by Aeden Alexander, Sports Editor

In a high-scoring battle between St. John Bosco Braves and East St. Louis High School Flyers, the Braves steamrolled another national competitor to keep their perfect season going.

The St. John Bosco Braves continued to shine in their final home game before the start of league play against the nationally-ranked Flyers from Illinois. The Braves are now 4-0 and continue to show improvement every week they step on the field.

Such a marquee match-up even attracted the attention of NBA and New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson, as he was in attendance for the game.

To start the game, East St. Louis was given the ball and quickly showed they were not backing down from the Braves’ stacked defense. Their first drive did not result in a score, but was the best start for any team so far against Bosco.

But, just like their offense, their defense came to play as well. Despite the Flyers giving up two big plays to start, the Braves were forced to give back the ball. The rest of the first would be a defensive battle with neither team scoring, but that would quickly change in the second quarter.

The Braves would start by scoring the first touchdown of the game on a long run by the quarterback Pierce Clarkson, giving Bosco a 7-0 lead. The Braves defense would continue to shine, giving the ball back to the offense, allowing them to make a drive down the field, which resulted in another touchdown.

With the Braves quickly regaining the ball, they made another fantastic drive down the field, which led to them pulling ahead 21-0.  With no answer to the Braves dominant defense, East St. Louis went scoreless for the rest of the first half.

At the start of the second half, St. John Bosco began with the ball and quickly scored on an impressive run from Rayshon Luke, which increased the lead to 28 points. With no real answer or game plan from East St. Louis, Bosco sought to put the final nail in the coffin, scoring yet again to put them in front 35-0.

Finally, the Flyers found a spark, scoring their first touchdown of the game, as they looked to make a game of their lackluster performance. With not much working on offense, East St. Louis was able to find the end zone on a punt return as well as a fumble recovery.

Later, the Flyers scored their final points of the game on an impressive pass from their quarterback, which led to their first successful two-point conversion. But, to round off the victory, St. John Bosco’s quarterback, Pierce Clarkson, threw an unbelievable touchdown pass while being hit. This play was arguably the play of the night and the one to end it, as it put the Braves out of reach with a score of 42-26, the eventual final tally.

After four home games, our St. John Bosco Braves football team traveled across the country to Chesapeake, Virginia, where they play their next opponent, Oscar Smith High School. The Braves look to continue their winning season and defeat another national opponent in the Tigers, known for their viral video of their walk out in the “Tiger Cage.” The game will be streamed on the NFHS Network with radio play-by-play available here from Bosco alum Chris Sylvester.