For more than 50 years now, the East St. Louis Flyers and the Belleville West Maroons have battled for “The Bell” where the winner has bragging rights and ownership of “The Bell.”
This game was played on Thanksgiving Day for all old-school football fans who would come to old Parsons Field in East St. Louis, or Township Stadium in Belleville. What a atmosphere it was on cold Thanksgiving afternoons with the sounds of locomotives blowing their horn as they passed by the capacity crowds at either venue.
Not since 1978 (when Kevin Ramsey’s two-point conversion by Lorenzo Nicholson in the back of the end zone at Township Stadium gave the Flyers a thrilling last-second win) has this game been played on Thanksgiving Day.
Yes, there have been some good games between these teams since then. But not since then has Friday night’s game been SO BIG!
The GREATEST SHOW ON NEW TURF, the East St. Louis Flyers have outscored their last two opponents 118-26 since losing a tough game against Ohio power Huber Heights 20- 12 (when the Flyers held a 12-0 halftime lead).
Junior scat back Courtney Moulton has 46 touches for 447 yards and five touchdowns. Quarterback Dechautz Wray is coming off an impressive night in the conference opener against O’Fallon going 7-16 for 145 yards and 2 touchdowns. In addition, the Flyers are getting production from the two ESPN and Rivals.com top 100 players Terry Hawthorne and Kraig Appleton.
But the production of a few other young men has been the key early for the talented Flyers. Basketball standout Keonte Minor has been Darren Sunkett’s other threat that opposing defenses now have to game plan for. Minor and Jeremy Nichols have played important roles for the Flyers.
The talk up the hill has been going on all summer about how the Maroons feel this is the year they play with East Side.
Well, those are hard-hitting words if you like Flyers’ football. Friday night, the atmosphere at Belleville West will be more like a heavyweight boxing match as the Maroons put a 3-0 record on the line and the upper hand in the powerful Southwestern Conference. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Belleville West features a potent one-two running attack in running backs Sean Lewis who has 44 carries for 303 yards and fullback Dustin Heggemer who had nine carries for 76 yards against Granite City last Friday night. In addition, quarterback Jodeci Mack has rushed for an impressive 303 yards on 46 carries and has shown early that he can both pass and tuck it in and run.
Belleville West has a football team that is feeling pretty good about itself from the talk I’m hearing in the barber shops …
The lights at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium will be off come 7 p.m. Friday night. That means Darren Sunkett’s Flyers will be taking the GREATEST SHOW ON NEW TURF on the road this Friday and will show up on time for their 7 p.m. kickoff.
Belleville West is 3-0 (1-0) in the conference; East St. Louis is 2-1 (1-0) in the conference.
See you Friday night in Belleville. Let’s get it on!