Game coverage: Belleville West, Alton high school football teams battle it out

Alton’s offense helped the Redbirds pull off their first win of the season at Belleville West in the Southwestern Conference opener for both teams Friday night.

After West failed to score in the red zone with 1:46 left in the third quarter, that opened up the door for the Redbirds to run it down the field for a crucial score to start the fourth quarter before they ultimately posted a 28-7 triumph.

Alton improved to 1-3 and 1-0 in the SWC while the Maroons dropped to 0-4, 0-1.

Overall, Alton leaned on its quarterback and running back duo with two touchdowns on the ground and one through the air combined.

Before the game, West honored former coach Bob Flake for a moment of silence. The Maroons will host a 5K inaugural memorial run Saturday at the campus for Flake, who passed away Dec. 30, 2021.

“It was a real joy to have his family at midfield pregame and have them do the coin toss,” West coach Jason Wells said. “It would have been a cherry on top to win the game, but it’s bigger than that.”

The game got off to a rocky start for both squads after missing their 4th down conversions in the 1st quarter.

However, the Redbirds went up 7-0 on Keith Gilchrese’s 6-yard touchdown run early in the 2nd quarter.

The Maroons tied the score just 37.7 seconds before halftime as Landon McDonald connected with Exavier Zellman for a 4-yard touchdown pass.

After West turned the ball over on downs, Alton retook the lead 14-7 on Graham McAfoos’s touchdown run on 3rd and goal with 6:34 left in the third quarter, capping a 63-yard drive.

Wells said Alton took the momentum and ran with it after the Maroons turned the ball over on their side of the field in the second half.

Gilchrese later scored on a 12-yard pass from McAfoo to increase the lead to 21-7 with 10:39 left in the 4th quarter.

“Nothing but thankful for my line,” Gilchrese said. “If it wasn’t for my line I wouldn’t have gotten those big runs and touchdowns.”

With just 29.3 seconds left in the game, Alton made it 28-7 on Gilchrese’s 14-yard touchdown run.

“The turning point of the game was that at halftime we made a few adjustments and the guys executed,” Alton coach David Parker said.

Next up

Both teams resume league play at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 23, as West visits Edwardsville and Alton hosts Belleville East.

This story was originally published September 17, 2022 at 12:06 AM.