STF over ESL 20-13 - Final
- Thread starter crusader_of_90
- Start date
The spot depends on fist down ... nope, 4th! (confirmed by replay) TO .... First down on 4th down.
Announcers seem desperate for STF to break out... Guess they dont wanna do games in the Boogie!
4th down again .... PICKED BY RAYES!!!!!!! Back to the 45!!!
Announcers seem desperate for STF to break out... Guess they dont wanna do games in the Boogie!
4th down again .... PICKED BY RAYES!!!!!!! Back to the 45!!!
Oh Shit .. The East Side Chants are going ... and then an inevitable hold penalty on a long run.
We don’t understand your commentary at all. Calling Mike Tirico for the next game. Sheesh!!!
Vey proud of the Flyers while I did not expect the Flyers to win , They played a heck of a game . A lot of mistakes the Flyers had it, But just didn’t work out . They will correct the mistakes especially the offense. SFA defense was great too.
Sorry for the loss Crusader. The Flyers had this game in their hands. Belive me STF knows they escaped with a win. ESL is making Illinois proud. Keep your head up the Flyers will be fine this year.
All game East St. Louis’s offense tried to get its rushing attack into gear with its oversized and talented offensive line leading the way. But St. Frances answered with a defensive line that’s just as talented and physical. Neither team had consistent success moving the ball against the other. East St. Louis sophomore running back TaRyan Martin rushed for 30 yards on 15 carries and took his share of hits that echoed throughout the stadium.
The Flyers’ defense delivered its share of big hits and came up with two interceptions. The first went to senior linebacker Antwon “Jojo” Hayden who gave East St. Louis a spark late in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive, the Flyers went 28 yards and Battle rushed for a 9-yard touchdown for a 13-12 lead with 1:07 left in the third.
East Side’s second interception looked like it might be the one to break St. Frances. Sophomore safety Sael Reyes snagged a deep ball near his own 5-yard-line and returned it 50 yards to set the Flyers up on the Panther’ 45-yard-line with 5:35 to play.
Battle finally got into a rhythm with his receivers and kept the ball moving a few yards at a time. On fourth-and-5 at the St. Frances 40, he connected with sophomore receiver Caiden Rogers for a 6-yard gain to keep the chains moving. On the night, Battle was 12-of-26 for 115 yards and a score.
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Four plays later, the wheels came off East Side’s victory bid. Battle was sacked mere seconds after he received the shot gun snap. The Flyers’ false started. On third-and-17, the snap got past Battle who fell on it for 17-yard loss. On fourth-and-34 at the St. Frances 43, the snap for the punt went awry. Tillman picked it up and tried to run for some yardage but was quickly devoured.
St. Frances had the ball, trailed by a point with no timeouts and 97 seconds on the clock.
The Panthers only needed one play.
St. Frances dialed up a wheel route that went to Workman who was wide open. He turned on the jets to get past the defenders in the area and raced into the end zone. The Panthers then hit on the crucial 2-point conversion for a 20-13 lead with 1:27 to play.
“It’s a game of adversity. I tell them every time when adversity hits you, what are you doing to do? We responded,” St. Frances coach Messay Hailemariam said. “They didn’t put their heads down, they didn’t allow themselves to feel defeated. They dug deep in their hearts and each and every one of them did what they were supposed to do for us to win.”
The Flyers’ defense delivered its share of big hits and came up with two interceptions. The first went to senior linebacker Antwon “Jojo” Hayden who gave East St. Louis a spark late in the third quarter. On the ensuing drive, the Flyers went 28 yards and Battle rushed for a 9-yard touchdown for a 13-12 lead with 1:07 left in the third.
East Side’s second interception looked like it might be the one to break St. Frances. Sophomore safety Sael Reyes snagged a deep ball near his own 5-yard-line and returned it 50 yards to set the Flyers up on the Panther’ 45-yard-line with 5:35 to play.
Battle finally got into a rhythm with his receivers and kept the ball moving a few yards at a time. On fourth-and-5 at the St. Frances 40, he connected with sophomore receiver Caiden Rogers for a 6-yard gain to keep the chains moving. On the night, Battle was 12-of-26 for 115 yards and a score.
\
Four plays later, the wheels came off East Side’s victory bid. Battle was sacked mere seconds after he received the shot gun snap. The Flyers’ false started. On third-and-17, the snap got past Battle who fell on it for 17-yard loss. On fourth-and-34 at the St. Frances 43, the snap for the punt went awry. Tillman picked it up and tried to run for some yardage but was quickly devoured.
St. Frances had the ball, trailed by a point with no timeouts and 97 seconds on the clock.
The Panthers only needed one play.
St. Frances dialed up a wheel route that went to Workman who was wide open. He turned on the jets to get past the defenders in the area and raced into the end zone. The Panthers then hit on the crucial 2-point conversion for a 20-13 lead with 1:27 to play.
“It’s a game of adversity. I tell them every time when adversity hits you, what are you doing to do? We responded,” St. Frances coach Messay Hailemariam said. “They didn’t put their heads down, they didn’t allow themselves to feel defeated. They dug deep in their hearts and each and every one of them did what they were supposed to do for us to win.”
Kinda brutal assessment by the Post - but note, the above is from the Post too. I did not author:
It was a gutting end to what could have been a spectacular start to the season for East St. Louis. The Flyers defense didn’t bring an overwhelming amount of experience back, but it showed it can hang with the best much of the night.
Just not the whole night.
“I thought they played well up until that last drive and that’s what counts,” Sunkett said. “It’s four quarters of football. You can play well for three and a half quarters and when you blow something like that it takes all the good we thought we had going on, it takes that away.”
The Flyers offense was on the Panthers’ 15 with a chance to finish the game in the fourth quarter but didn’t close the deal. The penalties and mistakes at critical moments loomed large at the end of the night.
“To beat a team like St. Frances, we’re talking about the No. 3 team in the country, you’re not going to beat those types of teams making those errors,” Sunkett said. “It’s a long season. We’ll get back home and we’ll prepare our fellas for another big game next week.”
St. Frances is chasing a national championship this season as it will play all across the country, including in Hawaii. The Flyers had the Panthers on the ropes, but one play is all it takes to change the game.
“I give East St. Louis so much credit. They’re a tough, public school team and they’re an awesome team,” Hailemariam said. “Either these teams could have won the game. If the ball doesn’t bounce our way, it could be a different ball game.”
It was a gutting end to what could have been a spectacular start to the season for East St. Louis. The Flyers defense didn’t bring an overwhelming amount of experience back, but it showed it can hang with the best much of the night.
Just not the whole night.
“I thought they played well up until that last drive and that’s what counts,” Sunkett said. “It’s four quarters of football. You can play well for three and a half quarters and when you blow something like that it takes all the good we thought we had going on, it takes that away.”
The Flyers offense was on the Panthers’ 15 with a chance to finish the game in the fourth quarter but didn’t close the deal. The penalties and mistakes at critical moments loomed large at the end of the night.
“To beat a team like St. Frances, we’re talking about the No. 3 team in the country, you’re not going to beat those types of teams making those errors,” Sunkett said. “It’s a long season. We’ll get back home and we’ll prepare our fellas for another big game next week.”
St. Frances is chasing a national championship this season as it will play all across the country, including in Hawaii. The Flyers had the Panthers on the ropes, but one play is all it takes to change the game.
“I give East St. Louis so much credit. They’re a tough, public school team and they’re an awesome team,” Hailemariam said. “Either these teams could have won the game. If the ball doesn’t bounce our way, it could be a different ball game.”
I like how Coach Sunkett challenges his teams with the schedule. He is relentless. The right coach at the right place at the right time.
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