GoMiller, Shanklin power East St. Louis to first-round playoff win
Ronnie GoMiller and Reece Shanklin got the always explosive East St. Louis Flyers going early and strong Friday night.
GoMiller returned three punts for touchdowns and Shanklin threw for three scores as top-ranked East St. Louis turned a 48-7 halftime lead into a 63-7 running clock mercy rule win over Plainfield East in the IHSA Class 6A playoff opener at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium in East St. Louis.
East St. Louis (7-3) advances to face the winner of Chatham Glenwood-Joliet Catholic in a second-round road contest next weekend.
Flyers coach Darren Sunkett was pleased with his club’s opening-round performance.
“I thought we executed well offensively and the whole team effort and right now our motto is togetherness,” Sunkett said. “It’s a togetherness thing and we know we’ve gotta stay together and just preparing for the state run now.”
East St. Louis got on the board via special teams to start as GoMiller picked up a Plainfield East punt on the near sideline and took it back 85 yards for a touchdown just over two minutes into the game.
“I talked to coach Sunkett and he was saying field position is everything, so if the ball’s in my area I’m gonna see how far I can take it down the field and get in better field position so we can get an easy score or a great drive,” GoMiller said.
On the Flyers’ next drive, the passing game came to life as Shanklin hit Indiana-bound wideout Kortez Rupert with a 47-yard bomb for a touchdown, making it 14-0.
“I had a really good route (run) by my receiver and I just laid it up for him to go get it and he made a play and that’s all there was to it to trust in him,” Shanklin said.
Plainfield East cut into the lead late in the first quarter on a 55-yard catch and run from quarterback Brady Cloherty to running back David Croom, shaving the lead to 14-7.
The Flyers’ offense and GoMiller went to work in the second quarter.
Shanklin fired a 10-yard touchdown pass to Amir Tillman, and Myson Johnson Cook and Ahmad Coleman scored on one- and eight-yard runs to push the Flyers’ lead to 34-7 with 7:47 left in the first half.
Shanklin connected with Jamarion Flowers for his third touchdown pass of the night on a 17-yard fade route, and GoMiller capped the Flyers’ 34-point second quarter eruption with a 40-yard punt return touchdown for his third and final score, making it 48-7 at the break.
GoMiller’s three punt return touchdowns eclipsed Luther Burden’s two punt return touchdown performance in 2021 against CBC.
“We work on everything around here and it feels great, man, just being able to do what I can for football,” GoMiller said. “I love the game.”
East St. Louis’ three losses during the regular season were to nationally ranked teams, and Sunkett believes those losses prepared the Flyers well for the challenge of the playoffs.
“We played the toughest schedule around hands down, no doubt, and I think it prepared us well as we get ready for this state run,” Sunkett said.
Plainfield East finished the season 6-4.
This story was originally published November 1, 2025 at 5:59 AM.