BELLEVILLE – Quarterback Ella Wallace threw for three touchdowns in the game, but top-seeded Champaign Central ended Edwardsville’s undefeated season, along with the Tigers’ bid to return to the state girls flag football finals, dealing the Tigers their first loss of the season 26-19 in the IHSA sectional semifinals Saturday morning at Charlie Woodford Field at Belleville East High School.
The loss ends the Tigers’ season at 16-1 while the Maroons advanced to the final on Tuesday against the other top-seeded team, Bradley-Bourbonnais, who won the other semifinal at Herscher High Saturday afternoon over Minooka 19-18.
Wallace’s first touchdown pass was to Sophie Shapiro from 21 yards away, with the conversion missed; the second touchdown came on a 30-yard pass from Wallace to Kennedy Gieseking; the Tigers completed the conversion on a pass from Wallace to Serena Shapiro. Next, the Wallace-to-Serena Shapiro connection hooked up again with a 20-yard touchdown pass, but the conversion missed, leaving the Tigers short in the 26-19 loss that ended their season.
The defense played well, with Jahzara Akkour coming up with two sacks, and Riley Coleman coming up with another sack on the day.
