BELLEVILLE - The Southwestern Conference football game between Edwardsville and Belleville West was suspended with 8:08 remaining in the second quarter with the score tied 7-7 because of lightning and thunderstorm concerns.
The game will resume at the point it was suspended Saturday morning at 11 a.m. at Bob Goalby Field.
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Things started out well for the Tigers on their first possession after forcing a Maroon punt, going 43 yards in six plays, taking 2:01 to score. James Distaso-Hutchins, a sophomore making his first varsity start, and senior running back Justin Johnson, Jr. both had good runs, with the two connecting on a pair of passes for good gains. Johnson climaxed the drive with a 15-yard run down the left sideline for the touchdown, with Gavin Walls' conversion giving the Edwardsville a 7-0 lead.
After forcing a West three-and-out, the Tiger offense started a drive with Johnson running the ball well, and connecting with Distaso-Hutchins of a pair of passes for gains. The Maroon defense stiffened and got a stop on a fourth-and-three when Johnson was stopped short of a first down, giving the Maroons the ball with 17.6 seconds left in the period.
West then went on a 10 play, 55-yard drive that took 4:09. Quarterback Darron Millender and running back Javieon Wallace got good runs, with Millender connecting with Brian Jackson for a key 15-yard gain. In the end, Wallace ran the ball in from six yards out with 8:08 left in the first half, with Logan Seibert kicking the conversion to tie the game 7-7.
The officials, seeing lightning strike nearby, then sent both teams off the field to shelter, while the stadium was evacuated for a mandatory 30-minute lightning delay, as provided by IHSA rules. Eventually, it was agreed to suspend the game because of lightning and storm concerns and will pick up with the Maroons' kickoff, the score tied 7-7.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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