COLLINS - Big plays and scoring sprees are nothing new to St. Paul football games in the Firelands Conference over the past 15-plus seasons.

However, most spectators are accustomed to mainly the Flyers getting all the big plays and scoring runs, but that was not the case Friday night at Balchelder Field in Collins as the Roughriders used two punt returns and an interception return for touchdowns by Darren Johnson and three long Blake Buckhannon touchdowns in a 42-21 win over St. Paul to improve to 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the FC.

It is the first time since 1994 that the 'Riders beat Monroeville and St. Paul in the same season. A virtual lock for the playoffs, Western likely has also wrapped up it's first-ever home playoff game in four weeks.

Meanwhile, St. Paul fell to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the FC. Entering the week in sixth place in Division VI Region 21, the Flyers will likely be in seventh or eighth place entering the final three weeks of the season.

St. Paul opened with a solid, 14-play, 55-yard drive that was capped off by a 1-yard run by Adam Smith with 1:35 left in the first quarter. Scottie Slauterback added the first of three PATs for a 7-0 lead.

Attempting for a sneak attack on the road, the Flyers opted for an onsides kick on the ensuing kickoff that the 'Riders snuffed out. Three plays later on third-and-10, Kyle Pressley found Buckhannon for a 51-yard screen pass for a touchdown in the closing seconds of the first quarter to tie the game.

After St. Paul went three-and-out on it's next possession, Johnson returned the first of his two punts, a 78-yarder up the left sideline for a 14-7 Western lead.

The 'Riders turned it over on downs at the St. Paul 37 later in the quarter, and highlighted by a 40-yard run by QB Joe Hinckley, the Flyers had first-and-goal at the Western 9. Two plays later Smith went across from two yards out to tie the game at 14-14 with just over three minutes left in the half, which is where things stood at the break.

Buckhannon added a 47-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for a 21-14 lead, and the momentum and game eventually turned on the Flyers ensuing possession. A 16-play drive that took up much of the third quarter culminated with a fourth-and-six at the Western 12. Hinckley's pass was incomplete, and on the next play Buckhannon raced 88 yards for a 28-14 lead.

After the kickoff, Hinckley's very next pass attempt was intercepted by Johnson and returned 28 yards for a 35-14 lead. In a flurry, Western had run just two plays in the third quarter (the two TDs by Buckhannon) and had a 21-point lead.

Johnson added a 48-yard punt return early in the fourth quarter that made it 42-14. In the closing minutes, Hinckley connected with a wide-open Shawn Dankleson for a 46-yard touchdown pass for the final points.

Hinckley finished 9-of-19 passing for 127 yards with a touchdown and interception to lead St. Paul while Smith ran for 98 yards and two scores on 26 attempts. Buckhannon ran for 174 yards and two touchdowns on 16 attempts for Western.