By Fred Kroner
Mahomet-Seymour’s football team scored two touchdowns in the final 3 ½ minutes of the first half and another in less than 2 minutes of the third quarter which led to a 53-22 homecoming blowout at Frank Dutton Field on Friday (Sept. 17).
Quarterback Wyatt Bohm completed 13 of 20 passes for a career-high 309 yards and four touchdowns.
Bohm connected with Quenton Rogers on a 59-yard scoring play at 7 minutes and four seconds of the first period.
The first of five extra-point placements by Kyle Walmer gave M-S a 7-0 start.
Bohm doesn’t necessarily need to wing the ball downfield to pile up the yardage.
“At the end of the day, Wyatt is getting the ball to his people in space,” M-S coach Jon Adkins said. “It was a 2- or 3-yard screen to Quenton on third-and-long and he takes it 59 yards.
“What a tone-setter that was. We had (linemen) Mikane Didier, Brayden Smith and Will Jones get out in front and block.”
Luke Johnson scored the first of his three TDs before the first quarter ended, but the Bulldogs held only a 14-8 edge before Johnson scored again at 3:03 before halftime.
“When you throw in homecoming, playing after a big win over Mount Zion (the previous week) and the distractions, I’m proud of the way the kids responded,” Adkins said. “We ended up going ahead, 46-8. Normally scenarios like this don’t end up the way it did.”
Adkins said the team camaraderie is an important factor.
“This is the closest group of kids I’ve ever been around,” he said. “From sophomores through seniors, we live the motto, ‘Family Strong,’ on a daily basis. They’ve hung on and they pull for one another.”
Bohm ended the first half and started the second half in the same manner, by tossing TD passes. He hooked up with Dream Eagle on a 42-yard route with 44 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Valient Walsh took a 49-yard pass into the end zone with 10:19 left in the third period.
Johnson and Rogers found the end zone again in the third quarter. The final M-S points came in the final stanza when team interception leader Ethan Grindley rambled 46 yards to score after picking off a pass.
The Bulldogs amassed a season-high 464 yards of total offense.
Defensively, Ashton Heiser had a team-high six tackles. Mitch Gallier had five stops. Nick Golden and Braden Houchin each ended with four tackles
Houchin also had an interception.
M-S has a solid nucleus along the defensive front.
“We call it the six-pack, the six kids in the box,” Adkins said. “They’ve done a great job all season.
The group features Ryan Yancy and Mateo Casillas as the ends, Jack Gallier at noseguard, Mitch Gallier at middle linebacker and Logan Petro and Nick Golden as inside linebackers.
“Those six can flat-out play ball,” Adkins said. “As strong as we are offensively, we’re just as strong on defense.
“It’s tough for teams to decide where to attack us.”
The players are all-in with their support.
“Jack Gallier was All-Area last year, but if someone else has a tackle, he’ll be the first to get there and celebrate,” Adkins said. “They all want each and every kid to be successful.”
Even though the Bulldogs didn’t achieve a running clock in the game, a situation that occurs when a team has a 40-point lead, Adkins said that is not necessarily bad.
He had the chance to get his second unit in action against Lincoln’s first-stringers.
Hats off to the backups who fought and gave their best effort,” Adkins said. “One of our goals was we wanted those kids to get some varsity minutes.
“They’re on our Scout Team and give us a good look (at practice), this week more than ever because we faced a brand new offense (from the Railsplitters).”
M-S (4-0) returns to action on Friday (Sept. 24) at Charleston, Adkins’ alma mater. He graduated in 2005.
“The kids know how I feel about Charleston,” Adkins said. “There is a respect level there, but at the end of the day, I had my moment when I played, but I’m not a player anymore. I chose this job and I’m a Bulldog through and through.”
This week starts a series of three consecutive road games, requiring trips to Quincy and Taylorville in the subsequent weeks.
With one more win, the Bulldogs will become playoff-eligible. Schools need five wins to be considered for the IHSA postseason.
