GRANITE CITY — Since stepping into the quarterback job during a Week three win at Belleville East, Granite City freshman Freddie Edwards has become one of the St. Louis area’s most exciting players in a very short time.
But if you ask him about his success during the 2016 campaign, he gives it to his teammates, starting with his offensive line.
“I give it all to our offensive line’ Edwards said after the Warriors’ 41-27 Homecoming win over Alton Oct, 7 at Kevin Greene Field. “Blocking up front, giving us holes to run through, and blocking on passes. The big part of it is when I threw an interception, I just have to keep my head up, and a lot of that was from the seniors. The seniors told me “Keep your head up’ even though I’m a freshman, I put my head down. They just teach me better, and just like ‘Keep your head up; you’ll get it next time. Go out there and do your thing.’”
Edwards was recently named a second-team All-Southwestern Conference quarterback pick. The Warriors finished their season with losses on the road at Belleville West and Edwardsville, missing out on the playoffs with a 4-5 record. But Edwards’ statistics were very impressive. Taking over at quarterback after senior Kendrick Williba was injured in a week three win at Belleville East, Edwards ran for a season total of 1,158 yards on 115 carries, an average of 10.1 yards a carry, while scoring 13 touchdowns. He was also 35 of 71 passing for 170 yards and four touchdowns, but was also intercepted seven times. Edwards also caught seven passes during the season for 153 yards and four touchdowns.
Edwards’ approaches to the Warriors’ final two games was summed up in a very simple word.
“it’s confidence,” Edwards said. “Lots of confidence. They’re both really good teams, but they’re also beatable. I think of no team is unbeatable, no matter if their record is good or bad. As you see, we played Alton (who finished the year 0-9), and they gave us a fight for their money pretty much.”
The game against the Redbirds was a topsy turvy affair, with momentum switches on both ends before the Warriors prevailed. Edwards and his teammates took their coaches halftime talk to heart.
“We came out and had that 21-0 lead,” Edwards said, “We expected to come out in the second half, but we came out, the coaches talked to us in the locker room and just told us that we had to keep fighting, and I guess we did. We lived up to what the coached said, made the coaches proud, and (won) the Homecoming game for the seniors. Like I said, I give it all to the offensive line.”
The Warriors prepared for each opponent the same way all season..
“Like we do for any other game, pretty much,” Edwards said. “Practice hard, and that’s pretty much it. Defense has to come in clutch, offense has to come in clutch, and we’ll be fine.”
As for the future, Edwards cited a higher power for what could happen down the road, but he knows one way for him and his teammates to play.
“Only Lord knows pretty much,” Edwards said. “I don’t know. A lot of people call me a freshman phenom, but I’m just sticking myself with any other player. I play it as heart, and that’s what this team has — heart. We keep fighting, no matter what the score is, no matter what our record is. We just keep fighting.”
