x
Breaking News
More () »

East St. Louis High School celebrates 10th Football State Championship with pep rally, parade

Flyers footballers earned proclamations from Cahokia Heights and East St. Louis.

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. — With a final score of 57-7 over Prairie Ridge, East St. Louis High School took home its 10th state football title. 

The win happened over the weekend in Champaign, Illinois and the team celebrated with their fans Friday afternoon.

"You know 10th is big," Flyers Football Head Coach Darren Sunkett said. "You know it's like a milestone when you really think about it."

Turning State Championship football titles over into the double digits is a big deal. 

"It is definitely big because a lot of schools don't have the opportunity to celebrate that," Sunkett said.

The Flyers football team did not celebrate their win alone on Friday, East St. Louisans showed up to show their appreciation. 

"We are the city of champions," City of East St. Louis Mayor Robert Eastern III said. "We are very excited, going to give them a special proclamation."

Mayor Eastern was there for the big win in Champaign.

Not only did the City of East St. Louis give a proclamation, but so did Cahokia Heights. 

The team's 57 to 7 victory is a sign that practice does make perfect. 

Sunkett said the team practices three hours a day, five days a week, and "it's well worth it."

If the Flyers are hoping for a long break, they are out of luck. 

"We're going to take four weeks off and get right back at it," Sunkett said.

When asked if he thought this year's team would take home the title, Sunkett said, "Any team we put on the field we consider a winning team, a winning season. Our guys put in a lot of work to accomplish the goals they accomplished, so I'm really proud of these guys."

Before You Leave, Check This Out