Preseason Preview: Belleville East

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Belleville East will be entering the 2023 season after a going 5-5 last year, losing a close first round playoff game to South Elgin. Lead by Coach Mike Harrison who will be entering his 5th season, the Lancers will be returning a lot of keys players from last season. With all they have coming back, look for Belleville East to make some noise this year in the Southwestern Conference. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 QB [player_tooltip player_id='898634' first='Armon' last='Vinson'] - </strong>The offense will go through Armon as he looks to lead the Lancers as the returning starting quarterback this year. Armon is a dual threat quarterback that can hurt a defense with his arm or his legs. Last year when he escaped the pocket he was able to make a lot of big plays for the offense. He is difficult ball carrier to bring down in open space when he escapes contain. Armon has looked good this summer in 7 on 7 and will be ready to go week 1 vs Collinsville. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 WR Justin-Spears - </strong>Justin is a 6'1 WR that that has good speed. He get's moved around between playing the outside WR and slot position within the offense. He's a smooth route runner that can be a tough match up for teams. He's a natural pass catcher who will be get a lot of touches this year as a senior.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 RB Brandon Coleman - </strong>When Brandon gets running down hill he can be hard to catch. He displayed last year he can be a home run threat when he turns on the jets with the ball in his hands. I think this will be a tough running game to defend this year with Brandon and Armon both looking to build off of last years run game success.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 WR/DB [player_tooltip player_id='354275' first='Kaleel' last='Waller'] - </strong>On defense Kaleel has great instinct, always finding himself around the ball. He does a great job triggering on plays when the ball is thrown and is a solid tackler. On offense he doubles as a WR as well were he showcases his pass catching ability. Kaleel will be entering his senior season as a 3 year varsity starter. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 DB Javion Mobley-Jackson - </strong>Another 3 year varsity starter in the secondary, Javion is looking to make it his best year yet. Javion does a great job covering ground at the safety spot. He is a versatile player as well with the ability to play man to man the corner spot at times. Belleville East should have one of the better secondaries in the conference with this much experience returning.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2024 LB Simeon Ahmad Mitchell</strong> <strong>-</strong> As a junior Simeon was an all conference outside linebacker last year, when you turn his film it's no surprise why. He displays a high motor on defense always running to the ball causing big plays. He has a great get off when he is coming off the edge making him very hard to block. I suspect Simeon will still be wreaking havoc on opposing offenses in 2023.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>2026 OL/DL [player_tooltip player_id='801701' first='Jonathan' last='Rulo']</strong> <strong>- </strong>Jonathan is one of the top 2026 lineman in Illinois. He was selected as an all conference player last year as a freshman as well as finishing 3rd in state for wrestling. Jonathan has a great get off and is violent with his hands in the run game. He is a versatile defensive lineman able to play multiple positions of the Lancers along their defensive line. He is someone teams will have to account for every play for years to come.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->