East St. Louis’ quest for ninth state championship turned on a gritty goal-line stand
From Week 1 right through to the final snap of the season, the East St. Louis Flyers were the top-ranked high school football team in Illinois.
Coach Darren Sunkett also recognized from the start that his Flyers had the look of a champion, regardless of class. The Flyers last won the title in 2016 as a 7A team. But they topped the 5A poll much of the season before ultimately being grouped in the 6A bracket.
“Class 6A, 7A, it doesn’t matter. I don’t think the trophy is any larger than the ones in 4A or 5A. They are all the same size aren’t they?’’ Sunkett said following East Side’s 43-21 triumph over Prairie Ridge Saturday in DeKalb. “They all say state champions. That’s what matters.’’
Saturday’s win marked in the ninth state championship in the glorious history of East St. Louis football and was the school’s fourth title inside an eight-month span — East Side also captured championships in boys basketball as well as boys and girls track in 2019.
Its latest title can be pinned on a brilliant second half performance against a Prairie Ridge team which has been the top Class 6A program in the state in the past eight years with three titles since 2011.
It looked like Prairie Central had a chance for a fourth title for much of the first three quarters Saturday. Controlling the clock with their triple-option offense, the Wolves kept the Flyers’ playmakers off the field for much of the first half, limiting East St. Louis to just four possessions.
Prairie Central then appeared headed for the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter.
Taking more seven minutes off the clock, the Wolves marched from their own 34 yard line to inside the Flyer 5. But East Side seized momentum with a goal line stand that ended when Prairie Ridge quarterback Connor Lydon’s fourth down pass fell incomplete.
““We didn’t want them to go ahead of us. We wanted to make sure we got ahead coming out at half,” Sunkett said. “Us stepping up with that stop out of the half and the offense taking the ball down the field, it turned the tide of the game.”
It didn’t take the Flyers to take charge following the gritty defensive effort. Junior quarterback Tyler Macon needed barely 90 seconds to march East St. Louis 96 yards for the go-head score.
Macon’s side-arm, on-the-run 21-yard strike to Dominic Lovett moved the ball to the 34-yard line. On the next play, the two connected again for a 66-yard touchdown to give the Flyers a 20-14 lead.
“That sequence turned the game around,’’ Prairie Ridge coach Chris Schremp said. “The first half, we ran the football well and managed to keep their offense off the field, We needed to do that because they (East St. Louis) can score points in a hurry.
“We just had too many things go against us in the second half. I’m proud of these kids. They’ve had another great season and gave a great effort today. But that’s a great football team we played. I don’t think there are too many teams that could beat them today.’’
Macon, who finished the day 13-of-19 for 306 yards, found Lovett on a 7-yard scoring play for his third touchdown pass of the day on the first play of the fourth quarter as the Flyers lead expanded to 28-14.
Five minutes later, East St. Louis defensive lineman Darran Perkins clinched the Flyers ninth state title. With the Wolves once again in Flyers territory, Perkins scooped up a fumble and rambled 90 yards for a touchdown a a 36-14 Flyers advantage.
“I was tired. I’m still tired,’’ Perkins said in the post-game press conference.
Senior running back Damonta Witherspoon put the finishing touch on the Flyers’ 29-point second half effort with a 1-yard run with three minutes left.
Welcome home
East St. Louis Superintendent Arthur Culver said the Flyers will be honored with a parade Wednesday. The time has been tentatively set for 2 p.m.
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 10:22 AM.
