Wilmington loses regular season finale
Wilmington (21) vs. Karns City (22)
Written: Nov 01, 2008
  By DAN IRWIN
d_irwin@ncnewsonline.com
On Halloween night, the only thing haunting Karns City head coach Ed Conto were turnovers.
Two weeks ago, they were responsible for the Gremlins’ only loss of the year when Moniteau converted two of them into scores en route to a one-point win. At Wilmington last night, the Greyhounds, too, cashed in a pair of take-aways while building a 15-point, third quarter lead.
But with just over two minutes to play, the Gremlins exorcised their demons. Karns City turned a Wilmington fumble into a go-ahead score, then thwarted the ’Hounds’ final drive with an interception to rally for a 22-21 nonleague win.
“It was the same old bug I was concerned about, the stupid turnovers,” Conto said. “They cost us the Moniteau game, it cost us at Redbank and Clarion. We had four of them. Rightfully, we shouldn’t have won the game.
“But again, my kids, great compliment on the fact that there were able to come back and they didn’t let that stop them.”
The game turned in the fourth quarter when Wilmington quarterback Shane Wagner lost a snap from backup center Joe Bloise, who had just replaced limping starter Clint DeRosa. The turnover, coming just one play after Karns City had cut Wilmington’s lead to 21-15 on a 28-yard Josh Grenninger field goal, gave the Gremlins the ball at the ’Hounds’ 24.
Eight plays later, an 11-yard screen pass from Jake Pyle to Markus Lavan and Grenninger’s PAT put Karns City up by one with 2:11 to go.
Josh Callender then intercepted Wagner at midfield with 1:22 remaining to seal the win.
“(Turnovers) cost them, because their center was out of the game,” Conto said. “We even said, ‘Look, their center’s out of the game, be ready for the ball on the ground,’ and the good Lord smiled on us that time.”
Karns City (9-1) got another fortunate bounce on its deciding drive when Pyle appeared to be snowed under for a loss on fourth and 2 at the 15. But as Wilmington fans roared their approval, the ball squirted loose, and was scooped up by LaVan, who advanced it to the 11 for a first down.
“It was a true fumble, it wasn’t anything we did,” Conto said. “It was a lucky thing for us.”
For its part, Wilmington (9-1) converted an interception by Wagner into a 20-play, 91-yard scoring drive, capped by Jake DeMedal’s 1-yard run. The Greyhounds also took a Gremlins third-quarter fumble and marched 30 yards in seven plays, with Shane Wagner passing 8 yards to cousin Matt Wagner for a score.
In between, Wilmington got its own lucky bounce when a Wagner pass went off the fingertips of Sutton Whiting and into the arms of tight end Dallas Hartman for a 49-yard scoring strike.
Still, the ’Hounds also had their problems.
Wilmington not only wound up surrendering the deciding TD on a fourth-and-10 play, it also allowed Karns City to score on a fourth-and-3 from the 10 late in the third quarter and on fourth and 14 from the 27 early in the second.
Offensively, the ’Hounds failed to score after marching as far as the Gremlins 20 in the first quarter, and getting the ball on the Karns City 21 just before the half, following a Derrick Burns pick.
“They played hard, they’re a good football team, scrappy bunch,” Wilmington head coach Terry Verrelli said of Karns City. “We made mistakes that just can’t be made if we’re going to go anywhere in the playoffs.”
And speaking of the playoffs, a hard-fought, one-point loss may not have been the worst thing in the world for Wilmington, which posted eight of its nine wins via the mercy rule.
“It could be a good thing,” said Verrelli, whose team opens PIAA District 10 Class AA postseason play next week. “It’s better that it happens now and you work on it and straighten it out, or you’re going home from now on.”
KARNS CITY WILMINGTON
12 First downs 11
140 Yards Rushing 116
50 Yards Lost 32
90 Net Rushing 84
13 Passes Attempted 19
8 Passes Completed 9
2 Passes Intercepted 1
120 Yards Passing 158
210 Total Yards 242
4-2 Fumbles-Lost 2-2
1-30 Punts-Average 2-35
1-5 Penalties-Yards 3-40
KARNS CITY 0 6 6 10 — 22
WILMINGTON 0 7 14 0 — 21
Scoring plays
KARNS CITY — Cody Williams, 27-yard pass from Jake Pyle (kick failed).
WILMINGTON — Jake DeMedal, 1-yard run (Bryce Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Dallas Hartman, 49-yard pass from Shane Wagner (Wilson kick).
WILMINGTON — Matt Wagner, 8-yard pass from Shane Wagner (Wilson kick).
KARNS CITY — Pyle, 10-yard run (run failed).
KARNS CITY — Josh Grenninger, 28-yard field goal.
KARNS CITY — Markus LaVan, 11-yard pass from Pyle (Grenninger kick).
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