In a game that marked the 25th anniversary of the 1991 State Championship game between Glenbard North and East St. Louis Senior High, the two teams staged an instant classic.
East St. Louis faced a third down and 13 from the Glenbard North 26-yard line when quarterback Reyoundus Estes found All- American wide receiver Jeff Thomas for a leaping, electrifying catch for the winning touchdown with three seconds left, lifting the Flyers to a 32-28 victory in the second round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs.
Estes was simply marvelous against Glenbard North, amassing 309 yards of total offense. In addition, his ability to elude the pass rush and gain yardage via the run was devastating against the Panthers defense. Jeff Thomas had another stellar performance as well, hauling down seven catches for 190 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner.
But it was the Flyers’ defense that held the Panthers to 13 yards rushing, led by linebackers James “Bonecrusher” Knight and LaMontre “State Street” Harvey on Saturday to send the Flyers into the quarterfinals Saturday afternoon against #23 seed Villa Park Willowbrook. Kick-off is set for 2 p.m.
On Saturday, East St. Louis will continue to rely on Estes, Thomas, and workhorse running back Jarrell Anderson. But the unsung hero on offense all season has been Charlando Robinson, who picked up a key first down during the winning drive, something he’s been doing all season long for East St. Louis.
The Willowbrook Warriors (8-3) out of the West Suburban Conference are coming into the quarterfinals with some impressive wins of their own, defeating Quincy 34-13 in the opening round and upsetting Glenbrook North 49-21 last Saturday.
It’s the best season for the Warriors since 1990. In addition, they haven’t hosted consecutive playoff games since 1994.
Last week against the Spartans, the Warriors scored on their first five possessions totaling 576 yards of total offense. The Warriors are led on offense by two-way player Jack Jessen. The workhorse has 244 carries for 1,625 yards and 28 touchdowns for the season. He led the Warriors ground game on Saturday, rushing for a game-high 221 yards and three touchdowns.
Quarterback M.J. Ranieri, who has passed for 1,876 yards and 17 touchdowns, will manage the offense for Willowbrook. Ranieri completed 9 of 11 passes for 171 yards last week. Ranieri will look for wide-outs Jon Kelso (36 receptions for 678 yards and five touchdowns) and Khalif Copeland (28 receptions for 458 yards and five touchdowns) to challenge the Flyers’ secondary.
A key factor in this game is whether the Warriors can keep pace with the Flyers’ high-octane athletes having a number of their key players playing both offense and defense.
East St. Louis Flyers head coach Darren “Quarterfinals” Sunkett can inch closer to shutting up the “street patrol” in his quest for his second state title while at East St. Louis by winning and then having the opportunity to host the winner of the #3 seed Rolling Meadows or #11 seed Lisle (Benet Academy) in the Class 7-A Semi-Finals at the “House of Pain,” Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium, on Saturday, November 19.
Villa Grove Willowbrook is in the way. The fun is over for the Warriors. Prediction: East St. Louis 36, Willowbrook 17
Other predictions
Class 4-A Belleville #1 seed Belleville Althoff vs. #5 seed Rochester, 7 p.m. Saturday at Lindenwood University’s Belleville campus.
A rematch of last season 46-42 thriller in front of 4,000 fans. Malik Easley scored a late touchdown, and Edwyn Brown’s interception in the back of the end zone during Rochester’s final drive preserved the win for the Crusaders, snapping a 27-game playoff win streak dating back to 2009 41-40 defeat against Metamora.
Both teams return’s abundance of fire power from last season contest. Althoff’s C.J. Coldon, Stephon Belt, Jordan Goodwin, Edwyn Brown, Devyn Nash, Jaylon Bester, Christian Wills, Bryson Strong will all return from last season’s thriller.
Rochester has wide receivers Collin Stallworth (43 receptions for 943 yards and 14 touchdowns) and Avante Cox (58 receptions for 875 yards and 16 touchdowns) returning.
Prediction: Althoff 33, Rochester 28.
Class 8-A Quarterfinal: Glenbard West at Edwardsville, 1 p.m. Saturday.
Edwardsville and #1 recruit in Illinois A.J Espensa will host one of the most successful programs in the state when Glenbard West (9-2) comes to Southern Illinois. Glenbard West is the defending state champion in class 8A. In addition, they sport a record of 105-10 since 2012, with two state championships. Prediction: Glenbard West 26, Edwardsville 23.
