BLOOMINGTON-NORMAL – Running back Larevious “Fresh” Woods ran for 113 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Kendrick Lyons was 16-of-17 passing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and Christopher Bennett, Jr. ran a kickoff back 84 yards for a key touchdown as East St. Louis won the IHSA Class 6A state championship over Geneva 48-28 in the final Saturday afternoon at Hancock Stadium, at Illinois State University in Bloomington-Normal.
It’s the third title in five years under head coach Darren Sunkett for the Flyers, and the 11th football championship in the IHSA playoff era, which goes back to 1974. East Side is now in sole possession of third place for the most state championships.
Woods scored the initial touchdown for the Flyers, going in from six yards out with 8:52 left in the opening quarter, but the conversion was missed, the Flyers leading 6-0. It became 13-0 late in the period when Lyons hit Ronnie Gomiller for a four-yard touchdown pass, the first of two for Gomiller on the day, then Woods made it 20-0 with a nifty 20-yard run to the right flank with 9:01 left in the first half.
The Vikings came right back on a seven-yard touchdown pass on the next possession to make it 20-7, but TaRyan Martin answered with a four-yard touchdown run to give the Flyers a 27-7 lead. Geneva answered right back 10-yard touchdown pass to make it 27-14, but Bennett took the ensuing kickoff down the right side 84 yards for another touchdown, this coming with 2:32 left in the first half to give East Side a 34-14 lead.
The Vikings seized momentum near the end of the half on a one-yard touchdown run 30 seconds from halftime, making the score 34-21 for the Flyers, then cut the lead to 34-28 on a 28-yard touchdown pass with 7:01 left in the third quarter, and were ready to turn the game around. Lyons made sure Geneva wouldn’t, as he connected with Gomiller on a beautiful 81-yard touchdown pass, in which Gomiller made a nifty catch and outraced everyone to the end zone to give East Side a 41-28 lead and the momentum right back. Woods capped the scoring with a gritty 31-yard touchdown run with 2:27 left in the third quarter to make it 48-28. The Flyers’ defense shut down Geneva the rest of the way to give East Side the state title in their 48-28 win.
The Flyers end the season at 13-1, while the Vikings finish up 12-2. East Side joins Belleville Althoff Catholic, who won the Class 1A championship on Friday 57-14 over Lena-Winslow, as local state champions.
