Friday Night Takeaways: Edwardsville vs Belleville East

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Friday night Prep Redzone took in the best game we have seen this year as Southwestern Conference heavyweights Edwardsville and Belleville East matched up.  Edwardsville looked like they were going to run away with it as they took a 35-20 lead midway through the third quarter.  The host Belleville East Lancers came right back with three touchdowns in a row to take a lead with 55 seconds left.  Edwardsville had to go the length of the field to win it which is exactly what they did as Gavin Frey capped off his big night with a 21 yard TD catch with 9 seconds left to win 41-39.  Here is our look at the prospects and game in <strong>Friday Night Takeaways: Edwardsville vs Belleville East</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Mizzou Commit Has Big Night</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>We have to start with the best player on the field which happens to also be the highest ranked as Edwardsville wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1404803' first='Devyon' last='Hill-Lomax'] showcased why he will be playing in the SEC next season.  The senior has a huge frame at 6'5” and 185 pounds.  Early on in the game he was doing a nice job of making short possession catches on the perimeter.  Showcased more sure hands than we saw a year ago even catching one on a tipped ball.  Can definitely play physical on the outside as a chain mover while having monster potential as a redzone threat.  First one came on a short 3 yard pass where he utilized his size.  Then he would show off his speed on an 80 yard swing pass that was probably counted as a run that he sprinted past multiple defenders down the sideline showing he can kick it into another gear when he needs too!   Definitely showed why he is among the best receivers in the state tonight!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>More Weapons for Edwardsville Offense Than Just Their Superstar</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was more than just Hill-Lomax for Edwardsville.  Let's start with the 2026 signal caller Yale Weaver.  Well built and was extremely effective with his legs all night long.  He made multiple long runs when things broke down along with making things happen on designed runs.  Flashed as a passer with several nice throws throughout the night including dropping it right in the bucket on one pass to Gavin Frey.  Speaking of the 6'3” senior Frey he is someone that colleges need to get on!  Really liked what we saw out of him as he snatches the ball out of the air with his hands, showed excellent route running, and was physical with the ball in his hands.  He also had a pair of scores on a 65 yard bubble screen along with a 20 yard go route which Weaver dropped right in his hands in the corner of the endzone.  Then was the play of the night on a little comeback route over the middle on 4^th down that he took in for the game winning score from 21 yards out. Class of 2026 tight end [player_tooltip player_id='1258408' first='Brady' last='Hasquin'] is an intriguing target at 6'6” and 230 pounds.  His best play of the night came on a scramble drill where he came back for his QB finding open ground to make the grab.  Also had a nice out route.  Definitely some ability here.  They didn't feature a traditional running back for the majority of the game.  It was mostly Weaver with his legs along with jet sweeps to Brandon Houston Jr who got to the perimeter.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Belleville East Playmakers</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Lancers have some nice offensive weapons as well that helped them put up points on Friday.&nbsp; Class of 2027 wide receiver [player_tooltip player_id='1344621' first='James' last='Johnson'] goes 6'3” and 187 pounds.&nbsp; He showed his potential as a guy to watch at the Power 4 level with catches over the middle on slants for 20 yards.&nbsp; Another one where he split the middle of the defense for about 35 yards.&nbsp; He had an acrobatic 20 yard grab.&nbsp; Caught a touchdown from 4 yards out in the corner of the endzone utilizing his ability to get separation at the line.&nbsp; Also had a sweet double move where he spun his defender out of his shoes making a difficult catch down the field on the sideline.&nbsp; Their QB [player_tooltip player_id='849686' first='Kayden' last='Wood'] did a nice job of getting it to Johnson along with being a tough runner at the goal line.&nbsp; Class of 2026 running back Josh Ware is a transfer to Belleville East that we left intrigued by.&nbsp; The 6'0” back brings a nice combination of power, burst through the hole, and juice in the open field.&nbsp; Broke tackles downfield and ran really hard throughout the night including a pair of scores from 1 yard and 23 yards.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Defenders to Watch on Both Sides</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>There were a lot of points put on the board so it is only right we talk about the offensive stars, but there were several defenders we need to note.&nbsp; Starting on the Edwardsville side with Luke Ramirez who is a 6'0” 180 pound linebacker that can also cover some in the slot.&nbsp; His name was called a lot early in the game racking up tackles.&nbsp; Then he had a nice interception downfield in coverage on an errant pass.&nbsp; Simon Schulte showed burst getting into the backfield as a 6'1” defensive lineman.&nbsp; Roman Janek is a senior 5'9” EDGE that had a big sack to end the half.&nbsp; Also saw some flashes from Braylon Hill-Lomax as a stout 6'1” 230 pound defensive end that played the run well.&nbsp; For Belleville East they have a pair of nice defensive lineman in Cincinnati commit [player_tooltip player_id='801701' first='Jonathan' last='Rulo'] and EDGE [player_tooltip player_id='1585157' first='Jacory' last='Brown'].&nbsp; Rulo is a tough and physical run defender that made it tough for Edwardsville to get much done running inside.&nbsp; Even when he wasn't making the tackle he was taking on blocks so others could.&nbsp; Brown was quiet for most of the game, but came up with a huge strip sack on 4^th down to give his team the ball back late coming off the edge with a ton of speed!&nbsp; Screams projectability at 6'6” and 215 pounds with super long arms.&nbsp; Senior defensive lineman Jason Halton caught our attention with a pair of sacks as the 6'2” senior got in the backfield to make a couple big plays!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->