The Illini West football team traveled to Knoxville for a Prairieland Large Division game on Knoxville’s Homecoming and the host came from behind to win 32-22 on Friday, Oct. 3, at Dennis Larson Field.

Knoxville won the coin toss and deferred to the second half. Illini West started with the football at their own 45-yard line. Isaiah Knotts ran for six yards on the first play. Izik Jones followed with a two-yard run. Knotts picked up the first down with a 12-yard carry. Jones moved ahead for one yard. Austin Cramer ran for eight yards to make it third and one from the 26-yard line. Jones had back-to-back five-yard runs and another first down. Kramer added a 15-yard run to set up first and goal. Jones plunged in from one yard out for the touchdown. Jones added the two-point conversion for an 8-0 Chargers lead.

The Blue Bullets used a seven-play, 57-yard drive and James Long scored from seven yards out. Brydon Walters added the two-point conversion to tie the score at 8-8.

The second Chargers drive started at their own 35-yard line. Cramer went for five yards on first down. Jones added a run of one yard followed by a Knotts eight-yard run for the first down. Kinnick Bliss had a six-yard gain. Jones ran for four yards. On first down, Knotts ran for five more yards. Jones added eight more yards to his total. Knotts had a three-yard run and the first quarter ended tied 8-8.

Knotts and Jones moved ahead for three yards each on consecutive plays. Knotts fell forward for the first down. Bryan Tanner stopped Bliss for a two-yard loss. Jones got five yards back on second and 12. Liam Murphy fumbled the football and it was recovered by Donovan Anthony of the Blue Bullets.

Long ran for 11 yards on first down. On the next play, Long took the handoff, fumbled and it was recovered by Bryson Cruz.

Jaxson Steinkamp rushed for a one-yard loss on the next play. The Chargers were whistled for holding to bring up second and 20. Knotts had a two-yard run. Knotts rushed for three yards with an extra 15 yards for a Blue Bullet facemask. Jones ran for four yards on first down from the 13-yard line. Cramer had a one-yard run. Knotts gained four yards on third down and Jones took it in for five yards and his second touchdown of the night. Cramer added the two-point conversion for a 16-8 Chargers lead.

The Blue Bullets got one first down on the next drive and punted it away four plays later.

On the next Illini West drive, Cramer rushed for five yards, Jones for one and 13 yards. Knotts was stopped at the line of scrimmage. Knotts ran for four yards on second down. Jones added a two-yard run on third down. On fourth and four, Murphy connected with Caleb Schreacke on a pass for 14 yards. Knotts punched it in from five yards out. Murphy never got the snap on the two-point conversion and it was no good for a 22-8 halftime lead.

Knoxville started with the football in the second half and used a seven-play, 60-yard drive. Capped by a touchdown as Bradley Cummings caught a pass from Austin Harshbarger for 43 yards. The Blue Bullets were called for unsportsmanlike conduct after the play to make the two-point conversion at the 18-yard line. Tysean Pullens caught the Cumming pass for the two-point conversion to trim the Chargers lead to 22-16.

The Chargers got a three-yard run from Jones. Knotts ran for four yards. Illini West was whistled for illegal procedure on third down and three. Cramer had a two-yard run on third and eight and Knotts punted the football back to the Blue Bullets.

It took the Blue Bullets just five plays to score on their next drive. Brydon Walters broke right and outran the Chargers’ defense to the end zone for the score. Long added the two-point conversion to give them the 24-22 lead.

Jones was stopped for no gain on first down from the 46-yard line. Cramer had a one-yard run. The Chargers were called for illegal procedure. On third down, Cramer caught a Murphy pass for eight yards. The Chargers faked the punt and Murphy took the direct snap and ran it seven yards and the Blue Bullets were called for a five-yard face mask penalty to give the Chargers a first down at the 42-yard line. Jones ran for five yards on first down. Knotts added four more on second down. Murphy ahead for one yard. Cramer had a six-yard and Knotts a five-yard carry. Murphy fumbled and Daniel Huddleston recovered the football for the Blue Bullets.

The Blue Bullets held the football five plays before Braxton Vass recovered a fumble for the Chargers. The Chargers went three-and-out and Murphy’s pass was incomplete on fourth down.

The Blue Bullets took the lead on an eight-play, 66-yard drive. Harshbarger ran the football in from nine yards out. He added the two-point conversion for a 32-22 lead.

Illini West’s Schreacke caught a Murphy pass for 11 yards. Cramers ran for three yards. Knotts added two yards. Murphy had a three-yard carry. Pullens intercepted a Murphy pass on first down. The Blue Bullets ran the clock out and preserved the 32-22 Homecoming win.

“I was pleased the way the kids played in the first half,” Illini West Head Coach Jacob Calvin commented. “We told them in the locker room, that they were not going to give up. They are historically a good team. They came out and scored on that first drive and things just didn’t happen for us. We made some key mistakes and we had some guys go down and things spiraled on us.

“This week we match-up with Bureau Valley,” he continued. “They are a wing-T team and are well coached. Coach Pat Elder brings a lot of experience and they only run four or five different plays but run them very well. Our guys have to know their keys and how they fit the run. For us, we have to find that spark we had in the first half at Knoxville and keep it the whole game. We have not played a full game this whole season.”

Stats: Jones led in rushing with 18 runs for 73 yards. Knotts was next with 72 yards on 15 attempts. Cramer ran for 42 yards on nine carries. Murphy added three runs for 13 yards. Bliss had three rushing attempts for 10 yards. The Chargers amassed 211 yards on the ground. Murphy was 3-4 in the air for 30 yards. His favorite target was Schreacke with two catches for 22 yards. Cramer caught one pass for eight yards. Knotts led the defense with nine tackles and one assist. Bryson Cruz added four tackles and one assist. Myles Neff had three tackles and two assists. Cramer had three tackles. Keagan Walker, Chase Yelton, Bliss and Steinkamp each had two tackles.

The Chargers (2-4) hit the road Friday night, Oct. 10, to Bureau Valley needing the win to continue the fight for the playoffs.