Darren Sunkett swallowed a bitter pill when his East St. Louis Flyers’ season ended on the campus of conference rival Edwardsville in last year’s IHSA Class 7A playoffs.
Sunkett and his staff have worked very hard this off season, determined too get rid of that nasty taste when they kicked the Tigers butts up and down the field all night, only to come up short on the scoreboard.
Turnovers doomed what could have been a home match-up against the top-ranked team in the state the following week in the House of Pain, which is Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium. It was a match-up that had East Side fans licking their chops for the Orange Crush Express Fan Bus, hoping for another trip to the state championship game.
But I’ve been around Coach Sunkett for a long time now, and he’s got his swagger back, ready to be the top dog of high school football again this season with his 2013 edition at East Side.
Entering his 13th season as the Flyers head coach, Sunkett will field a 2013 team that just may be as talented as his 2009 state-championship team that featured future Pittsburgh Steelers CB Terry “Black Kat” Hawthorne.
The Flyers open the season against Missouri State power Kansas City Rockhurst, and follow that with five-time Class 5A state champion Lombard Montini in the City of Champions Football Foundation Classic on Saturday Sept. 8 at Jordan Stadium. The event is hosted by former East Side greats Julyon Brown and Dana Howard.
This summer, the Flyers competed in the prestigious Southwest Elite 7-on-7 Showcase in Springdale, Ark., defeating Bentonville, Ark., Victory Christian (OK), McElster (OK) and host Springdale, Ark., in the 32-team field consisting of teams from Alabama, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Mississippi and Texas.
“It was a great experience for our kids, and our program,” said Sunkett. “It gives our kids an opportunity not only to prepare for the Southwestern Conference, but for our kids seeing what high school football is about across the country.”
The Flyers already have three players who have given early verbal commitments to Division I schools in linebacker Kyron Watson (Kansas), receiver Trevon “Boom” Prater (Western Michigan) and defensive back Gregory Taylor (Missouri).
But the junior class at East Side may be one of the most heralded in years. It is led by defensive lineman Terry Beckner Jr. and running back Natereance Strong. Beckner is rated as one of the top defensive linemen in the country. He has offers from every Big Ten, Big XII and every SEC school except Alabama.
Strong, who finished second in the state in the 100-meter dash, has offers from Ohio State, Kansas, Michigan State, among others. By the way, they both are multi-sport stars. Beckner is a standout forward in basketball while Strong helped lead the Flyers to a second-place finish at last year’s state track meet.
The season is almost here, and nothing brings our community together like the boys of the fall.
And if you haven’t experienced a Flyer football atmosphere, it will get you ready for Sunday for the Rams.
Can’t wait!
