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Big First Quarter Leads Warriors Past Pioneers  Share y-Westfield Warriors scored 31 points in the opening quarter and were never threatened last Friday night as they cruised to a 52-6 victory over the Palestine/Hutsonville Pioneers. The win allowed the Warriors to continue another perfect regular season as their overall record improved to 6-0 (5-0 in the Little Illini Conference) and qualified the Purple and Gold for another post-season, playoff berth. After both teams traded punts early in this LIC game, the Warrior defense contributed the first points in what would lead to the 31-point, first quarter scoring outburst. Pinned deep in their own territory, Palestine quarterback Mason Hurst was tackled in the end zone by Josh Thais and Taylor White resulting in a safety, and the early, 2-0 Warrior advantage. The score did not remain that close for very long. After receiving the Pioneer free-kick that followed the safety, Billy Seeley finished a short drive with a 15-yard touchdown run. The Warriors lined up for the extra point attempt, but holder Austin Huckaba instead rolled out and completed the two-point conversion pass to Colin Carver for a 10-0 Warrior lead. Coach Keith Sinclair's club continued to add points to their advantage throughout the initial period. Seeley scored his second touchdown on a 35-yard run, and then Livvix threw touchdown passes to Josh Thais (one yard) and Seth Brewer (48 yards). Junior place-kicker Clinton Scott was perfect after each of those scores, and as the scoreboard clock ticked down at the close of the first period, all suspense was gone from this conference contest. The Warriors would add a couple of additional scores in the second quarter, resulting in a 45-point lead at halftime and a continuously running clock in the second half. Early in the second period Seth Brewer fielded a low Palestine punt near the Pioneer 35 yard line, veered to the right, and raced virtually untouched to the end zone for his second TD of the evening. Later in the period, sophomore quarterback Heath Huisinga kept the ball himself and trotted into the end zone for a seven-yard touchdown that resulted in the 45-point lead at the midway point.
During the quick second half, the Purple and Gold added their final points on a one-yard run by Brandon Blair. Palestine/Hutsonville avoided the shutout with a 21-yard touchdown pass with just over three minutes left in the game. ''It is always a goal to clinch a playoff spot, and we accomplished that this evening with our sixth win,'' Sinclair noted after the Warrior win. ''We got several different people involved in different aspects of the game tonight. We achieved some balance offensively, and our defense put a lot of pressure on the Palestine/Hutsonville quarterback during the first half.'' That Warrior defense, led by Josh Thais with eight tackles, limited the Pioneers to 36 yards and recorded twelve sacks. On the offensive side of the ball, Brett Livvix was 6 of 8 passing for 80 yards and the pair of touchdowns. Seeley was the leading rusher with 66 yards, while Austin Ragsdale chipped in 45 yards on six carries. Once again this fall, the Warriors have rolled to six straight wins and guaranteed themselves a spot in the Illinois High School Association's football playoffs. Still, Sinclair realizes there is more work to be done before looking at playoff pairings. ''It is nice to secure a playoff spot after six games, but we have three regular season games left on the schedule,'' the veteran head coach explained. ''We must remain focused in practice, continue to improve in all parts of the game, and play hard in achieving our goal of an undefeated, regular season. We cannot take anything for granted, and finish strong in the final one-third of the regular season.'' The Warriors now return home this Friday evening for an LIC contest against the Oblong Panthers. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Sinclair/Vidoni Field. At Palestine (Friday, October 2) Score by Quarters Casey-Westfield 31 14 7 0-52 Palestine/Hutsonville 0 0 0 6- 6 Scoring Summary CW: Safety: Palestine Quarterback tackled in end zone 5:39 Quarter One CW: Billy Seeley 15 run (Austin Huckaba pass to Colin Carver) 4:17 Quarter One CW: Seeley 35 run (Clinton Scott kick) 2;59 Quarter One CW: Brett Livvix 1 pass to Josh Thais (Scott kick) 2:33 Quarter One CW: Livvix 48 pass to Seth Brewer (Scott kick) :25 Quarter One CW: S. Brewer 35 punt return (Scott kick) 10:50 Quarter Two CW: Heath Huisinga 7 run (Scott kick) 2:05 Quarter Two CW: Brandon Blair 1 run (Scott kick) 2:12 Quarter Three PH:Mason Hurst 21 pass to Jenson Martin (kick failed) 3:21 Quarter Four The Casey Reporter
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