Feature photo caption: Senior Fred Thomas applies pressure to the Calhoun quarterback on a key third-and-long in the third quarter. His pressure forced an incompletion and a punt, giving the ball back to Casey-Westfield. —photo by Terri Cox

By Terri Cox | Sports Reporter

CASEY — A fourth-quarter touchdown by the Calhoun Warriors brought an end to Casey-Westfield’s impressive season on Saturday, as the visiting team secured a hard-fought 28-21 victory in the IHSA Class 1A Elite 8. In a back-and-forth battle at Sinclair-Vidoni Field, both squads traded blows throughout the afternoon, but it was Calhoun’s late scoring drive that proved to be the difference, capping a thrilling playoff contest.

Calhoun won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Casey-Westfield offense the first possession. Following a touchback, the home Warriors began their opening drive from their own 20-yard line.

Casey-Westfield struggled to find its rhythm early, going three-and-out on its initial series. Calhoun capitalized on the excellent field position, taking over at the CW 49-yard line. Just three plays later, a Calhoun runner broke free for a 36-yard touchdown. The successful extra point gave the visitors an early 7-0 lead.

The score seemed to ignite the home team. Jack Julius provided a spark with a strong kick return, then made a crucial sliding catch on a 34-yard pass from Nolan Clement for a key first down. After a four-yard run by Luke Karras, Clement looked deep for Nick Fouty, drawing a pass interference penalty that gave Casey-Westfield an automatic first down at the Calhoun 28-yard line.

Clement then used his legs on three consecutive plays, rushing for another first down to set up the Warriors at the Calhoun 10-yard line. The Calhoun defense stiffened, but on fourth-and-two, Karras powered through the middle of the line to get his team on the scoreboard. An offsides penalty against Calhoun on the conversion attempt moved the ball closer, prompting Casey-Westfield to go for two. Senior Fred Thomas punched it in, giving CW an 8-7 lead.

Both teams added a touchdown in the second quarter and both missed their conversion attempts. Calhoun reclaimed the lead, 13-8, on a one-yard touchdown run. But Casey-Westfield answered quickly when Clement connected with a wide-open Nick Fouty over the middle of the field. Fouty outran the defense for the score, putting CW back on top, 14-13, heading into intermission.

Calhoun received the second-half kickoff, but the Casey-Westfield defense forced a quick stop. On a key third-and-long, pressure from Fred Thomas forced an errant pass and a Calhoun punt.

Julius again provided a spark with a solid punt return, and the CW offense went to work. Sticking to their ground game, the Warriors marched 74 yards in eight plays, a drive capped by a three-yard touchdown run from Kellen Sullivan. Wyatt Erickson’s successful PAT extended the Casey-Westfield lead to 21-13.

Calhoun answered immediately. The visitors responded with a 79-yard, seven-play drive of their own, finishing with a two-yard rushing touchdown. A successful two-point conversion pass tied the game at 21-21 late in the third quarter.

After Casey-Westfield was forced to punt on its next possession, Calhoun capitalized on the opportunity. With just under four minutes remaining in regulation, Calhoun scored the go-ahead touchdown to take a 28-21 lead.

Casey-Westfield had one final chance to answer, but an incomplete pass on fourth down resulted in a turnover on downs with 2:21 left on the clock. The Warrior defense battled to get the ball back, but Calhoun converted a crucial fourth-and-one. With no timeouts remaining for Casey-Westfield, the visitors ran out the clock, sealing the victory.

The Warriors conclude their 2025 campaign with an impressive 9-3 overall record, marking their third consecutive trip to the Elite 8 round of the IHSA 1A playoffs.

The emotion of a hard-fought season comes to a close as Niah Honselman (left) consoles quarterback Nolan Clement following the Warriors’ 28-21 season-ending loss to Calhoun in the IHSA 1A Elite 8. —photo by Terri Cox

Game Summary

Score by Quarters

Scoring Drives

• 1st Quarter

  • CAL: 36-yard run (Kick good)

  • CW: Luke Karras 3-yard run (Fred Thomas run)

• 2nd Quarter

  • CAL: 1-yard run (Conversion failed)

  • CW: Nick Fouty 50-yard pass from Nolan Clement (Conversion failed)

• 3rd Quarter

  • CW: Kellen Sullivan 3-yard run (Wyatt Erickson kick)

  • CAL: 2-yard run (Conversion pass good)

• 4th Quarter

  • CAL: 4-yard run (Kick good)

Individual Statistics

RUSHING: Nolan Clement 19-59; Kellen Sullivan 6-38, 1 TD; Luke Karras 7-23, 1 TD; Gio Santillan 5-19; Nick Fouty 1-5.

PASSING: Nolan Clement 5-for-11, 118 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT.

RECEIVING: Nick Fouty 2-58, 1 TD; Jack Julius 2-46; Kellen Sullivan 2-31.

TACKLES: Luke Karras (6), Fred Thomas (5), Kellen Sullivan (5), Nolan Clement (5), Will Moore (5), Weston Hupp (4), Kian Davis (4), Jett Self (4), Niah Honselman (3), Kai Davis (3), Daryn Hupp (2), Drew Stutesman (2), Owen Tate (1), Riley Phillips (1), Nick Fouty (1), Lucas Weinberger (1), Landon Rohr (1), Kyler Ratliff (1), Wyatt Erickson (1), Jack Julius (1).

Nick Fouty hauls in a touchdown pass from Nolan Clement in the second quarter. Fouty found himself wide open in the middle of the field and sprinted to the end zone, giving Casey-Westfield a crucial 14-13 lead just before halftime. —photo by Terri Cox

A host of Casey-Westfield defenders converge on a Calhoun ball carrier during Saturday’s intense playoff matchup. The Warrior defense battled all afternoon in the physical, back-and-forth contest. —photo by Terri Cox

Quarterback Nolan Clement hands the ball off to running back Luke Karras during Saturday’s playoff game. Karras was a key part of the ground attack, scoring Casey-Westfield’s first touchdown on a powerful run in the first quarter. —photo by Terri Cox