SVW hands Mules first loss
Red Devils' defense shuts out Fairfield late; wins 34-22
09/19/2025
BY JACK BULLOCK
FAIRFIELD - After a dismal offensive showing in a 14-6 loss at home to Red Hill on September 12, the Sesser-Valier/Waltonville Red Devils and head coach Nick Wingo were looking for a much better effort when they traveled to Fairfield for a Week 4 showdown with the Mules.

In what turned out to be a defense optional first half for both teams, the Red Devils got their offense in gear early and a second half defense stand got the job done as they kept the hosts off the scoreboard in the final 28:26 of the contest.

SVW secured a 34-22 win, improving to 2-2 on the season, while keeping playoff hopes alive for what would be their 10th consecutive postseason appearance.

Fairfield and head coach Justin Townsend lost for the first time this season, dropping to 3-1.

Senior running back Jace Erwin racked up 182-yards on the ground on just 18 attempts and scored the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter for SVW.

Kyan Short scored twice on pass completions and came up with a pair of big time defensive plays to stop potential scoring drives by Fairfield.

Added all up, the Red Devils picked up an important road victory.

“It all started with film on Monday. We had to tear that apart and we all had to look in the mirror. Then we got to work this week. We wanted the kids to respond and it showed tonight,” said Coach Wingo. “It was like a heavyweight fight there early. But luckily we came out on top in the end.”

Coach Townsend and Company can look back on missed opportunities in the second half for the defeat.

Total yardage was close with SVW holding an edge (402-322) but two turnovers by the hosts, both deep in the Red Devils territory in the second half, doomed the Mules.

Senior quarterback Trace Payne threw for 105-yards and TD while completing 6-of-7 tosses for the Red Devils.

He added 37-yards on the ground, including two of the SVW scores.

Sophomore Jacob Potts also contributed to the ground attack with 67-yards on 10 attempts.

Senior Michael Barner led the Mules in rushing, gaining 125-yards on 20 carries, including a touchdown.

Logan Tullis added 66-yards on nine tries on the ground and scored a TD while Cooper Berg pounded out 31-yards on 11 attempts with a touchdown.

Quarterback Jude Carter was 2-of-8 for 62-yards but he threw two interceptions.

The defenses for both teams weren't on par with the offenses in the first half.

Both teams marched down the field at will as each team scored on their first two possessions.

The Mules took the game's opening kick and marched 74-yards in just five plays.

Tullis went 53-yards on the first play from scrimmage, taking the ball to the SVW 21.

With Barner and Tullis carrying the ball, and with a help of a penalty against the Red Devils, Fairfield reached a first and goal inside the 10.

Berg finished the drive with a one-yard TD run.

A two-point conversion run by Tullis made it 8-0 Mules with 9:59 left in the first quarter.

SVW matched the drive by Fairfield with a 10-play, 61-yard march.

With Erwin and Potts carrying the ball the most, the Red Devils got to the Fairfield eight-yard line where Payne found Short on a pass in the endzone for their first TD.

An Erwin run for the PAT evened the score at 8-8 at the 4:53 mark.

Recovering a short kickoff at their own 47, Fairfield made quick work of the 53-yards to the SVW goal line.

The Mules pounded the ball on the ground with Berg, Tullis and Barner taking turns punishing the Red Devils' defense.

Barner finished the drive with a 21-yard scoring run, where he broke three different tackle attempts before reaching the endzone.

Barner added the PAT run for a 16-8 Fairfield advantage.

SVW turned right around and moved into Mules' territory on a drive that started at their own 45.

A pass interference penalty on Carter helped the Devils moved the ball to the 40-yard line.

Erwin then took a hand off and went down the right sideline before cutting back to the middle and sprinting towards the Mules endzone.

He was brought down at the Fairfield two-yard line.

Payne took care of the rest on the next play with a two-yard score.

Potts' PAT run evened the score at 16-16 with :50.5 remaining in a high octane first period.
The first defensive stop of the game came on the Mules next possession.

SVW forced Fairfield to punt with a fourth-and-eight from their own 40 early in the second quarter.

Then came what turned out to be the longest play of the contest.

On a second-and-two from their own 28, Payne looked down the right sideline for Short.

His pass found the mark as Short took the ball in stride and headed down the right sideline.

The pitch-and-catch resulted in a 72-yard scoring strike.

Although the Red Devils failed on its two-point run, they had their first lead at 22-16 with 10:17 left in the half.

With 68-yards to go on their next drive, the Mules took 14-plays and a bunch of clock to score the game tying touchdown.

Facing fourth-and-one from the SVW two, Tullis ran up the middle for the TD.

Like the previous Red Devils score, the Mules failed on a two-point run and the score stood at 22-22 with 4:34 left in the second quarter.

Sesser-Valier/Waltonville put together a scoring drive that chewed up nearly all of the remaining time of the first half.

The Mules nearly got the defensive stop that they needed after the Red Devils reached the 15-yard line with under a minute left.

A quarterback sack by Fairfield's Lane Robson pushed the ball back to the 18.

But another Erwin run to the left through the defense got the ball to the three-yard line.

Payne took care of the rest with a run into the endzone with just :15.9 left.

The PAT pass failed but the Red Devils had a 28-22 halftime lead.

The Mules first chance at tying the game came in the third quarter.

They took the ball at their own seven-yard line after a Payne punt pinned them deep in their own territory.

A long pass from Carter to Robson went for 57-yards to the SVW 35.

With the ball on the Red Devils 11 with a third-and-goal, Carter's pass intended for Robson was intercepted in the endzone by Short, who ran the ball out to the 24-yard line for the game's first turnover.

“Our defensive coaches made some adjustments at halftime and we hung a zero on them in the second half, which was awesome,” said Coach Wingo. “The biggest thing is that you have to be able to run the ball when they know you're going to run the ball. We did that late. It was unfortunate we lost the ball there at the end.”

Sesser-Valier/Waltonville delivered the final score of the game on the second play of the fourth quarter.

Erwin completed a 63-yard drive with a 13-yard run into Fairfield's side of the 50.

Sophomore running back Stetson Parker got in on the action, adding a 13 more yards on a run down the right sideline to reach the 28.

Erwin did the rest, running up the middle breaking a tackle at the goal line for the game's final score.

The PAT failed but the damage had been done, with the Red Devils up 34-22 with 11:42 remaining.

Short came up with his second big play on the next Mules' possession.

He intercepted another Carter pass that was intended for Robson.

Short snagged the pass and was brought down at their own eight-yard line.

“Kyan (Short) is and all-conference guy back there, either on offense or defense, and kudos to him for making the plays when he had the chance,” said Coach Wingo.

One of the few mistakes of the night by Coach Nick Wingo's club came on their final drive.

Deep in Fairfield territory and running out the clock, Payne was hit and fumbled where Fairfield's Will Lewis recovered at the Mules 18 with 4:14 left.

The Mules got down to the SVW 40 but they failed on a fourth-and-four and turned ball back over with 1:24 left.

With no timeouts remaining, the Mules watched Payne take a pair of kneel downs to end the contest.

The Red Devils survived having five penalties for 43-yards and the one fumble which was their only turnover.

Fairfield will host Carmi-White County next Friday night while Sesser-Valier/Waltonville will welcome rival Christopher/Zeigler-Royalton/Elverado next Friday in their annual Route 148 battle.

“There are no bye weeks in the Black Diamond. It's tough every week. We will get back at it this week and get ready for the next game,” said Coach Wingo.
Black Diamond Conference
1
2
3
4
-
F
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville
16
12
0
6
-
34
Fairfield
16
6
0
0
-
22
Team
Qtr
Time
Scoring Plays
SVW
F
F
1
9:59
Berg 1-yard run. PAT run good.
0
8
SVW
1
4:53
Short 8-yard pass from Payne. PAT run good.
8
8
F
1
1:45
Barner 21-yard run. PAT run good.
8
16
SVW
1
:50.5
Payne 2-yard run. PAT run good.
16
16
SVW
2
10:17
Short 72-yard pass from Payne. PAT run failed.
22
16
F
2
4:34
Tullis 2-yard run. PAT run failed.
22
22
SVW
2
:15.9
Payne 3-yard run. PAT pass failed.
28
22
SVW
4
11:42
Erwin 28-yard run. PAT run failed.
34
22