By BRIAN SHOEMAKER

PITTSFIELD -- It was meant to be a simple counter run for the Illini West Chargers.

Mitch Beals made it into a whole lot more.

Beals milked the play for 201 rushing yards and four touchdowns on 12 carries as Illini West scored 50 unanswered points in a 58-20 win over the Saukees Friday night in West Prairie Trails Southwest play at Glenn C. Smith Field.

"It was definitely a breakout game for him," Illini West coach Jim Unruh said.

Breakout might be an understatement.

Beals, normally a third option back in the Chargers offense, entered the game averaging 6.5 yards a carry with a season-long of 31 yards. But on Friday, Beals scored touchdowns on carries of 40 and 42 yards, along with three more carries of 20 yards or more.

Each yard came on the counter.

"It's all from the fakes of with the other backs," Beals said. "They were taking away the defenders from me, I really didn't have to do anything but run."

In front of a packed house, Beals caught everyone's attention with the 40-yard score on the first play of the second quarter. Beals broke free for runs of 26 and 22 yards as the Chargers put together a seven-play, 1-minute, 15-second drive that finished with an 11-yard touchdown from Drake Schmudlach to end the first half.

Illini West finished with 417 rushing yards, while Pittsfield finished with 250.

"It wasn't anything we weren't looking for, but you can't simulate the speed and quickness of their offensive line," Pittsfield coach Don Bigley said.

In the first quarter, the Saukees offense looked up to the challenge. Pittsfield scored on the first play of scrimmage on a 70-yard touchdown pass to Austin Schrader from Jordan Cawthon. Devon Johnson helped maintain a Saukees lead through most of the first quarter with a 5-yard touchdown run.

It was the first time all season an opponent had scored in the first quarter against Illini West.

"We came out and they had a couple of big plays on us," Illini West quarterback Michael Lafferty said. "We didn't fold after that. It was a good, hard-hitting game."

The Saukees' ground attack proved successful through the middle as Johnson finished with 94 yards on 19 carries and Elijah Hoover added 105 yards on 15 carried. But short kickoffs gave the Chargers short field position as Stefan Flynn answered both Pittsfield scores with first-quarter touchdown runs of 3 and 22 yards.

"We weren't really trying to get the ball," Bigley said. "They're so good on their kickoff returns that we weren't going to give them the chance to run a kickoff back. We were willing to give them ball on the 40 rather than give them the chance to run back."

The Chargers pulled away with a running clock in the third quarter . After a three-game road trip, the Chargers return home next week against Beardstown in their quest for an undefeated regular season.

"It'll be great going home," Lafferty joked. "I don't really remember what it's like playing there, it's been so long. & quot;

-- sports@whig.com/221-3365