BELLEVILLE – It is not often a high school football team will travel multiple area codes for a game this early in the season, but that is exactly what DeKalb did when the Barbs traveled over 280 miles downstate to Belleville West. And it is tough to come out of the gate strong after spending four and a half hours sitting on a bus.

A red-zone interception derailed the opening possession, but the Barbs’ offense eventually gained traction, scoring on three straight possessions, with a 99-yard Aiden Sisson pick-six sandwiched in the middle. Led by Adrien McVicar’s three touchdowns in the first half, DeKalb was in control midway through the first half and never looked back in the 48-0 win over the Maroons.

“I think we did great,” McVicar said. “The O-line did great and the running backs ran the heck out of the ball, and we just executed well. It was an awesome start besides the first drive. That one is on me.”

Barbs head coach Derek Schneeman, who said his team looked a little flat in the first quarter, said his veteran team responded well after the slow start.

“I think it helps having guys older that are able to stay focused on the task at hand and they lead the way,” Schneeman said. “If things keep going as they are playing into November, these are the types of games you need to be prepared for. You might travel any which way. For us to get this experience and perform like we did tonight, I am proud of what we did.”

To open the scoring, McVicar punched it in on a quarterback keeper to make it 7-0 late in the first quarter. On the following possession, Belleville West drove down the field and was on the 1-yard line when Sisson intercepted Maroons quarterback Landon McDonald’s pass and returned it all the way to double the Barbs’ lead.

“My coach told me on the sidelines to stay in the middle. They are going to run a slant right behind you. So I found it and I took it back,” Sisson said. “My teammates blocked for me and got six. It worked. I was just excited. I was just trying to get six for my team.”

After another stop on defense, DeKalb drove 91 yards, sparked by a McVicar to Ethan McCarter 40-yard pass completion. McVicar capped the drive with a 7-yard rushing touchdown before he completed a 9-yard touchdown pass to McCarter to make the score 28-0 at halftime. After a Barbs stop to open the second half, McCarter returned a punt 65 yards to 17-yard line. Two plays later, Talen Tate ran it in from 10 yards out. Rushing touchdowns from Jamari Brown and Hudson Ikens capped the scoring in the fourth quarter.

This was the first long-distance trip for DeKalb since 2019, when the Barbs traveled to Alton and left with a 48-20 victory. The current seniors were only freshmen then and only a few made the trip.

“It’s fun. It gives you a chance to spend more time with your guys. I think it is good team-bonding,” Schneeman said. “You get to go somewhere you haven’t been that nobody is really familiar with. It is what high school football is all about. I am glad we could take a situation like this in our nonconference schedule.”