All-American Terry Hawthorne refused to let his team lose last Saturday afternoon in leading the Flyers to a dramatic come-from-behind 35-28 victory over Chicago St. Rita at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium on the campus of East St. Louis Senior High.
The University of Illinois recruit scored three touchdowns, had two interceptions and was in on 11 tackles against the Chicago Catholic power in last week’s state quarterfinals. The No. 2 seed Flyers travel to the western suburbs of Chicago with all the chips on the line to play #1 seed Glenbard West (Glynn Ellyn) in the state semifinals at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The winner of the East Side-Glenbard West game will play the winner of Crystal Lake South vs. Geneva for the Class 7A state title on Thanksgiving weekend. (Sat. Nov. 29, 4 p.m.) at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Illinois.
Hawthorne intercepted a St. Rita pass and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown with three minutes and 55 seconds to go in the third quarter to turn the Flyers’ season around. Then Hawthorne and his fellow All- American teammate Kraig Appleton scored two more times as Darren Sunkett’s Flyers scored 28 unanswered points to turn a 28-7 deficit into a 35 n28 victory in a game that many rank up there as one of the “all- time” playoff games in Flyers history.
Ironically, the last time the Mustangs were in East Boogie it was a “Prime Time” affair as Bob Shannon Flyers won 8 -0 at historic Parson Field.
That was last week, the party over; Glenbard West is no pushover and the championship game not until next week.
Glenbard West is a member of the West Suburban Conference. After finishing 6 -5 last season, the Hilltoppers are 12-0 and have two of the best running backs in the state. In addition, they have two All- State lineman who have been downright stingy on defense allowing just 7.2 points per game in the playoffs.
The Hilltoppers also feature a high-octane offense that has put up over 400 points this season. Only the Flyers can be mentioned in the same breath statistically in the entire state.
The key for the Flyers will be the running game featuring Courtney Moulton, and Vincent Artibridge. Without them, the Flyers could be in for a long day. Quarterback Dechautz Wray has been great all season, but up north in Chicago this time of year, you have got to be able to run the football.
The Flyers’ defense played an outstanding game against St. Rita, and will be tested again this week. However, this is one of the best defensive units coach Sunkett has had since he’s been at East St. Louis. Led by “Black Cat” Terry Hawthorne and his future teammate at University of Illinois, Tommie Hopkins, and one of the leading sack masters in the Metro East in Ty Phillips, the defense will be up to the challenge.
Sunkett is just two games away from doing something that hasn’t been done. That is to win a state football title in Missouri large Schools, and a state title in the second largest Class (7 A) in Illinois. Not since 1991 have I ate my Thanksgiving dinner in Champaign, Illinois, and I would love nothing more to be able to do it again in 2008.
But I was saying that last year t0o when we went almost to the same neighborhood in Wheaton Warrenville South and lost 26 n0, thus spoiling my plans.
Well, this time we are going just a few blocks up the street (Glenbard West High) of that nightmarish overcast day last year, only a couple intersections and condos, Mansions, Mercedes Benz and SUV’S away from the rich and famous.
This time, the boy’s from East Boogie are going to dish out the nightmare. Flyers 28 n Glenbard West 23.
