East St. Louis puts the offense in overdrive in conference win over Belleville West

A week after blasting O’Fallon 55-0, the East St. Louis Flyers fought off a slow start against Belleville West by exploding for three second-quarter touchdowns and four second-half scores to earn a decisive 63-10 Southwestern Conference win at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium in East St. Louis on Friday night.

While East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett was pleased with the result, he was not a fan of his club’s slow start.

“You can’t come out sluggish like that, I don’t care who you’re playing,” Sunkett said. “We’ve got to play these guys the same way you play a week one team and I honestly think our guys kind of looked past these guys a little bit and didn’t play Flyers football that first half.”

It took East Side (6-0, 3-0) only four plays to find the end zone as Larevious “Fresh” Woods finished the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run.

The defense contributed late in the first quarter thanks to a 70-yard fumble return for a touchdown by Charles Bass.

Belleville West (3-3, 1-2) scored on its final drive of the first quarter as Michale Sutton cut back twice in the backfield and then ripped off a 73-yard touchdown dash, cutting the lead to 14-7 going into the second quarter.

Sutton’s score poked the Flyers.

East Side scored touchdowns on three straight second-quarter drives.

A Kendrick Lyons to Laron Baker, Jr. 13-yard pass capped a four-play, 72-yard drive. After West’s Jack Harris booted a 22-yard field goal, the Flyers struck for back-to-back touchdowns on a 14-yard Wood run and a 12-yard Lyons-to-Armaad Sharp pass, to take a commanding 35-10 lead into the break at halftime.

The Flyers offense came out rolling in the third quarter as Woods third touchdown of the night on a 2-yard run made it 42-10. Lyons’ 15-yard scoring strike to Christopher GoMIller and Ahmad Coleman’s 4-yard scoring run kicked off the mercy rule running clock with 4:23 left in the third quarter.

Woods, who is headed to Lindenwood University next fall, credited his coaches with reminding the Flyers offense to stay focused.

“After halftime, the coach just kind of talked to us about you know staying on our stuff,” Woods said. “Get back on that and make sure we keep putting points on the board because anything could happen.”

With 108 points in the last two games, Woods says Flyers offense is beginning to soar.

“Oh yeah, most definitely,” Woods said. “Week by week we’re trying to get stronger to prepare for our biggest opponent which is IMG (Academy).”

Ahamd Tillman’s 8-yard fourth-quarter touchdown run capped off the scoring.

Sunkett was happy with his defense’s showing which was led by Keyland Lagrant, Keandre McClendon Leon Howard, Jr. Raheem Floyd. The held the Maroons offense in check. Floyd picked off West quarterback Bernard Chapman twice.

“We made plays when we had to,” Sunkett said.

For Belleville West , the night was another step toward becoming a better program in coach Ken Turner’s third season.

“We knew what it was about,” Turner said. “We knew that they were good but I want my guys to play tough. We’re changing the culture and we wanted to make plays and get something we can build on. My guys wouldn’t give up and that’s all I wanted. We made some good things happen.

In other area action, Althoff Catholic stayed undefeated with a 54-14 home win over Collinsville.

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