***William Ly is a participant of The Kewanee Voice Student Journalism Program, funded by the Harry Anderson Memorial Trust.
For their eighth game of the season, the Kewanee Boilermakers took on the Newman Central Catholic Comets.
The Boilermakers had a tough challenge ahead of them, with the Comets coming into the game undefeated. The Boilermakers fell to the visitors 14-35.
On top of the football game, Kewanee High School hosted festivities including its annual senior night, a feature performance from dance team seniors, and a full performance of the Marching Boilermakers’ “Pure Imagination”
The game began with the Boilermakers and Comets losing their first possessions.
The Comets eventually struck late in the first quarter on a run by junior George Jungerman. Sophomore Ayden Gutierrez kicked in the extra point, and the Boilermakers trailed 0-7.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Boilermaker defense forced the Comets to try a field goal. The kick was short, and the Boilermakers took back possession of the ball.
Kewanee made sure to capitalize on the opportunity, as senior Colson Welgat found freshman Ace LaFollette down the field for a 63-yard touchdown pass. Welgat’s kick to tie up the score was blocked, and the Boilermakers trailed 6-7 with ten minutes left before halftime.
Both teams traded possessions until senior Brady Williamson ran in it for a touchdown. The Comets’ kick went wide, and the Comets led 13-6.
Shortly after, the Boilermakers surged for a chance to tie the game before the halftime break. With less than a minute left, Welgat found LaFollette again, this time for a 37-yard touchdown pass.
Instead of their usual kick, the Boilermakers decided to go for a 2-point conversion to secure the lead before the break. Senior Alex Duarte ran it in for two, and the Boilermakers took the lead 14-13.
This weekend, the halftime break featured a performance from Kewanee poms and the Marching Boilermakers. The Poms celebrated their seniors with a spotlight performance. The Marching Boilermakers performed their show “Pure Imagination” in its entirety.
In the third quarter, the Comets started to overwhelm the Boilermakers. Jungerman found sophomore Matthew Blackert for the Comets’ third touchdown of the night.
The Boilermakers attempted to fire back, but with two interceptions they ended the third quarter scoreless.
Trailing 21-14 with only the fourth quarter left to play, the Boilermakers attempted to push themselves back in the game.
The Boilermakers attempted to stop the Comets, but it was too much. The Comets took over and scored two more touchdowns before the final whistle. The game ended 35-14, with the Boilermakers falling to 4-4 on the season.
Next week, Kewanee will take on the Orion Charges in Orion for their final regular season game. Winning this game will give the Boilermakers a chance to continue into the postseason.
Game Stats:
Duarte was the rushing leader for the Boilermakers with 36 yards on 7 carries.
Touchdowns came from LaFollette (two)
Boilermakers quarterback Welgat completed 15 out of 28 passes for a total of 266 yards.
Lafollette (100) and Schiltz (101) led the Boilermakers in receiving yards
The Comets had 201 rushing yards in total with senior Briar Ivey having the most with 67 yards on 9 carries
Comet quarterback Jungerman went 6 for 7 on passes for 93 yards.
Comet touchdowns came from Williamson (two), Blackert (two), and Jungerman (one)
