Belleville East hasn't had much luck against East St. Louis recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Lancers will welcome the Flyers at 7:00 p.m. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Belleville East was handed a heart-breaking two-point defeat in their last matchup, but they sure didn't let that happen against Alton on Friday. The Lancers claimed a resounding 47-6 victory over the Redbirds. The win continues a trend for the Lancers in their matchups with the Redbirds: they've now won seven in a row.
Kayden Wood was his usual excellent self, throwing for 120 yards and a pair of TDs, while also punching in two scores on the ground. Jaedon Beamon was another key player, rushing for 110 yards on only nine carries.
Belleville East didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. The picks came courtesy of Killian Rauch and Trevon Smith. Rauch got in on the action too, converting a pick into a touchdown.
Meanwhile, East St. Louis never let their opponents score on Friday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Edwardsville 54-0. Given the Flyers' advantage in MaxPreps' Illinois football rankings (they are ranked first, while the Tigers are ranked 72nd) , the win wasn't entirely unexpected.
East St. Louis' win came from a few key players Belleville East will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Ahmad Coleman, who rushed for 90 yards and one touchdown. Another player making a difference was Reece Shanklin, who rushed for 38 yards and one score.
East St. Louis' defense made their presence known, laying out the QB four times. In that department, Cornell McIntosh was the leader with two sacks. East St. Louis got some further help from James Bryant: he picked up a sack and made nine total tackles (8.0 for loss).
Belleville East's victory bumped their record up to 5-1. As for East St. Louis, they now have a winning record of 3-2.
Friday's contest might be decided on the ground. Belleville East has been excellent on the ground this season, having averaged 182 rushing yards per game. However, it's not like East St. Louis struggles in that department as they've been averaging 219 rushing yards. There's a good chance Friday's game turns into a tough fight on the ground.
Belleville East was dealt a bruising 40-0 loss at the hands of East St. Louis in their previous matchup back in September of 2024. Can the Lancers avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
