didn’t play. On offense he is usually pretty steady wide receiver. We had to move around some formations; that hurt us a little bit coming in there.

I give Karns City a lot of credit. They came down. And I think we had our opportunity, that first quarter, but we just couldn’t cash things in. A hold here, off-sides here, you can’t win these kind of games doing that.

But the season’s not over yet. I have no idea what our schedule will be next week. I know that originally we were to play Moniteau. But, I think because we were in the playoffs, and us anticipating, hoping we’d be moving on, they wanted to play someone else. I think they picked up Warren.

So we’ll see what happens. We don’t want to end on this note. This has been kind of unique to this whole thing.

(Thanks to Laura Burford and Mindi Verdill for the images. Great run, Wildcats!!!!)