BELOIT — The lone remaining unbeaten high school football teams in the Eastern Buckeye Conference — Alliance and West Branch — met Friday, Oct. 10 at Heacock Stadium.
West Branch left with a 34-28 win to give itself the inside track at winning yet another EBC title.
Alliance and West Branch each entered the game 2-0 in EBC play and 6-1 overall. West Branch has won five straight league championships and its EBC winning streak is up to 29 straight games.
Here's how the game unfolded through our live updates.
Wrap up
West Branch earns the win 34-28. Grady Hirst threw two touchdown passes and ran for a touchdown for West Branch. Hirst was 16-of-22 passing for 245 yards with an interception. Jeremiah Thomas returned a punt 70 yards for a touchdown. Thomas ran for 54 yards and had 22 receiving yards. JR Jackson threw three touchdowns for Alliance. Jackson was 16-of-26 passes for 218 yards with two interceptions. Jackson led the Aviators in rushing with 60 yards on 18 carries.
West Branch football holds on for win
West Branch hangs on for the 34-28 win over Alliance
West Branch forces turnover on downs
West Branch will take over at the Alliance 45-yard line with 2:28 to play. West Branch leads 34-28.
Alliance defense forces punt
The Alliance defense forces West Branch to punt. Alliance doesn't return the punt and West Branch covers it at the Alliance 24-yard line. Aviators take over. West Branch leads 24-38 with 4:44 to play.
Cayden Sanders scores on keeper for Alliance
Cayden Sanders takes a wildcat snap wide and runs it in from 2-yards out. The extra point attempt is good. West Branch leads Alliance 34-28 with 8:19 left in the fourth quarter.
West Branch leads after three quarters
West Branch leads 34-21 Alliance has it first-and-15 at the Aviator 28-yard line to start the fourth quarter.
Alliance defense forces turnover on downs
West Branch drives down to the Alliance 10-yard line but turns it over on downs. Alliance takes over down 34-21 with 2:43 left in the third quarter.
Jarrin Blair catches touchdown for Alliance
Jarrin Blair catches a 10-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal from JR Jackson to start the third quarter. The kick is good. West Branch leads 34-21 with 6:41 left in the third quarter.
Second half set to begin at West Branch
Alliance receives the ball to start the second half. West Branch leads 34-14.
West Branch leads Alliance at halftime
West Branch leads Alliance 34-14 at halftime. Alliance will receive the ball to start the second half.
Jeremiah Thomas returns punt for touchdown
Jeremiah Thomas returns the Alliance punt 70 yards for a touchdown. The extra point is good. West Branch leads 34-14 with 26 seconds left in the second quarter.
West Branch forces Alliance punt
Quick three-and-out by Alliance. West Branch calls a timeout. Alliance will punt with 44 seconds left in the second quarter. West Branch leads 27-14.
Alliance defense forces turnover on downs
Alliance stops West Branch on a fourth-and-nine play at the Alliance 32 yard line. The Aviators take over down 27-14 with 1:15 to go in the second quarter.
Cashe Brisker hauls in touchdown pass for Alliance
Cashe Brisker gets behind the West Branch defense and tracks down a throw from JR Jackson to score a touchdown for Alliance. Impressive play by Brisker. It goes down as a 25-yard touchdown pass. The kick is good. West Branch leads Alliance 27-14 with 3:48 left in the second quarter.
Gavin Marshall catches touchdown for West Branch
Gavin Marshall leaks out of the backfield and scores on a 8-yard pass from Grady Hirst. Hirst bought time rolling out and completed the pass on the run. The kick was good. West Branch leads 27-7 with 5:10 left in the second quarter.
Grady Hirst intercepts Alliance
Grady Hirst defeflects and then intercepts an Alliance pass at the West Branch 36 on a third-and-1 play. Hirst knocked the ball straight up into the air and hung with the play and came down with the catch. West Branch leads 20-7 with 7:40 left in the second quarter.
JR Jackson intercepts West Branch
JR Jackson intercepts West Branch. Alliance is called for an illegal block in the back on the return but will start at the West Branch 48-yard line. West Branch leads 20-7 with 9:24 left in the second quarter.
Kam Burton puts Alliance on the scoreboard
Kam Burton catches a 16-yard touchdown pass from JR Jackson with 9:47 to go in the second quarter. Burton was wide open with nobody around. The extra point attempt is good. West Branch leads 20-7.
West Branch leads after one quarter
West Branch leads 21-0 after the first quarter of play. Alliance will have it second-and-eight at the Aviator 45-yard line to start the second quarter.
Jeremiah Thomas runs for West Branch touchdown
Jeremiah Thomas scores on a 6-yard touchdown run. Thomas actually almost tripped and fell but somehow recovered and cut back into the line for the score. A bad snap on the extra point attempt leads to a failed run conversion attempt. West Branch leads 20-0 with 1:30 left in the first quarter.
West Branch defense forces punt
West Branch forces a quick three-and-out and Alliance is forced to punt. West Branch gets great field position. West Branch takes over at its own 45-yard line with a 14-0 lead with 4:17 left in the first quarter.
Grady Hirst runs for West Branch touchdown
Grady Hirst takes a quick snap up the gut for a 1-yard touchdown run. The extra point attempt is good. West Branch leads Alliance 14-0 with 5:35 left in the first quarter.
Lukas Black intercepts Alliance
Lukas Black pulls down a one-handed interception on a deflected Alliance pass on a third-down play. West Branch takes over at its own 47-yard line with a 7-0 lead. 9:18 left in the first quarter.
Drake Stryffeler catches early touchdown for West Branch
It takes just two offensive plays for West Branch to strike paydirt. Drake Stryffeler catches a 10-yard touchdown pass from Grady Hirst with 10:45 to go in the first quarter. The kick is good. West Branch leads 7-0. The touchdown was set up by a 66-yard repection by Jeremiah Thomas on the play before.
West Branch begins game at own 20 yard line
West Branch catches the ball at the 20-yard line to start the game. We are officially underway here in Beloit.
West Branch and Alliance ready for kickoff
The teams have taken the field and we are getting set for the opening kickoff. West Branch will receive to start the game. Alliance will get the ball first in the second half.
Fall has arrived in Beloit
We're more than an hour away from kickoff here at West Branch High School and the weather seems to have finally turned. We have a chill in the air as a few Alliance players are out on the field going through preliminary individual workouts. I'm working in tight quarters tonight but I'll keep the updates coming. This should be an exciting, high-scoring game.
Eastern Buckeye Conference football standings
Alliance Aviators football schedule
West Branch Warriors football schedule
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