Mahomet-Seymour advances from first round of IHSA playoffs
By Fred Kroner
Mahomet-Seymour’s football team started the postseason on Friday (Oct. 28) in the same manner as it ended the regular season.
The Bulldogs made Ottawa its sixth opponent this year (and fourth in a row) to face a second-half running clock after M-S carved out a 40-point lead. The Bulldogs topped Ottawa, 40-14, in a Class 5A first-round playoff game at Frank Dutton Field.
“Six of the last seven games (featuring a running clock) is pretty special,” M-S coach Jon Adkins said.
The defense had a hand in the outcome, scoring the team’s final two touchdowns on interception returns.
Braden Houchin returned his pick 33 yards for a score with 3 minutes and 25 seconds left in the first half.
Donnovan Lewis started the second-half scoring with a 42-yard interception return at the 10:13 mark of the third period.
Both TDs were followed by two-point conversions from Valient Walsh, and the running clock was in play during the game’s final 22:13.
The Bulldogs’ first-team defense limited the visiting Pirates to negative yards rushing while they were in the game. Thanks to a pair of long scoring runs (covering 72 total yards), Ottawa finished with 56 yards rushing and a 1.8-yard per attempt average.
“Our offense had their blunders, but the defense picked them up,” Adkins said. “Great teams find a way to get the job done and I’m proud of the kids for getting the job done.”
Brennan Houser recovered an Ottawa fumble and the Bulldogs registered four sacks, two by Mateo Casillas.
“This (Ottawa) team is known for running the ball and our defense looked pretty sharp,” Adkins said, “and we were able to capitalize when they did pass.”
The tackling leaders were Nick Golden (six), Houser (five), Lewis (four) and Ben Wagner (four).
Offensively, Wyatt Bohm once again etched his name in the record books. Two of the first three M-S touchdowns were on passes from Bohm to Quenton Rogers. They were the 58th and 59th career TD tosses for Bohm, who tied the school mark (held by Joe Kenney from 2012-14) with the first one and broke the record with the second one.
Bohm is in his second year as the varsity quarterback.
The pass plays covered 40 and 60 yards, respectively. In between, Rogers had a 12-yard rushing TD.
Rogers finished with his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game. He totaled 118 yards on four catches.
“Q is a stud,” Adkins said. “Any time the ball is in his hands, he’s capable of making things happen.
“Our running game did enough to keep the other team honest.”
For the game, M-S was outgained by Ottawa, 195-186. Rogers led the Bulldogs in rushing with 11 yards. Brayden Garrett gained 10 yards on the ground.
The Bulldogs were without their top rusher for the season, Luke Johnson, who sustained an ankle injury early in the regular-season finale.
Placekicker Kyle Walmer nailed his second field goal of the season, a 25-yarder in the second quarter, and was 3-for-3 on extra-point attempts one week after he broke the 17-year-old season record for career conversions.
Walmer now owns the career record at M-S for extra point kicks made (127) as well as the season mark for conversions (54). The previous records were 100 and 50, respectively.
Adkins is hopeful that Johnson can return to action in the quarterfinals, if M-S is able to win in the second round. Johnson is within 24 yards of reaching the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season.
The top-seeded Bulldogs (10-0) will play eighth-seeded Metamora (7-3) at 6 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 5) in Mahomet with the winner advancing to the quarterfinals. Should M-S win, the quarterfinal game would be played on the road, either at Morris or Centralia.
Though M-S was whistled for just two penalties against Ottawa, the team converted only three of nine third-down attempts.
Adkins is looking for improvement in the upcoming game.
“Survive and advance,” he said. “We’ll try to make the most of it and be at our best in the second round.”
Because the Bulldogs played their playoff game on Friday, Adkins was able to scout the Metamora/Jacksonville game in person on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s definitely nice to witness a game live,” Adkins said. “Film can be deceiving as far as speed and physicality.”
Adkins knows exactly what his team can expect in the second-round showdown.
“They are big and strong – you can tell they live in the weight room – and are incredibly physical,” Adkins said. “They do what they do very well.
“They are a typical Metamora team.”
The Redbirds’ catalyst is senior quarterback Kaden Hartnett, who rushed for 152 yards in a 38-21 win over Morton (a team M-S defeated 51-14) and passed for 184 yards in a 42-7 win over Limestone.
“They are reliant on their quarterback,” Adkins said. “He is Mr. Do-It-All, but they have other pieces besides him.”
Against Jacksonville, Metamora had a 119-yard rushing performance from Kameron Davis. Hartnett ran for 87 yards and passed for 186 on 7-of-8 accuracy against the Crimsons in the 68-34 Metamora runaway.
Defensive end Tyler Kasap – whose grandfather Mike played on the 1947 Rose Bowl-winning University of Illinois team as a tackle – intercepted two passes, returning one for a TD.
“They maybe compare to Quincy Notre Dame as far as size,” Adkins said. “Quincy Notre Dame was probably the biggest team we’ve played. Take Quincy’s size, then add physical toughness.
“No doubt, we will have to play our best game of the year.”
