LOUDONVILLE — Tyler Johnson remembered how it felt.
He remembered that crisp, mid-October night his sophomore year. Centerburg, seeded second in the region and coming off a conference title, hosting 18-seed Loudonville in the first round of the Division VI playoffs.
He remembered the anticipation that went into it – the Trojans were undefeated coming into that game, and were expected to make a run in Region 23 – and he remembered the heartbreak that followed.
The 30-yard touchdown pass from Loudonville senior quarterback Logan Huffman, a missile cutting through the night sky, that gave the visitors their first lead with 2:08 remaining. The sack and interception on the following drive, eliminating any hope of a comeback.
The celebration, a Redbird party on the Trojans’ turf, and the pain and disbelief on the home sideline.
Johnson started on that Centerburg team. And two years later, he still remembers that game vividly. The senior said he carried it with him this week, in the days leading up to the rematch.
“You’ll find anything to motivate you,” Johnson said with a grin, “and that definitely motivates you.”
When Friday night rolled around, Johnson was ready to go. He sought revenge, the pain from 2020 still fresh in his mind.
And he got it.
Johnson led Centerburg on a storybook comeback, helping the Trojans erase a 14-point halftime deficit and a 7-point fourth quarter deficit to stun Loudonville, 28-21, on its home turf.
“We had a ton of motivation to come in here and win, so it was awesome,” the senior quarterback said afterwards, celebrating alongside friends and family. “I’m glad we could get revenge on that.”
Centerburg scored 21 points in the fourth quarter after scoring 7 in the first three periods combined. It was Johnson’s touchdown strike to junior Caylan LeMaster with 31 seconds left – a 25-yard missile down the sideline that, in many ways, resembled the dagger thrown by Huffman two years prior – that sealed the deal, giving Centerburg its first and only lead of the game.
“We were basically taking it man-on-man,” Johnson said. “We knew our guy was better, we just had to get it in the right spot for him to make a play. And he made a play.”
The win vaulted Centerburg to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference. Loudonville dropped to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the KMAC with the loss.
The Trojans have now won four straight after falling to upstart Utica in Week 1. They are tied with Danville atop the conference standings with five weeks left to play.
