Area Roundup: Seneca drops season opener vs. Westville

The Seneca football team struck first, but Westville struck more often.

The Irish’s Nathan Grant scored Friday night’s first touchdown on an 8-yard run with 2:09 left in the first quarter. However, the Tigers got a 42-yard TD run by Will Terry and a PAT kick from Nathan Blue to take the lead with 50 seconds left in the period and added scores in each of the next three quarters to take a 25-6 Vermilion Valley Conference crossover win.

Westville outgained the Irish 306-194 for the game Braden Ellis led the ground game with 10 carries for 64 yards. Dominic Griffin added 51 yards on six tries, and Grant was 2 for 5 for 12 yards passing.

For the Tigers, Andre Johnson had 18 carries for 147 yards, Terry 10 for 93.

Defensively for SHS, Josh Lucas registered five solo tackles and one assist, and Collin Wright four solos and one assist.

Aurora Christian 56, Fieldcrest 8: At Aurora, the Knights found out that it wasn’t their night, right from the start, surrendering 28 points in the first quarter, eventually falling to Aurora Christian in their season opener Friday.

The Knights managed only 108 total yards of offense in the loss, with Eddie Lorton’s 14 carries for 44 yards leading their 60 yards total rushing. Quarterback Koltin Kearfott completed 6 of 11 passes for 48 yards – three for 49 yards to Landon Modro – and ran in the two-point conversion after their only touchdown, a 7-yard run by Carson Mahan with 4:30 left in the fourth period.

Lorton also led the defense with seven total tackles, four of which were solos.

Varsity volleyball

Serena def. Hall, 25-11, 25-13: At Serena, the Huskers came away a winner behind Paige Sexton’s nine kills, five blocks and an ace, and Abby Johnson’s seven blocks, two kills and an assist. Maddie Schupp added six digs and two aces; Reese Cole two aces, two digs, two blocks and a kill; and Katie Baker four digs, seven assists, three kills and an ace. Arianna Tanas had five digs.

JUCO volleyball

Joliet Junior College def. IVCC, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-14: At Joliet, the Eagles remain ice cold, falling in four sets to JJC, despite six kills and 11 digs from Emma Thomas. For IVVC, Aubrey Garretson added seven kills, Paige Champlin 14 assists, Kaitlyn Walter 12 digs and Alyx Carls 11 digs.