In a hard-hitting, highly competitive football game between the top two teams in the Four Rivers Conference and Class 4 District 3, top-seeded Sullivan emerged with a 32-17 victory over second-seeded St. Clair in the district championship contest Monday night at Sullivan High School.
The Eagles (12-0) advance to the Class 4 quarterfinals for a game at Webb City (12-0) Saturday at 1:30 p.m.
Webb City, the two-time defending Class 4 champions, blew out Hillcrest Monday to claim the District 4 crown, 55-10.
St. Clair ends its season with a 10-2 record. Both of the Bulldogs’ losses came at Sullivan against the Eagles.
Sullivan never trailed Monday night.
Playing with a broken left hand, running back Justin Biermann gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead on a 38-yard touchdown run with 3:49 left in the opening quarter.
The game was 10-10 after St. Clair’s Rickey Grivetti returned a kickoff 82 yards for a touchdown with 3:17 left in the second quarter.
The Eagles responded on a three-yard touchdown run by Caden Weigl to give the home team an 18-10 halftime advantage.
Clayton Mayer scored on an eight-yard touchdown run to give Sullivan a 25-10 lead with 3:24 left in the third quarter.
The Bulldogs answered when quarterback Kyle Juergens raced 47 yards for a score to trim the Sullivan lead to 25-17 after three quarters.
The Eagles sealed the win on a one-yard touchdown run by Adam Tiefenbrunn to make the score 32-17 with 6:13 remaining in the fourth quarter.
St. Clair was slowed by six turnovers.
See Wednesday’s Missourian for more details on the game.
St. Clair 0-10-7-0=17
Sullivan 7-11-7-7=32
First Quarter
SU-Justin Biermann 38 run (Jake Lochner kick), 3:49
Second Quarter
SC-Jacob Meisel 27 FG, 8:39
SU-Lochner 24 FG, 3:32
SC-Rickey Grivetti 82 kickoff return (Meisel kick), 3:17
SU-Caden Weigl 3 run (Clayton Mayer pass from Adam Weiland), 2:00
Third Quarter
SU-Mayer 8 run (Lochner kick), 3:24
SC-Kyle Juergens 47 run (Meisel kick), 1:55
Fourth Quarter
SU-Adam Tiefenbrunn 1 run (Lochner kick), 6:13
