The East St. Louis Flyers’ 2017 football season ended with a 21-18 loss to Chicago Mt. Carmel in the quarterfinals of the Illinois Class 7A state playoffs.
On Saturday afternoon, the two Illinois state powerhouses are set to meet again at historic Gately Stadium in Chicago in the state quarterfinals. The winner will earn a berth in the state semifinals next Saturday. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
Chicago Mt. Carmel is second all-time in the state of Illinois with 734 victories. They are making their 34th playoff appearance in the school’s history with an overall playoff record of 112-21 and 12 state championships. The Caravan has produced a number of NFL players such as Donovan McNabb, Simeon Rice and Matt Cushing.
Last week, Mt. Carmel defeated last year’s state runner-up Lake Zurich 17-14 on a last-minute touchdown.
East St. Louis, on the other hand, is the winningest program in Illinois history with 761 wins, eight state championships and an overall playoff record of 89-29. And this year’s team is taking no prisoners as it averages 54 points a game while allowing on 28 points in two playoff games.
Sophomore quarterback Tyler Macon was superb once again in last week’s victory of Glenbard East as he completed 12 of 13 for 308 yards and five touchdowns. The highlight play was a 99-yard scoring strike to Antonio “A.J.” Johnson to silence the capacity crowd in Lombard, Illinois.
Junior running back DeMonta Witherspoon led the Flyers in rushing with 151 yards on 11 carries. Standout receiver LaWaun Powell Jr. had a 50-yard interception return that started a running clock in the second half, thus setting the stage for the rematch with Mt. Carmel.
“They are big and fast,” said Glenbard East quarterback Bret Buska of the Flyers. “They are not overrated at all. They were ready for us!”
East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett said his Flyers are definitely looking forward to the rematch with the Caravan.
“The players definitely have a chip on their shoulders after last season’s loss,” Sunkett said. “We feel our team, our program, doesn’t have to take a back seat to anyone. We’re looking forward to going back to Gately Stadium.”
A win by East St. Louis will give the Flyers an opportunity to host the Class 7A semifinal game against the winner of the Wheaton Warrenville South vs. St. Charles North game.
This should be an epic game with a crowd of about 7,000 people expected on the South side of Chicago.
