The unbeaten Lincoln-Way West Warriors traveled to DeKalb for their longest road trip of the season on Friday — and left with their perfect record still intact.

The Warriors (6-0, 4-0) dominated the Barbs (2-4, 0-3) on the ground in a 52-21 victory, rushing for 302 yards and all seven of their touchdowns. Senior running back Jimmy Talley Jr. starred with 135 yards and four scores on 22 carries.

[ Buy photos from this game ]

“It’s our identity, and we have to be able to do that to win late in the season,” Lincoln-Way West coach Luke Luclanc said. “Our offensive line does a great job, and Jimmy is running the ball for us. We’re able to keep the ball in our hands and the clock moving, and that’s what we want.”

While Lincoln-Way West walked away with the win, DeKalb still had a milestone to celebrate. Star wideout Davon Grant corralled six passes to become the school’s all-time leader in receptions, surpassing the career mark set by former Barbs standout Cole Tucker.

“Extremely proud of him,” DeKalb coach Derek Schneeman said of Grant. “He’s had a great career. He’s a great kid. He’s got a super bright future ahead of him. To break a record that was held by Cole Tucker — who’s one of the greatest players to come through here — is a tremendous honor.”

Grant, an Illinois recruit, finished with 117 total yards — 112 receiving and 5 rushing — needing just 23 more to also break Tucker’s career yardage record. He was also on the receiving end of DeKalb’s most explosive play of the night, hauling in a deep ball from quarterback Cole Latimer for a 63-yard touchdown strike.

Latimer went 11-of-24 passing for 199 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Meanwhile, Lincoln-Way West senior quarterback Grant Tustin completed 11-of-22 passes for 122 yards. Both QBs finished with a rushing touchdown.

The Warriors reached the end zone on four of their five drives in the first half. They opened the game with a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped by a 13-yard scoring run by Talley.

After both teams exchanged punts, DeKalb led an 81-yard touchdown drive to tie the game. Latimer threw a 33-yard pass to Derrion Straughter on the first play of the second quarter to set up Latimer’s 1-yard scoring sneak two plays later.

The Barbs wouldn’t cross midfield again in the first half, while Lincoln-Way West added another three rushing touchdowns on the board. Talley scored twice more — both off 2-yard runs — and Tustin called his own number with a 5-yard draw up the middle.

Talley struck again on the first drive of the second half, when he bounced off the right side on an 18-yard TD run. The senior credited his offensive line for a scoring performance he said tied his career-best.

“I can’t do anything without my O-line, so, just running behind them all day, I got four touchdowns,” Talley said. “But really, it’s just O-line’s touchdowns. They’re doing all the work for me.”

Jackson O’Connor tacked on a 9-yard scoring run the very next drive to put the Warriors up 42-7 late in the third quarter.

DeKalb responded with back-to-back drives ending in touchdown passes. Following the 63-yard play to Grant and a Warrior field goal, Latimer found senior receiver Rica’i Nellums in the end zone for a 35-yard pass to make it 45-21 midway through Quarter 4.

The Warriors closed out the scoring one drive later with their final touchdown run with 16 seconds remaining. With the victory, Lincoln-Way West, although likely already postseason-bound, officially punched its ticket to the postseason — and with three games still left to be played.

“It’s always nice to get that playoff berth,” Luclanc said. “We’ve gotten them on Week 9, 8 and 7, 6, all the way through, but it’s nice to get it early.”

For the Barbs, the loss drops them to 2-4 and keeps them winless in conference play. It also makes DeKalb’s chances at a playoff spot much tougher as it prepares to face 5-1 Bradley-Bourbonnais on the road next week.

“We know our situation,” Schneeman said. “We’ve got to get the last three, but we can’t get the last three until we get the next one.”