New time set for East St. Louis football title defense
The East St. Louis Flyers date with destiny has been put off to another day due to the threat of inclement weather.
The Flyers were scheduled to defend their Illinois Class 6A football championship against Fenwick High School in Bloomington Saturday. But the school confirmed Friday that the game has been postponed.
Kickoff is now set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University. The 5A state title game between St. Francis High School and Providence Catholic will kickoff at 3 p.m.
The postponement of state championship games is unprecedented in the 51 years since they’ve been held, IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson confirmed.
The National Weather Service Friday afternoon forecast heavy snow for Bloomington beginning at about 4 a.m. Saturday. By the time the teams begin their treks home, Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University could be covered in anywhere from 6 to 12 inches of snow.
With wind gusts up to 32 mph, drifting will be a factor as well, the National Weather Service reported.
Title games in Classes 1-4A were already underway Friday when the decision to postpone Saturday’s games to decide championships in classes 5-8A.
“Due to the impending winter storm that is expected to impact significant portions of the state, including the Bloomington-Normal area, Illinois State University (ISU) has announced that it is closing its campus on Saturday, November 29 out of an abundance of caution,”: according to a statement from the IHSA. “The campus closure will force the IHSA to postpone the second day of the 2025 IHSA Football State Finals...”
The Flyers will be going for their fifth state championship in 10 years and their 12th overall.
East St. Louis has lost three games this season, but all were at the hands of out-of-state, nationally ranked opponents. Against in-state opponents, the Flyers have outscored teams 499-40 in nine games.
The No. 8-seeded Flyers made quick work of the 6A playoff field, winning games by scores of 63-7, 53-14 and 49-0 before defeating Burbank St. Laurence in the state semifinal game last weekend, 50-7.
This story was originally published November 28, 2025 at 2:42 PM.