Hornets run roughshod over Tigers, inch closer to fighting for potential playoff berth

BEARDSTOWN, Ill. — The Brown County football team has put itself in position to chase a playoff berth.

Nothing will be easy about getting to five victories.

Following Thursday night’s 57-0 victory over Beardstown in Western Illinois Valley Conference North Division play, the Hornets need two more victories to become playoff eligible with three games to play. Two of those games are against Jacksonville Routt and state-ranked Calhoun, teams that are a combined 9-1.

But few teams on either side of the WIVC have been as good defensively as the Hornets, who have allowed one or fewer touchdowns in five of their six games with a pair of shutouts. And now, after a slow start to the season, the offense is finding its legs.

Tyce Fullerton got things started with touchdown runs of 3 and 75 yards, while Tanner Sitze returned a fumble 31 yards for a score. Trey Fullerton and Hayden Hurley had 1-yard touchdown runs before Kanye Mitchell scored on a 4-yard run with 16 seconds left in the first half for a 42-0 lead.

Eli Staton’s 65-yard TD run and Jack Sefton’s 36-yard scoring run finished off the Tigers.