East St. Louis and CBC capped dominant seasons by winning respective Illinois and Missouri state championships on Saturday, Nov. 26, 2022. In addition, four area schools have title games on Dec. 3.
East St. Louis had little difficulty dispatching Prairie Ridge 57-7 to win the IHSA Class 6A state championship at the University of Illinois in Champaign. It was the 10th state title in the storied history of the Flyers’ program. The 57 points scored were also a new Class 6A championship game record.
CBC’s 35-28 victory over Lee’s Summit North in the Missouri Class 6 state championship game provided a little more drama. The Cadets were taken into overtime by the Broncos before surviving to win a third state title in five years.
East St. Louis, which ended its season at 12-2, trailed 7-0 after giving up a touchdown to Prairie Ridge on its opening drive. The Flyers’ proceeded to score 57 unanswered points.
It was also the fourth state championship for head coach Darren Sunkett. He also won a state championship at Riverview Gardens in 1998.
We set this goal last year after losing the state championship, and the guys came out from January working their butts off,” Sunkett told the Chicago Sun-Times. “We had great leadership, and those guys knew what it took to get back here.”
TaRyan Martin had 17 carries for 175 yards and three touchdowns for the Flyers, and quarterback Robert “Pops” Battle was 10-for-12 passing for 207 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed for a TD.
Standout linebacker Antwon Hayden put a bow on the Flyers’ victory by rushing for a 69-yard touchdown run to close the scoring. Hayden, an All-State performer, will be playing his college football at the University of Illinois next season.
CBC prevailed behind the offensive exploits of senior running back Jeremiyah Love, a stout defensive effort in the second half, and a dramatic blocked field goal at the end of regulation that told the story.
Love, a Notre Dame recruit, was magnificent as he rushed for 211 yards and caught three passes for 103 yards and scored five touchdowns. He scored on an 80-yard run on the Cadets’ first play from scrimmage in the first quarter. He closed the scoring with a 30-yard run in overtime, which was the winning touchdown.
The Cadets went into the locker room trailing 28-20 as Lee’s Summit North rolled up more than 400 yards of total offense. However, the Cadets’ defense came to the forefront as they shut out Lee’s Summit North. And with the scored tied at 28-28, the Cadets blocked a potential game-winning field goal on the final play of regulation to force the overtime period.
*AAA Weekend at Mizzou
The Archdiocesan Athletic Association made history last season as St. Mary’s won the Class 3 state championship and Lutheran-St. Charles won the Class 2 state title. The AAA is back in full force this weekend with three teams playing for state titles at the University of Missouri.
The Class 4 state championship game will be an All-AAA affair as top-ranked St. Mary’s will take on St. Dominic on Friday at 11 a.m. St. Mary’s rallied from a halftime deficit to defeat defending Class 4 state champion Smithville 37-23 last week. St. Dominic defeated visiting West Plains 42-14 to punch its ticket to the state finals.
The third AAA team in Columbia this weekend will be Cardinal Ritter, which will face Reeds Spring for the Class 3 state championship on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Lions defeated Pleasant Hill 54-35 in the state semifinals.
*Vikings seek first state title
The Francis Howell Vikings are on the cusp of winning their first state championship this weekend. The 13-0 Vikings will take on Fort Osage in the Missouri Class 5 title game on Friday night at 7 p.m. Both won their semifinal games in convincing fashion. Howell defeated Carthage 35-13 while Fort Osage defeated Cape Girardeau Central 56-20.
