Bushnell-Prairie City High School football coach Jacob Schisler knew the assignment that was awaiting this week as the Spartans took their four-game winning streak to Biggsville to face West Central.
In a game that featured nearly 1,100 yards of total offense and nine touchdowns for each team, conversions proved to be the difference as the host Heat out-lasted the Spartans 72-64 in an Illinois 8-Man Football Association Central West contest.
“We knew going in that this was going to be a tough game,” said Schisler of facing West Central. “They were undefeated, coming off a bye week, and playing at home for their homecoming.”
“Our guys fought for the entire game, but ultimately it came down to two-point conversions,” he added.
Indeed it did. West Central was a perfect 9-of-9 on its conversions, while B-PC was 5-for-9.
“That ended up being a big difference in the game,” siad Schisler.
Both teams had 10 possessions in the contest. B-PC had one possession ended by a fumble. West Central had one drive ended on downs.
But other than those two possessions, the remaining 18 ended in touchdowns.
West Central led 16-6 after the opening quarter.
Graham Kelly’s one-yard run capped a sixplay, 59-yard drive the first time West Central had the ball. Kelly also added the PAT run that made it 8-0 at the 8:37 mark.
B-PC answered with a 10-play, 61-yard drive with quarterback Thomas Anderson’s one-yard run closing the gap to 8-6 with 3:51 left in the opening period.
But the Heat responded with a five-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a 44-yard run by Aiden Garner with 1:13 left that made it 16-6.
The second quarter saw the scoring dam break as each team scored three touchdowns.
Jonavan Harrell’s 48-yard run wrapped up a six-play, 65-yard drive. Anderson connected with Zaedin Hart for the conversion, closing the gap to 16-14 with 9:55 left before halftime.
The Heat struck quickly the next time it had the ball as Garner raced 52 yards for the score. Kelly added the PAT that made it 24-14 just nine seconds after B-PC’s score.
A 33-yard kickoff return by Hunter Thompson gave the Spartans the ball at the Heat 47 to start their next drive.
Four plays later, Anderson hooked up with Hart for a 36-yard TD. Harrell added the PAT run that closed the gap to 24-22 with 7:43 left before halftime.
Garner’s third score of the night, this one a 25-yard run capped a seven-play, 59-yard drive. Kelly’s PAT run upped West Central’s advantage to 32-22 at the 4:18 mark.
But then it was B-PC with the quick strike. On its next offensive play, Harrell broke free for a 73-yard score. However, the PAT failed, leaving West Central with a 32-28 lead with 3:55 remaining before halftime.
That was plenty long enough for the Heat to cover 54-yards in nine plays. Colton Spencer’s eight-yard run with 14.1 seconds left and Kelly’s PAT run gave the Heat a 40-28 lead heading into halftime.
B-PC turned the ball over on its opening possession of the second half as Cooper Gibbrecovered the Spartans fumble at the Heat 39.
West Central traveled 61 yards in six plays with Garner scoring on a six-yard run. Kelly added the PAT run that gave the hosts their biggest lead of the night at that point at 48-28 at the 7:34 mark.
Harrell scored on a 65-yard run on B-PC’s next offensive play just 13 seconds later. But the PAT pass failed, leaving the visitors trailed 48-34.
West Central responded with a nine-play 56-yard drive. On a fourth-and-10, Garner scored his fifth touchdown of the night on a 26-yard run. The Kelly PAT gave the Heat their largest lead of the night at 56-34 with 2:28 to go in the quarter.
“Defensively, we struggled to get off the field on some key third and fourth downs,” said Schisler. “And against a good football team, those situations matter.”
But the Spartans were not about to quit. B-PC struck just 13 seconds later with Dylan King scoring on a 63-yard run. He also added the conversion run that narrowed the deficit to 56-42.
Then it was the Spartan defense that stopped the Heat, forcing a turnover on downs at the West Central 48.
A 47-yard run by Braylon Griffitts setup King’s one-yard plunge on the opening play of the fourth quarter. Harrell added the PAT run, cutting the West Central lead to 56-50.
But West Central maintained the upperhand in the final minutes.
Spence capped a six-play, 53 yard drive with a five-yard score followed by a Kelly PAT run with 9:19 to go that made it 64-50.
B-PC answered with a seven-play, 67-yard drive. Anderson connected with Griffitts for a 28-yard pitch-and-catch for the score.
The PAT run failed, leaving the Spartans trailing 64-56 with 6:25 remaining.
But the Heat tacked on their final score just over a minute later.
Kelly’s 44-yard run set up Spence’s four-yard two plays later to wrap up the 61-yard drive.
Kelly added his final PAT run of the evening that made it 72-56 with 5:09 left.
B-PC had one final drive, covering 64 yards in 14 plays.
King scored his third touchdown of the night on an 18-yard run with 1:12 left on the clock. Harrell added the PAT run that made the score 72-64.
The Spartans then attempted an on-sides kick that was recovered by West Central, who ran out the clock to hang on for the win.
“They’re a tough team, and I hope we get an opportunity to see them again,” said Schisler of West Central. “I’m proud of the way our guys competed.”
B-PC finished with 606 yards of total offense. Anderson finished 5-of-9 passing for 95 yards and two TDs.
Griffitts had two catches for 52 yards and a TD, while Zaedin Hart added one catch for 35 yards and a score. Hunter Thompson also had one catch for eight yards.
On the ground, Harrell finished with 356 yards and three TDs on 28 carries.
King added 95 yards and three scores on nine carries, while Griffitts had one carry for 52 yards.
Defensively, Griffitts and Zaedin Hart topped the tackle chart with 17 total tackles each.
Harrell and Landon Lear added seven each, followed by Andre Watts with six and King and Jeffery Pollock with five each.
West Central finished with 489 yards rushing on 57 carries.
Garner recorded 236 yards and five TDs on 18 carries, while Kelly added 223 yards and a score on 29 carries.
Spence added 30 yards and three TDs on nine carries.
The Spartans enter Homecoming week, hosting Ridgewood (4-1, 3-0 I8FA Central West).
Ridgewood had won its last three games. It celebrated its Homecoming Saturday, defeating Peoria Heights 50-14.
B-PC was Ridgewood’s Homecoming opponent last year, losing 70-12.
“This group loves to grind, loves to get better, and hates to lose,” said Schisler of his team. “We’ve got a great group of young men, and we’re not going to let one loss define who we are or where this season goes from here.”
