Live updates; Illinois IHSA Class 6A state championship game — SN NEXT No. 6 East St. Louis [IL] vs. Fenwick originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
NORMAL, Illinois, Dec. 2 — The East St. Louis [IL] Flyers finally get down to business Tuesday night against the Fenwick [Oak Park, IL] Friars in the Illinois IHSA Class 6A state championship game at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but had to be moved due to a widespread winter storm that brought heavy snow to the Illinois State campus.
East St. Louis (9-3) was ranked in the national preseason Top 25, but lost games to three other nationally-ranked squads including the Bergen Catholic [Oradell, NJ] Crusaders, Bishop Gorman [Las Vegas, NV] Gaels, and IMG Academy [Bradenton, FL] Ascenders. Those losses knocked the Flyers out of the national title conversation early, and eventually, the Top 25 altogether.
But the Flyers are still considered one of the top two to three teams in the Land of Lincoln, and they've yet to lose to an Illinois opponent this season. In fact, East St. Louis has won 20 straight games against in-state opponents, a streak dating back to the 2022 playoffs when they lost to the Cary [IL]-Grove Trojans in the Class 6A title game that year.
Fenwick, meanwhile, enters this game with three losses of its own, albeit, against much lower-ranked opponents than the Flyers. That probably isn't a good sign for the Friars, but they do enter the game ranked among the state's Top 10 teams.
WATCH ON THE NFHS NETWORK:SN NEXT No. 6 East St. Louis [IL] Flyers vs. Fenwick [Oak Park, IL] Friars
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|| THIRD QUARTER ||
Fenwick continues to put the pressure on this East St. Louis team that was expected to dominate. This time it's Raphiel Stewart hauling in a 15-yard touchdown reception to extend Fenwick's lead to 8 points.
3RD QTR — Fenwick 21, East St. Louis 13
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|| SECOND QUARTER ||
HALFTIME — Fenwick 14, East St. Louis 13
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Fenwick has brought plenty of fight to East St. Louis tonight. They pick off a Flyers' pass and return it nearly 50 yards. Jamen Williams then finds Cameron Garrett for a 37-yard scoring play, and suddenly, the Friars are back in the lead.
2ND QTR —Fenwick 14, East St. Louis 13
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This game has settled into a bit of a stalemate as we enter the final three minutes of the second quarter. East St. Louis approaching the red zone, however.
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|| FIRST QUARTER ||
END OF 1ST QTR — East St. Louis 13, Fenwick 7
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Amir Tillman gets through the line and makes a move in space to get to the open field. It's a 55-yard touchdown run, and just like that, the Flyers are in the lead.
1ST QTR — East St. Louis 13, Fenwick 7
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On their third possession, East St. Louis finally puts together a successful drive. Myson Johnson-Cook does the honors from a yard out, but the PAT is no good.
1ST QTR — Fenwick 7, East St. Louis 6
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East St. Louis forces Fenwick to punt, and then the Flyers' bobble the punt. They ended up covering it, but the Flyers definitely appear to be struggling securing the ball in these cold temps. I'm sure it's like trying to catch a rock right now, but they'll have to clean that up.
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Fenwick gets another stop on defense, and East St. Louis has another bobble snap on the punt. Ultimately, they got the punt away, but that's two rough plays in the punting games. Definitely something to keep an eye on in this one. Fenwick's defense has definitely come to play early on.
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Jake Thies carries it from 4 yards out so this one is off to an unexpected start as the underdog Friars jump on the heavily-favored Flyers with stellar play on defense, special teams, and offense. We haven't even played two minutes, yet.
1ST QTR — Fenwick 7, East St. Louis 0
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Fenwick forces a three-and-out on defense. The punt snap sails over the head of the Flyers' punter, and Fenwick tackles him on the East St. Louis 4-yard line.
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They're under way in Normal, Illinois! It's a bone-chilling 21 degrees tonight.
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Coming soon!
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