EDWARDSVILLE - Senior quarterback Jake Curry is ready to lead the Edwardsville High School football team to new heights as the Tigers prepare for the 2023 season, which starts Aug. 25 at Tiger Stadium against Jackson, Mo.
Curry is a Johnston Law Firm Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers.
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Curry had a successful season the year before, completing 121 of 204 passes for 1,811 yards and four touchdowns and also ran 94 times for 347 yards and seven touchdowns as the Tigers went 7-4 last year, defeating O'Fallon in the first round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs before losing int the second round to Wilmette Loyola Academy.
In an interview conducted on Aug. 10, during preseason practice for the 2023 season, Curry expressed confidence in the team and felt the Tigers have worked hard and are ready to succeed in the upcoming season.
"I felt it was a good summer," Curry said when asked about how he felt things have been going along in practice. "We've been working hard, we've worked hard since June. It's a little hot today, but we're out here working, that's all that matters."
Curry also felt that the team has prepared well during the off-season and will be ready when the Indians come calling on opening night.
"I think everyone's preparing mentally," Curry said. "The physical stuff, we'll get there when we get closer to week one. But right now, it's just the mental errors, trying to execute and not make as many mistakes and eliminate those mistakes and try to have a perfect offense for Jackson."
Curry, who's been a four-year starter at quarterback for Edwardsville, is very much looking ahead to his final go-around with the Tigers and also has the usual high expectations for the team.
"Hopefully, we're playing in the state championship game," Curry said with a smile. "That's our goal, that's our team goal. And we're going to work real hard for that."
The Tigers will be coached by longtime defensive coordinator Kelsey Pickering, who was appointed head coach after longtime coach Matt Martin stepped down, and Curry thinks things have gone very well under the new head coach so far. He also has very high goals for both himself and the Tigers outside of going to the Class 8A final this November.
"As a team, we want to go 9-0 in the playoffs," Curry said, "and we also want to win the Southwestern Conference championship."
The competition is very high and keen in the Southwestern Conference, and Curry knows what it will take to have success in the league.
"Just take it one-by-one," Curry said, "take game-by-game, not worry about the other ones, just worry about the one that we have, week-by-week."
The day-by-day and week-by-week approach has worked very well for the Tigers in the past and Curry expects that to continue going into the new season.
"Yep, take it day-by-day, week-by-week," Curry said, "and see what happens in the postseason. We're ready."
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