Hunter Whitecotton for River Radio Sports Central
JOHNSTON CITY – The Johnston City Indians closed out the regular season in dominant fashion Friday night, celebrating senior night with a 36-18 victory over Sesser-Valier/Waltonville. The win clinches the Black Diamond Conference championship with a perfect 9-0 record.
After falling behind early, the Indians stormed back with 36 unanswered points, fueled by a punishing rushing attack and a defense that came up with several key takeaways.
“We think four tough yards at a time, and we want to play smash-mouth football,” junior Marcus Leitzen said. “Kudos to our O-line — they’re dogs. Coach Mummert and those guys always have a great game plan, and we just follow it and find success.”
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville jumped out to an early lead on its first drive, as quarterback Trace Payne powered in from a yard out to make it 6-0 with 7:27 left in the opening quarter.
Johnston City wasted little time responding. Leitzen punched in a two-yard touchdown to even things at 6-6 by the end of the first.
The second quarter was all Indians. The defense snatched a pair of interceptions — one each from Leitzen and Wyatt Henderson — with Henderson’s pick setting up a 98-yard drive capped by a 21-yard Leitzen touchdown run. The ensuing two-point conversion gave Johnston City a 14-6 halftime lead.
“It feels great,” Leitzen said. “We’ve been working hard all year, and I love our seniors. They’ve helped me grow so much, and putting up that kind of performance for them means everything.”
The Indians blew the game open after halftime. Trey Johnson raced 51 yards to the end zone just 90 seconds into the third quarter, and Jace Hampton added a 43-yard touchdown run midway through the frame. Hampton struck again early in the fourth, scoring from five yards out to make it 36-6 with just over 10 minutes to play.
“We don’t have a lot of guys, so when we can rotate in some of the younger players and still have success, it helps keep everyone fresh,” head coach Nick Mummert said. “That pays off big in the long run.”
The Red Devils put together a late surge, as Payne added another one-yard touchdown run with 4:58 remaining and later connected with Kyan Short on a five-yard scoring pass, but it wasn’t enough to close the gap. Sesser-Valier/Waltonville finishes the regular season at 6-3 and is expected to open the IHSA playoffs on the road. With a 9-0 record, Johnston City will host a first-round playoff matchup next week at “The Ralph.”
“Our fans have always been incredible,” Mummert said. “I’d put them up against any fan base anywhere. There’s no doubt this place will be absolutely electric next week.”
Teams and fans will find out the playoff pairings Saturday night.
