EVANSVILLE - For senior Michael Johnson, call Evansville-Albany's thrilling 21-14 victory over Edgerton High a great boys night out.
Johnson zipped through a hole on the left side of the Crimson Tide defense and shot 79 yards for touchdown in the fourth quarter to catapult the Blue Devils to a stunning Rock Valley North victory.
Johnson's jaw-dropping run that included a few swift jukes to reach the pay dirt came 1 minute, 46 seconds to play.
"The hole was opened," Johnson said. "My boys up front did it all. They stepped it up the last play, dug down and got it done."
Johnson gained 231 yards on 28 carries. His touchdown run was his 10th carry of the quarter.
The cat-quick Johnson is generously listed as 5-foot, 8-inches and 160 pounds. Johnson said he doesn't mind the work.
"Practice is what conditions us," Johnson said. "Work hard in practice, and games are easy. That's what it comes down to."
Evansville coach Ron Grovesteen said he doesn't expect Johnson to deliver game-changing runs.
"With Michael, you just keep working," Grovesteen said. "We are just looking for four, five yards, not whole bunch."
Edgerton coach Mike Gregory was impressed with Johnson's performance.
"What a game," Gregory said. "He is lightning quick and you never get shot at him. That was the game, that kid."
Gregory was hoping the Tide could deny Evansville and extend the game.
"I was hoping we could get to overtime," Gregory said. "But a 79-yard run, that just breaks you back."
Johnson's jaw-dropping touchdown scoot sealed a push-me; pull you affair as penalties and fumbles snuffed promising drives for both teams. Edgerton had five penalties for 35 yards and Evansville had three for 65 yard. The teams combined for five fumbles, each losing one apiece.
"That's high school football," Grovesteen said. "You just have to overcome the penalties."
Evansville scored first on Owen Schoenenberger's two-yard run. Johnson keyed the drive with a 34-yard run on his sixth carry of the game.
The Crimson Tide bounced back in the second quarter when Sutton DeVoll hit a wide-open Lucas Gregory in full stride for an 80-yard TD pass connection with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter.
Edgerton scored on a Jacob Grams' four-yard run with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Rick Williams converted a two-point run to send the teams into halftime tied 14-14.
Sifting through his team's missed opportunities, Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said the Tide could not gain control of the line of scrimmage.
"That's where football games are won," Gregory said. "We had a hard time moving them up front."
Gregory said the Tide played well in the first half, but lost momentum in the second stanza.
Edgerton ran the ball only three times in the fourth quarter and the quarterback tandem of DeVoll and Brooks Johnson threw 19 passes and completed seven.
"The second half, we didn't do as many good things. We were on our heels," Gregory said. "We couldn't run the ball. They were controlling up front and they took the run away and we had to pass, and when people know you are going to pass, you are not nearly as effective."
The Tide began life without 1,000-yard running back senior Peter Linsley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. The load fell to Jacob Grams, who gained 95 yards on 21 carries.
"It's tough to lose to Evansville." Gregory said. "It's always tough to lose to Evansville, but we did."
Johnson zipped through a hole on the left side of the Crimson Tide defense and shot 79 yards for touchdown in the fourth quarter to catapult the Blue Devils to a stunning Rock Valley North victory.
Johnson's jaw-dropping run that included a few swift jukes to reach the pay dirt came 1 minute, 46 seconds to play.
"The hole was opened," Johnson said. "My boys up front did it all. They stepped it up the last play, dug down and got it done."
Johnson gained 231 yards on 28 carries. His touchdown run was his 10th carry of the quarter.
The cat-quick Johnson is generously listed as 5-foot, 8-inches and 160 pounds. Johnson said he doesn't mind the work.
"Practice is what conditions us," Johnson said. "Work hard in practice, and games are easy. That's what it comes down to."
Evansville coach Ron Grovesteen said he doesn't expect Johnson to deliver game-changing runs.
"With Michael, you just keep working," Grovesteen said. "We are just looking for four, five yards, not whole bunch."
Edgerton coach Mike Gregory was impressed with Johnson's performance.
"What a game," Gregory said. "He is lightning quick and you never get shot at him. That was the game, that kid."
Gregory was hoping the Tide could deny Evansville and extend the game.
"I was hoping we could get to overtime," Gregory said. "But a 79-yard run, that just breaks you back."
Johnson's jaw-dropping touchdown scoot sealed a push-me; pull you affair as penalties and fumbles snuffed promising drives for both teams. Edgerton had five penalties for 35 yards and Evansville had three for 65 yard. The teams combined for five fumbles, each losing one apiece.
"That's high school football," Grovesteen said. "You just have to overcome the penalties."
Evansville scored first on Owen Schoenenberger's two-yard run. Johnson keyed the drive with a 34-yard run on his sixth carry of the game.
The Crimson Tide bounced back in the second quarter when Sutton DeVoll hit a wide-open Lucas Gregory in full stride for an 80-yard TD pass connection with 7:20 remaining in the second quarter.
Edgerton scored on a Jacob Grams' four-yard run with 30 seconds remaining in the half. Rick Williams converted a two-point run to send the teams into halftime tied 14-14.
Sifting through his team's missed opportunities, Edgerton coach Mike Gregory said the Tide could not gain control of the line of scrimmage.
"That's where football games are won," Gregory said. "We had a hard time moving them up front."
Gregory said the Tide played well in the first half, but lost momentum in the second stanza.
Edgerton ran the ball only three times in the fourth quarter and the quarterback tandem of DeVoll and Brooks Johnson threw 19 passes and completed seven.
"The second half, we didn't do as many good things. We were on our heels," Gregory said. "We couldn't run the ball. They were controlling up front and they took the run away and we had to pass, and when people know you are going to pass, you are not nearly as effective."
The Tide began life without 1,000-yard running back senior Peter Linsley, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last week. The load fell to Jacob Grams, who gained 95 yards on 21 carries.
"It's tough to lose to Evansville." Gregory said. "It's always tough to lose to Evansville, but we did."
