EDWARDSVILLE, IL — This Friday, a lot is on the line for the Edwardsville Tiger football team.
Edwardsville is set to host East St. Louis in a Southwestern Conference clash. It’s a series that has been one-sided since 2015, with the Flyers winning eight consecutive times over the Tigers.
“We know that we haven’t beaten them in a long time and it is our job to figure out how to do that,” Edwardsville coach Kelsey Pickering said. “East St. Louis is what everyone wants to be. You want to win state championships. You want to play schedules that challenge you and make you better.”
Not only does Edwardsville want to win to get off the losing streak, the game is also for the SWC championship. The Tigers haven’t won the conference in eight years.
“We have to take some pride in that,” Edwardsville senior Dalton Brown said. “I think we’ve had a pretty good week of preparation and I think, if we start out hot, and work the game plan that our coaches have set up, it’s going to be a great game. I think we can come out on top.”
Edwardsville comes into the matchup playing terrific football. They are undefeated through seven weeks this season, and already have clinched a spot in the Illinois High School postseason.
“The expectations weren’t different (for this season),” Pickering said. “This is how we do things. The expectation is to do well with your record, make the postseason, and try to go as deep as you can.”
“We have a great group of guys, a great team,” Edwardsville senior Brett Moss said. We all come to work every day to make each other better and it’s showing itself on the field.
“We look good but we can’t stop now,” Moss later said. “We have a lot more that we want to achieve.”
