Last week, Darren Sunkett’s East St. Louis Flyers football team started what is expected by many Flyer fans to be the year football will be played on Thanksgiving weekend.
You see, in the State of Illinois, ISHA (Illinois High School Association) schedules the state championship games the weekend of Thanksgiving. And Flyers fans haven’t carved the bird on the road since 1991.
Last season, a young, talented group of Flyers outplayed nationally ranked Wheaton Warrenville for much of the game in the semi-finals, but ended up on the short end of a 26-0 score in the Class 7A state playoffs.
The Flyers return most of that team, and started a journey last week at the NIKE 7-on-7 Passing Championships at the NIKE Headquarters in Oregon.
In addition to the 7- ON -7 Passing Championship, Sunkett’s Flyers left yesterday to participate in a camp being held in Indianapolis this week. They will participate in a number of camps leading up to an August 31 meeting in the Kirk Kerbstriet Classic in Cincinnati, Ohio.
The event is part of a jamboree of games showcasing some of the top high school football programs in the country. All the games will be broadcast by ESPNU.
At last week’s NIKE event, all-state receiver Terry Hawthorne was named to the All-Tournament Defensive Unit. Hawthorne and teammate Kraig Appleton are both rated by most football evaluators as two of the top 100 players in the country.
But the Flyers will be more than a two-man team with quarterback Dechautz Ray, running back Courtney Moulton and Vincent Artibridge returning to an offense that was among the best in the state in every offensive category.
A complete look at what many feel to be a special team will be coming soon. In the mean time, the new football field and track at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium is coming along mighty fine.
The boys of fall are on the road learning football with coaches and teammates.
And very soon leaves will be turning and, for a couple of hours on Friday nights, these young men will make many forget, if only briefly, some of the pain and suffering in this impoverished community.
Can’t wait for the opener, Aug. 31 @ 3 p.m.!
Scott’s Notes
? I have been umpiring summer select baseball the past year. You see and meet some nice people and then again very crazy people who think these kids are minor league players. Some of the coaches take themselves WAY TO SERIOUS. I had one guy tell me and another umpire we were some cheating black bleep, bleep! And with the drinking, he smelled like he was from Mayberry.
? Former University of Illinois player Christian Morton, who played for Flyers’ head coach Darren Sunkett at Riverview Gardens, is now playing for the Denver Broncos. I’m sure the late Bronco running back Damien Nash is smiling with that big grin of his in heaven at one of his best friends and high school teammates.
? Illinois or MIZZOU at the ED? The Juice or T-Mack? Pinkel or the Zooker? I’ll take Pinkel in this one. Tell you what, the Tigers better get ready for a dude name BENN!
? Charlie “Tuna” Edwards did a class thing and invited Richard “Onion” Horton and myself on his show last Sunday. You all need to check Tuna’s show out at 7 p.m. on 1380-AM every Sunday night.
? Antonio Margarito is going to beat the hell out of Miguel Cotto!
? Now that Paul Biancardi and Angres Thorpe are gone, who will sit in on the post-game show after “Slick Rick’ Majerus doesn’t show up to explain one of those A-10 losses to George Washington or St. Joseph’s?
? It’s a joke how some people are acting like Tiger Woods’ absence here in a few months is not that disappointing. It’s not, only if you thought black people were coming out there to get a glimpse of one of our brothers doing good in the game of golf and CHING, CHING!!!!!!
? Zab Judah and some guy named Clotty will fight on August 2 on HBO. Zab seems to keep busy fighting and getting fights on cable. I wish Cory Spinks and one of the best trainers and managers in boxing Kevin “KC” Cunningham could hook back up …
