East St. Louis-CBC: Game Recap & Players of the Game
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St. Louis area football fans had to wait a year for the much-anticipated rematch between East St. Louis and Christian Brothers College High School, originally scheduled for last season, but the heavyweight cross-state showdown on Friday night turned out to…
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Continue ReadingSt. Louis area football fans had to wait a year for the much-anticipated rematch between East St. Louis and Christian Brothers College High School, originally scheduled for last season, but the heavyweight cross-state showdown on Friday night turned out to be worth the wait and lived up to the billing.
In the first meeting between the schools, back in 2016, host East St. Louis overcame a late deficit to pull out a victory in the final seconds.
This time around, visiting East St. Louis took control of a back-and-forth offensive shootout with a 55-yard touchdown reception by standout Luther Burden Luther Burden 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR East St Louis | 2022 State IL III with 7 minutes 34 seconds remaining to pull out a 48-44 road victory before a sold-out crowd.
East St. Louis (1-0) racked up 554 total yards of offense (323 passing, 231 rushing), scored six touchdowns and converted six 2-point conversions, which ended up being a key factor in the victory.
CBC (0-1) accumulated 582 total yards of offense (410 passing, 172 rushing), scored six touchdowns and kicked a field goal, but the Cadets also missed a field goal and had a failed 2-point conversion.
PLAYERS OF THE GAME
East St. Louis
Luther Burden Luther Burden 6'2" | 185 lbs | WR East St Louis | 2022 State IL III, 6-2, 200, WR, Class of 2022
The top prospect in the game put his stamp on the victory with two touchdowns – an 85-yard punt return to open the scoring in the first quarter and a 55-yard reception to cap the scoring in the fourth. He finished with 88 receiving yards on four receptions.
Burden, who transferred from Cardinal Ritter to East St. Louis last year, is one of the top prospects in the country and showed again on Friday night how he can change a game with his dynamic playmaking ability.
Robert Battle, 6-0, 174, QB, Class of 2024
Battle impressed this spring as a freshman leading the Flyers after Tyler Macon Tyler Macon 6'0" | 185 lbs | QB East St. Louis | 2021 State IL graduated early to enroll at Missouri and he impressed again on Friday night in a big test. The sophomore completed 16 of 30 passes for 323 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. He also ran for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Battle has a lot of dangerous weapons around him as well as one of the best offensive lines you’ll find in high school football, but he still has to manage the offense, make good decisions and make plays. The youngster played with poise beyond his years and passed his first test of the season.
Ali Wells Ali Wells 6'0" | 170 lbs | RB Lutheran North | 2022 IL , 5-11, 184, RB, Class of 2022
Wells, who starred at Lutheran North before transferring to East St. Louis this summer, rushed 23 times for 149 yards and a touchdown and added two 2-point conversion runs. He’s a strong back with good size and speed and he’s going to have a monster year running behind the Flyers’ gigantic offensive line.
Jaden Hale, 5-6, 150, WR, Class of 2022
Hale ended up as East Side’s leading receiver with four catches for 117 yards. He’s a smaller receiver but can use his speed and elusiveness to make a big impact.
Jalen Byrd Jalen Byrd 6'3" | 220 lbs | DB East St Louis | 2022 IL , 6-1, 210, SS, Class of 2022
Byrd was a difference-maker on defense for the Flyers, racking up 10 tackles and a team-high two sacks.
Others: Safety Dallas Brown Dallas Brown 6'1" | 190 lbs | DB East St. Louis | 2022 State IL (6-1, 190, 2022) had a team-high 13 tackles, including 12 solos, and was all over the field. … Clemson cornerback commit Toriano Pride Toriano Pride 5'10" | 170 lbs | DB Lutheran North | 2022 IL (5-11, 187, 2022) had seven tackles and added two receptions for 17 yards. … The East Side offensive line, led by massive maulers Myles McVay (6-7, 345, 2023) and Paris Patterson Paris Patterson 6'4" | 325 lbs | OL East St. Louis | 2023 State IL Jr. (6-5, 330, 2023), deserves a lot of credit for opening running lanes and protecting their quarterback. … Linebacker Antwon Haydenzz Antwon Haydenzz 6'2" | 225 lbs | LB East St. Louis | 2023 IL (6-3, 220, 2023) had nine tackles and his brother, defensive lineman Keshawn Hayden (6-2, 220, 2023) added eight tackles. The Hayden brothers transferred to East St. Louis this summer from Duchesne High in suburban St. Louis.
CBC
Patrick Heitert Patrick Heitert 6'0" | 190 lbs | QB CBC | 2022 State MO , 6-0, 190, QB, Class of 2022
Heitert completed 18 of 35 passes for 410 yards – just two yards shy of the school record – and two touchdown passes, including a 48-yarder to Justus Johnson Justus Johnson 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB CBC | 2022 State MO with 10:19 remaining that gave CBC the lead.
If anyone had any doubts about how good of a quarterback Heitert is, he answered those on Friday. Heitert was under duress for much of the night, but stepped up to the challenge and gave his team a chance to win against the toughest opponent they are likely to face this season.
Tyler Gant Tyler Gant 6'3" | 280 lbs | DL CBC | 2023 State MO , 6-4, 270, DL, Class of 2023
Gant saw some time on the varsity as a freshman and then stepped into a bigger role a year ago as a sophomore. After racking up several Division I offers in the offseason, he emerged Friday night with a breakthrough performance that included a team-high 12 tackles, a sack and an interception (on a batted ball).
Both teams struggled with the excessive heat for the season opener and the Cadets had several key players cramping up throughout the game. Gant was able to stay in there, play a significant amount of snaps and make a difference against an East St. Louis line that features multiple Division I prospects.
Justus Johnson Justus Johnson 6'1" | 175 lbs | DB CBC | 2022 State MO , 6-2, 170, WR-CB, Class of 2022
Johnson emerged as a Division I prospect as a cornerback this offseason after showing off his impressive speed at camps, but he made his mark on the offensive side of the ball on Friday. Johnson, who had primarily played cornerback the past two seasons, is now also seeing time on offense and caught four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown against the Flyers.
Ayden Robinson-Wayne Ayden Robinson-Wayne 5'10" | 170 lbs | WR CBC | 2022 State MO , 5-11, 170, WR-QB-DB, Class of 2022
Robinson-Wayne, who is also a Division I baseball prospect, thrived as CBC’s starting quarterback as a sophomore and a year ago as a junior before suffering an injury that opened the door for Heitert to claim the job. Now Robinson-Wayne is showing how dynamic of a playmaker he is after switching to wide receiver (and also playing some defensive back when needed).
Robinson-Wayne caught two passes on Friday but turned them into 99 yards and a touchdown. His 86-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter gave CBC a brief 10-8 lead and showed that the Cadets were ready to compete against the favored and top-ranked Flyers.
Kendall Huston Kendall Huston 6'2" | 190 lbs | LB CBC | 2022 State MO , 6-2, 190, OLB-S, Class of 2022
Huston had a breakthrough season a year ago as a first-year starter, but his numbers were limited by the COVID-shortened season. On Friday, he once again showed he can make an impact as an outside linebacker chasing down ballcarriers and quarterbacks as he racked up 10 tackles and a sack.
Huston has seven sacks in seven games dating back to the start of his junior season in 2020.
Dylan Van Dylan Van 5'11" | 175 lbs | RB CBC | 2023 State MO / Jeremiyah Love Jeremiyah Love 6'1" | 195 lbs | RB CBC | 2023 State MO / Ralph Dixon Ralph Dixon 5'7" | 170 lbs | RB CBC | 2023 State MO , RBs, Class of 2023
We can’t pick just one here because each of CBC’s three junior running backs showed something on Friday night. Van, a 6-foot, 185-pounder, carried 10 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. Love, a 6-2, 195-pounder with an early offer from Missouri, was limited by an injury but showed his incredible speed and athleticism with an 81-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. Dixon is a smaller back at 5-7 and 170 pounds, but he had 36 yards rushing and two touchdowns on just seven carries.
Dixon saw some mop-up duty a year ago as a sophomore and was productive. In 21 carries at the varsity level, he now has 200 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Others: Ball State commitment Blair Schonhorst Blair Schonhorst 6'0" | 175 lbs | DB CBC | 2022 State MO (6-0, 180, 2022) performed well at his cornerback spot. He only had four tackles, but did a good job in coverage against Burden and Co. … Wide receiver Gavin Conley Gavin Conley 5'8" | 150 lbs | WR CBC | 2022 MO (5-8, 160, 2022) has emerged as a contributor after a strong offseason. He finished with a team-high six catches for 59 yards, including a first-quarter reception where he ran through two East St. Louis defenders. … Sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan Jeremiah McClellan 6'0" | 185 lbs | WR CBC | 2024 State MO (6-1, 180, 2024) made his first varsity start and the Division I prospect had a strong showing with three catches for 59 yards. … Sophomore wide receiver Jared Steward Jared Steward 5'8" | 180 lbs | WR CBC | 2024 State MO (5-7, 160) had a 50-yard reception in the first half. … The CBC offensive line can’t match the size of their East St. Louis counterparts, but have some prospects to watch in Levi McGee Levi McGee 6'1" | 285 lbs | OL CBC | 2023 State MO (6-2, 300, 2023), Josh Gregory Josh Gregory 6'7" | 260 lbs | OL CBC | 2023 State MO (6-7, 260, 2023) and sophomore Bryce Parson Bryce Parson 6'3" | 280 lbs | OL CBC | 2024 State MO (6-3, 280) and those guys held up well against the Flyers’ athletic defense. McGee is making the switch from guard to center and Gregory made his first start at offensive tackle after not playing football as a freshman and playing a few snaps on defense as a sophomore.
You can follow Nate Latsch on Twitter at @natelatsch.