The Carmi-White County Bulldogs saw their season come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling to the Shelbyville Rams in the opening round of the IHSA Class 2A Football Playoffs by a final score of 42-6.
Carmi entered the postseason riding a four-game winning streak after closing out the regular season with a 5-4 record, while Shelbyville arrived in Carmi with just two wins on the year. However, the Rams quickly showed that their record didn’t tell the full story, capitalizing on favorable field position and jumping out to a commanding first-half lead as the Bulldogs struggled to find their footing.
The Rams wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. After forcing a three-and-out on Carmi’s opening possession, Shelbyville marched 42 yards in six plays, capping off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run by Jaden Meister. The Rams took an 8-0 lead with 7:51 remaining in the first quarter.
Carmi’s offense struggled to respond on its next possession, as quarterback Dakota Brown was sacked on 4th down to give the Rams possession in Bulldog territory. Shelbyville needed just three plays to capitalize, with Meister finding the end zone again on a 7-yard run to extend the lead to 16-0 with 6:09 remaining in the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs finally found some momentum on their third offensive possession, picking up their first two first downs of the afternoon. However, the drive eventually stalled in Shelbyville territory, and Carmi turned the ball over on downs.
Once again, the Rams needed just three plays to reach the end zone. Covering 66 yards, Shelbyville capped off the drive with Meister’s third touchdown of the first half, pushing the lead to 22-0 with 10:13 remaining in the second quarter.
Needing a much-needed momentum boost, the Bulldogs got just that from Branson Burnett. The junior took the fullback dive and bursted through the defense for a 65-yard touchdown, putting Carmi on the board and giving the home crowd some life. The score cut Shelbyville’s lead to 22-6 with 9:20 remaining in the first half.
The Bulldogs’ defense followed with a much-needed stop, its first of the afternoon. Facing 3rd & 6 from the Carmi 39-yard line, the Rams attempted to set up a screen pass, but Carmi’s Matthew Kueber broke through and sacked quarterback Owen Beyers. The play forced Shelbyville into a 4th & long situation, eventually bringing out the punting unit.
Suddenly, the Bulldogs had an opportunity to make things interesting before the break.
On the first play of their ensuing possession, Kyzen Edwards took an inside handoff, broke through multiple Shelbyville defenders, and stayed on his feet for a 20-yard gain. A 15-yard horse-collar penalty added to the play, moving Carmi deep into Rams territory with a chance to cut the deficit to two scores.
However, the momentum quickly swung back in Shelbyville’s favor. Sophomore Reece Jamison took the handoff two plays later, but fumbled the football. The Rams recovered and returned it to the Carmi 21-yard line. Shelbyville capitalized on the turnover five plays later, with Jayce Davis scoring on a 6-yard touchdown run. The Rams carried a 28-6 advantage into halftime.
While the first half featured plenty of big plays and momentum swings, one of the afternoon’s most memorable moments came during the intermission.
As both teams made their way back onto the field for the second half, injured Carmi senior Jazz Duckworth was struggling to make his way back to the Bulldogs’ sideline. Shelbyville seniors Rylan Murphy and Brady Brinkoetter noticed Duckworth’s difficulty, stepped in, and helped carry the injured Bulldog back to the bench. A remarkable display of sportsmanship.
Unfortunately for Carmi, the Bulldogs were unable to generate much offensive momentum in the second half. Shelbyville added two more touchdowns to put the finishing touches on a 42-6 victory, ending Carmi’s season in the opening round.
“We came out pretty flat I felt like,” said CWCHS head coach Clinton Wolff. “But our kids continued to battle, and continued to get better. I feel like we came out in the second half and competed better, and got some stops. Our kids didn’t lay down and just quit. I’m proud of our guys for their effort throughout the day.”
The loss brought an end to a season that featured one of the biggest turnarounds in school history. After an 0-9 season in 2025, but Bulldogs overcame a tough start to the season and were able to finish the regular season with a winning record and earned their first home playoff game since 2023.
“We weren’t sure exactly what this season was going to look like coming into it after that 0-9 campaign last year, and I thought our kids did a great job throughout the year,” said Wolff. “Our kids just continued to work and get better every single week.”
The conclusion of the season also marks the end of the high school football careers for four seniors: Jazz Duckworth, Justus Tauiliili, Jayse Digman, and Laeden Vargas. Tauiliili joined the program this season after moving to Carmi late last fall, while Duckworth, Digman, and Vargas had been key contributors to the Bulldogs since their sophomore seasons.
“Those guys have done a great job for our program. They’re not vocal leaders, but they lead by their effort and attitude,” said Wolff. “We talk about trying to build better men in our program, and all four of those guys are great kids.”
Although the Bulldogs will graduate four seniors, Carmi returns 18 juniors, along with several sophomores who gained valuable varsity experience this season. Wolff sees plenty of potential in the group heading into 2027, but he also recognizes the work that lies ahead as the Bulldogs look to take another step forward next fall.
“I hope that they use this as a learning experience,” said Wolff. “We have the potential to be extremely good, but Shelbyville got after us today. We need to be able to do that with this group that’s coming.”
The Bulldogs finish the 2026 season with a 5-5 record.
Stats courtesy of Toby Brown & crew:
SCORING PLAYS:
7:51 1st Q – Jaden Meister 4-yard run (Meister run) | 8-0 SHS
6:09 1st Q – Meister 7-yard run (Jayce Davis run) | 16-0 SHS
10:13 2nd Q – Meister 4-yard run (run failed) | 22-0 SHS
9:20 2nd Q – Branson Burnett 65-yard run (run failed) | 22-6 SHS
2:07 2nd Q – Davis 6-yard run (run failed) | 28-6 SHS
8:32 3rd Q – Rylan Murphy 29-yard catch from Owen Beyers (pass failed) | 34-6 SHS
11:23 4th Q – Collin Jones 25-yard catch from Beyers (Tayten Rentfrow catch) | 42-6 SHS
RUSHING:
Jaden Meister (SHS) – 26 rush, 127 yards, 3 TD
Branson Burnett (CWC) – 4 rush, 68 yards, TD
Cooper Hill (CWC) – 13 rush, 54 yards
Reece Jamison (CWC) – 9 rush, 51 yards
Kyzen Edwards (CWC) – 1 rush, 20 yards
Jayce Davis (SHS) – 5 rush, 15 yards, TD
Caleb King (CWC) – 2 rush, 7 yards
Brycen Walker (SHS) – 4 rush, 4 yards
Jacob Brenner (CWC) – 2 rush. 3 yards
Dakota Brown (CWC) – 8 rush, 1 yard
Jazz Duckworth (CWC) – 2 rush, -1 yard
Owen Beyers (SHS) – 2 rush, -19 yards
PASSING:
Owen Beyers (SHS) – 13 / 15, 190 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT
Dakota Brown (CWC) – 0 / 3, 0 yards, 2 INT
RECEIVING:
Jayce Davis (SHS) – 6 receptions, 96 yards
Rylan Murphy (SHS) – 6 receptions, 68 yards, TD
Collin Jones (SHS) – 1 reception, 25 yards, TD
Wade Reid (SHS) – 1 reception, 3 yards
TOTAL OFFENSE:
SHS – 320
CWC – 203
TURNOVERS:
CWC – 3
SHS – 0
1ST DOWNS:
SHS – 18
CWC – 8
TIME OF POSSESSION:
SHS – 25:00
CWC – 23:00
3RD DOWN:
SHS – 5 / 9
CWC – 0 / 8
4TH DOWN:
SHS – 1 / 3
CWC – 2 / 4
TACKLES:
Branson Burnett – 13 total, 10 solo, 3 asst, 3 TFL, 1 sack
Cole Evans – 13 total, 9 solo, 4 asst
Trenton Chambers – 6 total, 4 solo, 2 asst
Isaac Northcott – 6 total, 3 solo, 3 asst
Caleb King – 6 total, 1 solo, 5 asst
Laeden Vargas – 5 total, 4 solo, 1 asst
Lex Day – 5 total, 3 solo, 2 asst
Dakota Brown – 4 solo
Reece Jamison – 4 solo
Keaton Grant – 4 total, 2 solo, 2 asst
Matthew Kueber – 3 solo, 1 sack
Kyzen Edwards – 1 TFL
Jazz Duckworth – 1 solo
Cooper Hill – 1 solo
Brexton Loesch – 1 asst