Elgin 40, East Aurora 6

Elgin got it done on the ground, through the air, and especially on defense Friday night, routing winless East Aurora on the road, 40-6, to pick up its first Upstate Eight Conference win of the season.

Quarterback Tom Roth threw for 2 touchdowns and ran for two more as the Maroons took control of the game in the first half and let their defense do the rest.

"It was huge that we were able to come out firing," Roth said.

Roth got Elgin on the board less than four minutes into the game with a 2-yard plunge, three plays after his 37-yard punt return set his team up at the East Aurora 18.

But the Maroons gave those points back when Robert McGowan took the ensuing kickoff 95 yards for what would turn out to be the Tomcats' only score.

"We were just a little too tight to each other and didn't get to the lanes," Elgin coach Tom Kim said. "I was proud of the way the boys responded to adversity tonight."

Elgin answered near the end of the opening quarter when Roth found Jamal Cook in the right flat 17 yards from the end zone. The junior receiver had one defender to beat.

"I saw him, made a move, and he missed," Cook said. "We were able to set the tone for the game, and that was really important."

The Maroons (3-4, 1-3) got the ball back in a hurry and on the first play of the second quarter, Robert Hayes tore off a 63-yard run to the East Aurora 9, setting up Roth's second rushing touchdown.

"Our spirits are high right now, even though I still don't think we played up to our potential," Roth said.

Elgin capped the first half scoring with just over four minutes to go in the second quarter, as Roth found a wide open Cook for a 53-yard touchdown pass and the Maroons carried a 27-6 lead into the break.

Both of Elgin's second-half touchdowns were scored by Kenny Williams, who sat out the first half, but rushed for 105 yards on 8 carries in the final two quarters.

Williams ran for 37 yards on his first carry, then 28 more for a touchdown in the first minute of the third quarter. The senior scored the game's final touchdown on a 31-yard run around end with 4:27 left in the game.

"It was a sloppy game, but our kids were able to bear down mentally," Kim said. "This was a great way for us to go into next week."

The Maroons will now gear up for next Saturday's showdown with Larkin.

"This is real big for us tonight," Cook said. "This lets Larkin know we're coming."