When Lincoln-Way West scored a touchdown on the second play of the game, and Bradley-Bourbonnais answered with a touchdown of its own on the ensuing possession, it seemed like this pair of Southwest Valley Red Division rivals were headed for a shootout.

Instead, visiting Bradley-Bourbonnais (7-1, 4-1) pulled away and made a statement with a 35-13 win over the conference-leading Warriors (7-1, 4-1) and ended their hopes at an unbeaten season.

The Boilermaker defense did not allow a touchdown on the Warriors’ final nine possessions after that quick score in the opening minute of the game.

The win was a return to form for a proud defensive unit that had allowed 47 points across the last two games, including a 28-20 loss to Lincoln-Way Central, after surrendering just 40 points across the season’s first five contests.

“We didn’t point fingers when we lost against Lincoln-Way Central,” senior Omari Taylor said. “We kept that same attitude right now, and just played faster and harder every drive. We all pursued and we all ran to the ball. We didn’t point fingers. This is a really great defense.”

On offense, quarterback Ellis Johnson threw four touchdown passes for the second week in a row, the first to Rontez Smith followed by three to Lyzale Edmon.

Edmon had four catches for 163 yards and a key 6-yard run on fourth-and-2 late in the game that eventually led to his brother Ky’ren Edmon’s 42-yard touchdown with 2:57 to go, putting the finishing touches on the Boilermakers’ biggest win of the year.

“It feels great,” Lyzale Edmon said of the latest win. “We have a chip on our shoulder after losing to Lincoln-Way Central, so we just came out here and had fun, and played Boilermaker football.”

Johnson completed 10-of-19 passes, getting big gains after the catch from Smith on the Boilermakers’ first touchdown and from Lyzale Edmon on his first two scores, a 35-yarder that saw him break away from several tacklers and then an 89-yarder on a screen pass just before halftime that put Bradley-Bourbonnais up 21-7.

Johnson said it is comforting knowing his athletic receivers can make big things happen after the catch.

“It makes it easier out there when you have guys like that to give the ball to,” he said. “They can take a quick little screen 75 yards, and that makes it fun because we’ve got a lot of guys that we feel great about getting the ball in their hands.”

Bradley-Bourbonnais will finish up the regular season on the road against Andrew next Friday, looking to finish their winningest regular season in nearly a decade on a high note.

Bradley-Bourbonnais coach Mike Kohl said the team will have to be ready for a tough Andrew team that played Lincoln-Way Central to a similar score the Boilermakers did, losing 28-21 last week.

“I think the biggest thing is we’ve got to keep playing,” he said. “Andrew’s a really good football team, and Lincoln-Way Central barely beat Andrew, so we’ve got to go to them on the road next week and we’ve got to play again.

“But this was a huge win for us here. Try to enjoy it tonight, and tomorrow morning wake up and get better.”

For Lincoln-Way West, the 13 points scored Friday set a new season low. Quarterback Grant Tustin’s 64-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was followed up by field goals of 49 and 25 yards from Zach Hermanson, both in the second half.

They will look to get right on the road next week against a last-place Stagg team before heading into the postseason.

“We lost to a really good team,” Lincoln-Way West coach Luke Lokanc said. “I told them that no team is defined by one game, we’re defined by an entire season. So we’ve got to look in the mirror and decide if we’re going to flush it and get better or not.

“We’ve got a great group of seniors, and I know what they’ll do. They’ll get better for it.”