By Fred Kroner
Senior Night for the Mahomet-Seymour football program turned into a night to remember for the Bulldogs’ seniors on Friday (Oct. 7).
Five seniors scored touchdowns and a sixth senior threw five touchdown passes as the state-ranked Bulldogs (No. 3 in Class 5A) blitzed Taylorville, 58-6, at Frank Dutton Field.
Wyatt Bohm connected on TD tosses to Valient Walsh (twice), Adam Dyer, Quenton Rogers and Carter Selk, all of whom are seniors.
Senior Ryan Koller, who carried the ball seven times, also reached the end zone once as did junior Luke Johnson.
Senior placekicker Kyle Walmer converted 6 of 7 extra-point attempts and also threw a two-point conversion pass to Selk after the first M-S score, with 8 minutes and 37 seconds left in the opening period.
“We talked all week of running the ‘Kyle Special,’ after our first score,” M-S coach Jon Adkins said. “It was batted around and landed in Carter’s lap.”
The 8-0 margin stood until the final 2:31 of the quarter. Starting with a 5-yard scoring run by Johnson (who rushed for a game-high 41 yards), the Bulldogs scored four TDs in a span of 3 minutes and 24 seconds while building a lead that grew to 49-0 before halftime.
Twenty five seconds after Johnson scored, Donnovan Lewis returned a fumble 23 yards for a score.
Taylorville fumbled away the ball on its next play from scrimmage, with Jayvon Irwin pouncing on the loose ball.
That set up a 38-yard screen pass from Bohm to Dyer, who has scored TDs on three of his seven receptions this season.
In the first minute of the second quarter, Bohn tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Walsh.
“We did exactly what our expectation was,” Adkins said. “Get in, get the job done and get out healthy.”
The Bulldogs suffered no new injuries, though two injured starters (Mateo Casillas and Ben Wagner) did not play against the Tornadoes.
Adkins said their status is “day-to-day,” but added, “I don’t want to rush them back.”
He was pleased by his team’s focus against an opponent which has a 1-6 season record.
“It’s easy for teams to take a night off when it’s the Senior game and not be as focused,” he said, “but we showed why we are the team we are.
“It’s like I preached, ‘You’ll get the most out of this week on Tuesday and Wednesday (at practice), so focus on having a tough week and absolutely getting after it.”
With a running clock for the entire second half, after M-S built a lead in excess of 40 points, the starters sat out the final 24 minutes.
“Even with no starters in, we won the second half, 9-0,” Adkins said.
The final points came on a safety, thanks to senior Nick Demos, of whom Adkins said, “he put great pressure on the punter.”
Senior Jake Waldinger intercepted a pass.
“The kids deserved it and earned it,” Adkins said. “What a way to honor our seniors on their special night.”
Senior Ethan Harrell filled in for Wagner and helped limit Taylorville to 83 total yards of offense on 45 plays from scrimmage.
For the fourth time in the last six games, the Bulldogs’ opponents averaged less than 2 yards per running play for the entire game.
“Our box guys, Ethan, Ryan (Yancy), Jayvon, Jack (Gallier), Nick (Golden) and Brennan (Houser) were outstanding,” Adkins said.
Adkins and his players are willing to sacrifice some statistics now with the hopes that the second-half time off benefits the team in future weeks.
“I truly believe being fresh and healthy going into the postseason means so much more,” Adkins said.
M-S (7-0) returns to action on Friday (Oct. 14) at Mattoon (1-6).
“Our kids never take any game lightly,” Adkins said. “It’s their Senior Night and they want to shock the world and be the team that beats the No. 3 (state) team.
“I will tell them, ‘This is not a field trip. This is a business trip.’”
The Bulldogs will regain the services of junior Colby Crowley, who was injured in the preseason and hasn’t yet played in a game.
“He will give us depth in the defensive backfield and that’s a nice comfort,” Adkins said.
