1979 Flyers state championship team honored

The history started in 1925, and 89 years later, most, if not all are trying to keep the tradition going.  

On a damp, soggy homecoming night last Friday at historic Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium, I couldn’t help but reflect on that history. That is especially true for those years since 1975 when the East St. Louis High football program became really special.

Sure, most people over the age of 65 like to brag about the Fred Cameron days from 1951-1971 when the Flyers posted an impressive record of 107-28-8. Those were indeed some great teams with some great players, but they would have been beaten soundly – like a pair of Sylvester “Sunshine ” Lee  drums – by the Cornelius Perry teams and the Bob Shannon teams that followed them.

Last Friday night, the 1979 Illinois Class 5A State championship team was honored prior to Flyers’ game against Alton. The great Bob Shannon was in attendance, albeit keeping a low profile as usual when he returns home.

Plenty people often ask, “Does Coach Shannon ever come around?” I always reply, “Sure, he does. He still helps out often when asked too.”

The 1979 team defeated Burbank St. Lawrence 20-14 for the state title at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University in Normal. At that time, 5A was the largest classification in the state of Illinois. It was truly a great team. They had 16 players who went on to play college football. Some even made it all the way to the National Football League. They included:

Victor Scott (Colorado/Dallas Cowboys), Kerry Glenn (Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, N. Y. Jets/Minnesota Vikings), Daryl Dixon (Michigan State), Avin Jones (Tennessee), Jarvis Hall (Arkansas), Dennis Edwards (Indiana), Vincent Allen (Wisconsin/ Illinois State), Walter “Too Tall” Jackson (Southern Illinois), William “BT” Thomas (Southern Illinois), Condolla Jackson (Illinois State).

Other great players on that team included team caption Roosevelt Golliday, who recently retired as a colonel in the United States Air Force, and Avery Bryd, who was once featured on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine.

Former players Garry Joshway, Louis Lockett, Dennis Doublin, Dennis Johnson, Everett Fields, Everett Holemon, Alphonso Baity, Dwight Holley all were in attendance.

This sort of head-knocking tradition started in my opinion in 1971 under Cornelius Perry, who posted a record of 37-13-3 during his six seasons at the helm. During the 1974-75 season, Perry’s Flyers finished 12-1, with its only loss coming in a dramatic 19-13 OT loss to Harold Samorian Northbrook (Glenbrook North) in the state championship game.

Perry’s team consisted of some of the greatest Flyers ever. Among the best were quarterback Maurice Tolson, Stanley Braggs, Cleveland Crosby (Cleveland Browns), Eugene Bryd (Michigan State/Atlanta Falcons), and a guy that coach Perry and his staff  recruited from the “CHESS TEAM” to play only one year of high school football. His name was Kellen Winslow, who became a future Hall of Famer.

It was after the 1975-76 season that the great Bob Shannon took the keys to the Cadillac. His first season he started 5-4, but after that Shannon’s teams won six State titles and had two runner-up finishes. His 1979 crew was his first state championship team.

Shannon’s teams finished with a record of 193-32 in 20 seasons. During that span, the Flyers won three consecutive state titles from 1983-85 and enjoyed a 44-game winning streak. In addition, East St. Louis also won the mythical National Championship in ‘85 and ‘89.

My friend Terry Hill took the helm for five years, guiding the Flyers to three playoff appearances. Now, Darren Sunkett is at the helm of the Cadillac. In his 13 seasons, he has compiled a record of 113-34 with one state championship in 2008-09.

With an overall record of 742-184-36, East St. Louis is still among the top programs in the country.

I just hope will don’t let our tradition go down the drain like Lincoln High School, Parsons Field and others gifts forgotten.

But hats off to the organization that made me and others celebrate the tradition – a tradition some just don’t understand.