Wesclin's grid Warriors had their fingertips on their first playoff victory in three years Saturday at Bridgeport, but saw it slip away with a late-game touchdown that gave the host Red Hill Salukis a 13-9 victory.

After falling behind 7-0, the Warriors tied the score at seven on a one-yard Letwon Williams plunge. A 13-yard run from Williams and a 17-yard pass completion from Jake Sopiars to Paul Ritzheimer were key plays in the 66-yard scoring drive.

Williams hauled 23 times for 86 yards on the day, while Sopiars rolled up 80 ground yards on 19 carries, while connecting on seven of his eight pass attempts for another 60 yards. The senior quarterback/safety also picked up his 27th career interception in the game, leaving him just one pick short of the state record.

Wesclin surged ahead with less than a minute remaining in the third quarter, when Skylar Mugele burst through the line and trapped Red Hill quarterback Chris Wampler for a safety.

Clinging to the 9-7 lead, Wesclin took over at midfield after the subsequent kickoff, and drained five minutes off the clock before stalling at the Red Hill 12-yard line on a fourth-and-two play that came up a yard short. Red Hill marched down to the Wesclin two-yard line, and after a run up the middle failed, Wampler scrambled and completed a touchdown pass to put Red Hill up with just under two minutes to go.

The Warriors reached midfield on their final drive, but a pair of sacks put Wesclin in third-and-long, and Sopiars final pass of the game was intercepted to seal the game.

Wesclin's defensive effort was again outstanding, as the Warriors surrendered just 13 points to a team that had been averaging more than 30 per game on the season, and hadn't scored fewer than 27 points in a game all year.

The defense was a key for a Warrior team that overcame a 1-3 start to the season and reeled off five straight victories to earn a playoff berth. Wesclin's finishes its season at 6-4 in head coach Brandon Murphy's first year, good for the school's fourth consecutive playoff appearance.

Wesclin's volleyball team won its second consecutive regional crown Thursday night, as the Illinois High School Association launched a new format that saw the semifinals and finals all played in the same night.

The Lady Warriors, as the tourney's top seed, got the early game with Alton Marquette, and swept past them 25-13 and 25-17 to gain the title match against Carlyle, which played back-to-back matches after outlasting Metro East Lutheran in a three-set marathon to precede the championship.

With the regional title, the Warriors move on to this Thursday's Nashville sectional, where they may find themselves in the same position as Carlyle was last week. Wesclin plays Columbia in the 6 p.m. semifinal. A win will advance them to the championship game at 7:15 p.m. against either Central or Murphysboro.

Wesclin 25-25,

Alton Marquette 13-17

The Lady Warriors brushed aside Alton Marquette in straight games, as Gretchen Rieger piled up 12 kills and Kayla Drummond added eight for Wesclin.

Jillian Hausmann had seven successful service points to go with ten assists; Brittany Wallace assisted on a team-high 15 kills and converted five serves. Rieger and Kelsey Boeser had six digs each.

Wesclin 25-25, Carlyle 17-15

Wesclin overcame a fired-up Carlyle squad behind an early rush of eight kills from Kayla Drummond. Brittany Wallace closed out the first game from the service line, converting the final four points, with Drummond providing the final kill. The senior hitter ended up with 11 kills in the match, as Wesclin polished off Carlyle in two games.

In the second game, Gretchen Rieger's seven-point service run brought Wesclin from behind, and Erin Ranz helped finish matters later in the game with a six-point service run.

Wallace had 13 assists to lead Wesclin, while Jillian Hausmann set up nine points. Ranz converted 11 service points for Wesclin. Wallace had 12 digs for the Lady Warriors, while Kelsey Boeser racked up eight, and Alicia Litteken seven.

Mater Dei senior volleyball player Erin Kasson has been named one of four finalists for the KMOV Channel 4 and Arby's "Performance Player of the Month." Each month, four high school athletes in the bi-state area are chosen as finalists based upon their superior athletic performances.

During the month of November, on-air promotional spots on KMOV Channel 4 direct people to go to KMOV.com to vote for one of the four nominees. On Tuesday, November 13, the winner will be contacted through his or her school, and on Sunday, December 2, the winner will be featured on Sports Sunday on Channel 4. Also, a "Salute" will be created that airs throughout the month via on-air promotional spots on Channel 4.

Kasson is a former Trenton resident, daughter of Bob and Terese Kasson, and granddaughter of Henry and Ruby Kasson of Trenton.

To cast your vote for Erin Kasson for "Performance Player of the Month," go to KMOV.com, click on the tab at the top of the page called "Entertainment and Contest" and then click on "Contests," and choose "Performance Player of the Month." Directions on how to vote are listed on that page. The deadline for voting is Sunday, November 11, 2007.

Kasson was also named the Student of the Week at Mater Dei last week. She is preparing for a medical career. In nominating Kasson for the Student of the Week award, Mater Dei teacher Marvin Eversgerd said, "It is my pleasure to nominate senior Erin Kasson for Student of the Week. Erin is always prepared for class and works very hard on a daily basis. She is very driven to prepare herself for a medical career. As a role model for other students, she is the best."