HUNTINGTON, W.

Sunday, June 24, 2001

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A bad snap on the conversion prevented the Johnstown J-Dogs from getting an extra point with 1:53 to play Friday night. Unfortunately for the River Cities LocoMotives, it was about the only mistakes the J-Dogs made.

Johnstown again displayed its dominance of the LocoMotives for the fourth time this season with a resounding 60-15 win in the National Indoor Football League game at the Huntington Civic Arena.

While the J-Dogs were limiting their mistakes, the LocoMotives struggled all night by committing seven turnovers.

"Like I tell our players, most of the time winning teams don’t win games, losing teams lose them," River Cities head coach Melvin Cunningham said. "You lay the ball on the ground four times and throw three interceptions and you’re going to lose games.

"Defensively we really played well. The offense moved the ball well, but we have to finish. That’s killed us all year."

River Cities took a 3-0 lead on a 41-yard John Wehrle field goal, but Jermaine Carswell went 12 yards with a lateral from Allan Jackson and the J-Dogs were up 7-3.

Wehrle’s 30-yard field goal closed the gap to 7-6, but the J-Dogs opened up a 14-6 lead when Justin Myers hit Quenteen Robinson with an 8-yard scoring pass.

Wehrle’s third field goal, a 45-yarder, made it 14-9. Johnstown responded with a 10-yard scoring strike from Myers to Michael Holeran before the half and it was 22-9.

"That first series (of the second half) was big," LocoMotives defensive coordinator Garry McPeek said. "It opened the floodgates."

The J-Dogs scored in just three plays to begin the second half with LaMonte Coleman scoring on a 2-yard run. Coleman also ran for the conversion and it was 30-9.

John Cook kicked a 15-yard field goal to up the lead to 33-9 and then B. J. Summers returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards for a touchdown. Wehrle’s kick got the LocoMotives within 33-15, but the J-Dogs dominated the rest of the way.

Johnstown is now 9-3 overall and leads the Eastern Division with a 7-3 mark, thus qualifying for the postseason playoffs.

The LocoMotives fell to 1-10 and 0-7. The 60 points were the most scored against them this season.