While Coal City junior running back Logan Natyshok was reaping the rewards of gaps created by his offensive line, the Coalers defense was limiting Sterling at every turn during Saturday’s Class 4A playoff opener in Coal City.

Natyshok finished with 22 carries for 272 yards and five touchdowns, while the Golden Warriors were held to 40 ground yards on 23 tries and 100 total yards as the Coalers rolled to a 49-7 victory.

Coal City (8-2) advances to play at Dixon (9-1) in the second round at 7 p.m. Friday. Sterling finishes the campaign at 6-4.

“Our big guys up front were creating some pretty big holes to run through,” Natyshok said. “The credit goes to those guys. They were getting off the ball and pushing people around, all I had to do was wait to see where the opening was going to be.

“Our offense was really clicking, but so was our defense. Our defense was really flying around, making plays all day and Emmett (Easton’s) pick was so awesome to see. This was a great team win for sure.”

The Coalers scored on the opening drive of the game on a 69-yard scoring run by Natyshok with Mason Hamilton, who also sang the national anthem prior to the game, booting through the first of seven straight PATs.

Sterling tied the game quickly as Marurice De La Cruz returned the ensuing kickoff 87 yards for a TD. Ryan Gebhardt kicked the point after.

Natyshok gave his team the lead for good on a 1-yard plunge 66 seconds into the second quarter. After the hosts blocked a field goal attempt, Natyshok scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards around a Sterling punt to make it 28-7.

Then with 25 seconds remaining before the half, Coal City defensive lineman Emmett Easton returned an interception seven yards to the end zone to put the score at 35-7 at the break.

“I’ll remember that play for the rest of my life,’ Easton said with a huge smile. ”We had seen those screens on film all week, and I knew if their offensive lineman was letting me go it was more than likely going to be a screen. He let go of me and I took a couple of steps back and the next thing I know the ball is coming right at me.

“I had never had an interception or touchdown before. It was awesome.”

After forcing a punt on Sterling’s first possession of the second half, Natyshok broke free for a 48-yard TD.

Following another Golden Warrior punt, quarterback Connor Henline found Gavin Berger in the back corner of the end zone from 13 yards out to start the running clock.

“To win playoff games you have to be able to run the ball effectively and play solid defense and I thought we did both of those things extremely well today,” Coal City coach Francis Loughran said. “We were coming off a bad loss in Week 9 to Wilmington, so we wanted to come out and be very physical in every aspect of the game.

“I felt if we could control things, have a pretty good day up front on both sides of the ball, we’d be in pretty good shape and that’s how it played out.

“This was Logan’s best game of the season, and he’s had a great year for us. Our O-line (Sean Viles, Cade Poyner, Brody D’Orazio, Sean Bergin and Wyatt Koehn) created space, and he just put it in a higher gear today.”

After Natyshok, Kole Carpenter had 46 yards rushing on three carries, while Henline finished 8-of-11 passing for 71 yards. Coal City posted 429 total yards. Easton also had a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery, Mason Garner a forced fumble and sack and Poyner a sack. Brock Finch also recorded an interception.

Wyatt Cassens led Sterling with 24 rushing yards on five carries, while QB Brady Berlin (8 of 18, 2 INT) threw for 60 yards, including a trio of completions for 35 yards to DeAndre Maas.

“(Coal City) is a very good team on both sides of the ball,” Sterling coach Jonathan Schlemmer said. “Our kids worked their tails off preparing this week, but it just wasn’t good enough today. This game was about controlling the line of scrimmage, which Coal City was able to do.

“We know the things we need to get better at heading into next season and as coaches and players we are going to bust our butts to get those things done. It was a great season, a fun ride and we are excited about the direction this program is heading in.”