In last week’s American, we highlighted some of the area’s top high school football players who were playing in the alternative fall season (spring season) on the Missouri side of the river.
This week, it’s time to take a look at some of the top players in Metro East area. And when you mention football on the Illinois side of the river, the first mention is always of the East St. Louis Flyers. Head coach Darren Sunkett has another powerful unit over at East Side, which has won their first three games in the spring by big margins. Last Friday night, the Flyers defeated Edwardsville 52-21 in the annual showdown of Southwestern Conference powerhouse programs. East Side has won 17 consecutive games, dating back to their state championship season in 2019. They have also won 28 consecutive Southwestern Conference games.
The Flyers feature a host of top prospects, led by junior wide receiver Luther Burden III. A transfer from Cardinal Ritter, the 6’2” 200-pound Burden is a five-star recruit who has already given a verbal commitment to Oklahoma. He had seven receptions for 130 yards and one touchdown against Edwardsville. He is ranked among the top wide receivers prospects in the country.
The new standout at East Side is freshman quarterback Robert Battle, who passed for 335 yards and two touchdowns against Edwardsville. The 5’11” Battle is stepping into the big shoes of former Flyers’ star quarterback Tyler Macon, who is now at the University of Missouri. The lead running back is junior Marquise Palmer, who rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns in the big victory. He has scored eight touchdowns in three games.
One of the big anchors on the interior line for the Flyers is 6’7” 345-pound sophomore Myles McVay. He is already rated among the top offensive linemen in the country in the Class of 2023.
The Edwardsville Tigers feature a standout performer of their own in senior running back Justin Johnson. A West Virginia recruit, the 6’2” 200-pound Johnson has rushed for 357 yards and scored nine touchdowns this season. He scored five touchdowns in the Tigers’ 49-21 victory over Belleville West two weeks ago. He now has 50 touchdowns to become Edwardsville’s career leader in that category.
Jordan Nesbitt commits to SLU
Former St. Louis area prep basketball standout Jordan Nesbitt has given a commitment to play at Saint Louis University. Rated as one of the top 50 players nationally in the Class of 2021, Nesbitt made his commitment on KSDK-TV’s Sports Plus on Sunday night.
The 6’6” Nesbitt was a three-year standout for Lutheran North before finishing his prep career at St. Louis Christian Academy. He originally signed with the University of Memphis in the fall and joined the Tigers’ team after enrolling for the spring semester. At the end of the season, Nesbitt entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal, but he didn’t need much time to make the decision to return to St. Louis to play for his hometown Billikens.
With the addition of a big talent in Nesbitt, SLU head coach Travis Ford and his staff continue to successfully recruit the top players in the St. Louis area. Since coming to SLU, Ford has been able to land Jordan Goodwin (Althoff), Carte’Are Gordon (Webster Groves), Yuri Collins (St. Mary’s), Javonte Perkins (Miller Career Academy), Terrence Hargrove Jr. (East St. Louis) and now Nesbitt. A key member of Ford’s coaching staff is assistant coach Corey Tate, who was a former star player at Pattonville High in the 1990’s.
Brandon McKissic commits to Florida
One of the top players in the college basketball transfer portal was former SLUH standout Brandon McKissic. After a stellar four-year career at UMKC, McKissic entered the portal and eventually gave a commitment to the University of Florida, where he will play next season as a graduate transfer.
The 6’3” McKissic was one of the top players in the Summit Conference last season as he averaged 17 points a game and made 43 percent of his shots from 3-point range. He was also named the Defensive Player of the Year in the conference. He was also sought after by schools such as Missouri, Kansas, Kansas State and Oregon State before casting his lot with the Gators.
