Messenger file photo by Chris McCarthy
West End notched its first 3-0 start since the 1998 season with a 41-20 win over Class 2A Region 6 rival Pleasant Valley on September 2 in Walnut Grove.
Senior quarterback Tyler Jones passed for two touchdowns and ran for another as the Patriots rolled up 322 yards on offense, including 185 on the ground.
Kane Lawson’s 8-yard touchdown run provided West End with a 6-0 lead before the Red Raiders went ahead 7-6 later in the period.
A 20-yard TD run by Rock Sainsbury restored the Patriot lead a 12-7, but Pleasant Valley answered with a touchdown run to go ahead by one point.
West End was in control from there on out, as the hosts responded with 19 straight points.
Jones (pictured above) had a hand in the next three West End scores. After running in a touchdown from a yard out to give the Patriots a 19-12 halftime lead, Jones tossed a pair of third-quarter TD passes to Thad Pearce, the first for 14 yards and the second for five. The first score was set up when Brett Williamson forced a fumble and Luke Barnard recovered on the opening kickoff of the second half.
Sainsbury’s 16-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter made it 41-13 before the Red Raiders scored in the game’s final minutes.
Jones was 9 for 17 in passing for 137 yards and rushed for 51 yards on eight attempts.
Sainsbury rushed 17 times for 107 yards, while Pearce caught five passes for 66 yards. Pearce also had an interception on defense. Triston Chaney had two receptions for 54 yards.
West End resumes region play this Friday (Sept. 9) at Southeastern.