South Elgin came out on top over West Aurora 42-35 in a wild and woolly Upstate Eight Conference West Division football game Friday night.

The teams traded the lead throughout the game.

After West Aurora took a 21-20 lead at halftime, South Elgin (2-2, 2-0) rallied to pull back in front 35-28 by the end of the third quarter.

Darrion Thurman first scored for the Storm on a 24-yard run up the middle with a 2-point conversion on a pass from Julian Huert to Francesco Maaculso. Teammate Gavin Mueller followed with a 1-yard plunge.

Atkins scored for host West Aurora (2-2, 1-1) on a 35-yard run.

With 7:57 left in the final period, the Storm pulled further ahead 42-28 on a Carter McDonald 26-yard pass to Mueller. The Blackhawks closed the gap back to 42-35 with 5:17 left in the game on an 18-yarder from Atkins to Zach Toma.

South Elgin’s last drive of the game stalled at its own 39-yard line and the team punted.

West Aurora recovered on the Storm’s 49-yard line with 20 seconds left to play.

A completed Atkins pass moved the ball to South Elgin’s 38-yard line. With time expiring, Atkins threw another bomb into the end zone that was intercepted by South Elgin’s Maximus Tanksley.

Both teams relied on their rushing game. Of the 371 yards South Elgin gained, 289 came on the ground. Senior Darrion Thurman led the way with 199 yards on 23 carries.

West Aurora rolled up 190 yards on the ground with Atkins covering 133 yards on 15 plays

The first half opened and closed with touchdowns.

South Elgin scored on the first play from scrimmage when Macaluso picked off a pass from Atkins and returned it 30 yards. The PAT failed.

The Blackhawks pulled in front of the Storm 21-20 with 3.8 seconds left until halftime on a Mason 10-yard pass to a leaping Lesroy Tittle in the right corner of the end zone.

South Elgin increased its lead to 13-0 on an 11-yard Carter McDonald toss to Jeremiah Carrera to end its first drive of the game. West Aurora cut the lead in half on a 2-yard Atkins plunge with 1:25 left in the first half.

The squads exchanged two more TDs in the second quarter. Thurman scored after a 60-yard run. Tittle crossed the goal line on a 1-yard scamper.

https://www.dailyherald.com/20250919/prep-football/south-elgin-claims-high-scoring-game-against-west-aurora/