The East St. Louis Flyers 2014 regular season didn’t quite go as planned. Coach Darren Sunkett’s football team finished 5-4, with surprising results.
There was another loss to Edwardsville, and the recent loss to Belleville West and the loss of the bell that annually goes to the winner of that game.
With those losses the group of Sunkett-haters and the members in the “street patrol” were burning the midnight oil plotting on a scheme to get him fired at season’s end. The truth is, most of the talk about Coach Sunkett comes from people that attended school(s) that have never had success in the football playoffs.
Now, it’s playoff time, where the Flyers, led by the No. 1 player in the country in defensive end Terry Beckner, Jr., will attempt to shut the haters up.
The Flyers will travel to Peoria this Saturday to take on Richwoods High in the first round of the Illinois Class 6A playoffs. Kick-off is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Richwoods, which finished the season at 7-2, is longtime independent Catholic high school. They have a total of 29 State playoff appearances, including the last 12 years, with an overall record of 40-26 with two state titles and two runner-up trophies.
However, the Flyers are making their 35th playoff appearance, including the past 15 years in succession. Overall, East St. Louis posted an 80-27 record with seven state Championships and three runner-up trophies.
Last season, the Flyers felt like they let one slip away in a semifinal lost to Oak Lawn Richards. The Flyers dropped a 7-6 heartbreaker which left them one game short of playing for a possible eighth state championship. Even though they had some tough losses this year, I’m going down with Coach Sunkett and his boys to the end.
The Flyers are led of course by the 6’5 All American Terry Beckner Jr. The 298-pound senior defensive star was recently named the No. 1 ranked player in the country in the ESPN high school football rankings. He has all of the major college programs recruiting him. But right now, Beckner, Jr. is looking forward to the task at hand.
“We have lost some games that a mistake here or there hurt us,” said the soft-spoken Beckner. “We as a team will rally around our coaches and start our journey. We are 0-0 as of now, so our goal of a state championship is still within reach.”
Beckner enters the post season with 97 tackles. He will pose a serious matchup problem on Saturday against Richwoods with his size and athleticism. But he and his teammates will take nothing for granted this Saturday.
“They are big and strong upfront,” he said. “Looking at them on film, they have size and are well coached. We feel Coach Sunkett put in a great game plan for us. If we go out and execute what our coach has planned for us on Saturday, we will be fine.”
When asked about getting all the attention of being the overall No. 1 recruit in the country, Beckner deflected the individual honor and concentrated on team goals.
“It’s not about me being the No. 1 recruit in the country,” he said. “It’s about us winning a state championship like we set out to do. We want to keep the tradition going. Sure, I think about the recruiting. But my family and I will decide when that time comes. For now, I’m just staying focused on winning a state championship with my teammates.”
The Flyers also have super sophomores in All-American wide receiver Jeff Thomas and smooth quarterback Reyondus Estes who has thrown for over 1,400 yards in his first year at the varsity level. Tre’vour Simms, the son of former Lincoln Tigerette girls basketball star Toni “Big Bird” Wallace, is another top player in the class of 2016 along with Beckner. Kenny Knight will anchor the offensive line for Estes and running back Nate Strong.
The Knights will attempt to play ball control football, and keep the high stepping Flyers’ offense of the field. Defensively, the Flyers must tackle well against a powerful Richwoods running attack that had more than 300 yards rushing last week.
Good luck to Coach Sunkett and our boys on Saturday.
