Just like that, we have reached the final week of the 2024 high school football regular season.
For some teams, Week 9 will be their final game. For others, a tune-up before the beginning of postseason play. Some teams are trying to get one more in the W column to give them the best possible seed for the 2024 IHSA Playoffs, and others are trying to get that critical 5th win to sneak them into the playoffs.
Then there is Carmi-White County and Johnston City, two teams battling for the Black Diamond Conference Title. A win for the Bulldogs would create a three-way tie with CWC, Sesser-Valier, and Johnston City. A win for the Indians will give them the BDC title outright for the 4th time in 5 years.
Johnston City enters Friday’s game with an 7-1 record, and a 7-0 BDC record. The Indians picked up a non-conference game with Dixon, a top-5 team in 4A, in Week 7 and lost 40-14. Outside of that defeat, the Indians have been dominant. JC has outscored BDC opponents 318-86. Their defense has been their anchor in Todd Thomas’ tenure, but since their offense moved to the foot-to-foot double wing formation in 2022, they’ve been hard to stop.
The Indians’ offensive game plan is pretty simple, run the ball. However, what makes them so tough to stop is trying to figure out who has the football and where they’re going with it. JC will spread the wealth between five different running backs. Senior Nolan Causey (#3 5’10 160 lbs) has been the Indians’ biggest piece on offense this year, and he has given the Bulldogs fits in his high school career. As a sophomore, Causey returned two kickoffs deep into Carmi territory that sparked a comeback victory for the Indians. Last year as a junior, Causey had 131 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in JC’s 36-6 win in week 9. This season he has been their number one option, with 82 carries for 735 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns including rushing for 142 yards and 2 touchdowns last week against Sesser-Valier. Causey has also caught 7 passes this season for 109 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Jace Weaver (#22 5’4 145 lbs Jr) is the team’s big play threat. He’s the smallest kid on the field, and probably the fastest. Weaver has rushed for 733 yards and 8 touchdowns on 60 carries. Marcus Leitzen (#33 6’0 195 lbs So) has 298 rush yards on 31 attempts and 3 touchdowns, and Trey Johnson (#11 5’10 145 lbs Jr) has 219 yards and 2 touchdowns on 31 carries.
The Indians will hit you with speed and more speed, and then come back at you with their big fullback, Evan Sanders. Sanders (6’1 245 lbs Sr) won’t get the ball as much as Causey or Weaver, but he’s hard to bring down on 3rd and short and 4th and short. Sanders has 119 yards and 4 touchdowns on the year on 28 carries.
For the Bulldogs, this will be their toughest challenge of the season bar none, but Carmi has been playing their best ball of the season as of late. The Dogs have won 4 in a row, with an average margin of victory of 28 points.
During this four-game win streak, senior Noah Pollard has averaged 227 rushing yards per game. There will be no doubt that JC will try to limit Pollard’s production, which will open opportunities for Kade Stockton and Kale Wiggins. Stockton has found the end zone 6 times in the last 4 games, and Wiggins has come alive as a consistent third option in the Bulldog offense. Wiggins has rushed for 274 yards and 3 touchdowns in the last 3 games.
In order to win, the Bulldogs will need to continue the success they’ve had on offense over the last 4 weeks.
It seems like every time these two teams play, there are huge implications on the line. We all remember the 2022 matchup between 7-0 CWC and 7-0 JC, that ended in heartbreak for the Bulldogs. That Indian team made it all the way to the 2A Semifinals that season. Once again this season there is a lot on the line for these two teams, not only a conference championship, but major playoff implications.
Heading into Week 9, there are 17 teams in 2A with either an 8-0 or 7-1 record. With undefeated Chester and Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond as underdogs , there is a possibility that there will be zero 9-0 teams in the southern 2A bracket. So what does that mean for Carmi and JC? The winner will be a top 8 seed, hosting a first round playoff game, meanwhile the loser will more than likely hit the road in the opening round.
The Bulldogs are still looking for their first BDC Championship since 2011. They had a chance to win the BDC in the aforementioned 2022 matchup against the Indians. In 2016, the Bulldogs entered week 9 with a 7-1 record, needing to beat 4-4 Sesser-Valier to win a share of the conference title. The Dogs were upset 26-7 and eventually lost in the first round of the playoffs. In 2011, Carmi-White County took care of business against Elverado/Trico 63-6 to complete the undefeated season and win their first BDC title in 5 years. In 2003, 8-0 Carmi-White County met 7-1 Johnston City in week 9. A win for Carmi clinched the conference and a win for JC would set up a 3-way tie between CWC, JC and Carterville. The Bulldogs won in convincing fashion, 46-13 to give CWC the crown in their first year in the BDC. That team would go on to nearly make the semi-finals, and is thought of as one of the best teams in school history.
Calpreps.com predicts the Indians to win, 48-28.
Fans who can’t make the long road trip to Johnston City can watch and listen to the game on 97.3 FM WRUL and the WRUL Sports YouTube Channel.
