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EDWARDSVILLE – Preseason practice opened Monday for high school football teams throughout Illinois as the countdown to the opening of the season Aug. 26 got under way.
One of those thousands of teams throughout the state that began preseason workouts was Edwardsville High School, who went 9-1 last year and won the Southwestern Conference title with a 7-0 league mark and fell in overtime of the first round of the IHSA Class 8A playoffs to Aurora Waubonsie Valley 20-17, who wound up reaching the semifinals before being eliminated by Chicago Marist, who lost to Wilmette Loyola Academy in the Class 8A final last Thanksgiving weekend.
As always, the expectations in Edwardsville are high and the season gets under way for the Tigers at Quincy Aug. 26; the home opener is set for Sept. 2 against Rock Island before the Tigers open SWC play at Collinsville Sept. 9.
Tiger players were greeted by overcast skies and temperatures in the upper 60s-.lower 70s. “It's good and bad; you need a little heat so you can be prepared for the Friday nights,” Tiger coach Matt Martin said of the weather conditions as practice got under way. “I have a feeling it's not going to stay like this, but definitely, your concentration level goes way up when it's cooler.”
Martin felt the opening session was a good mix. “It's hard to evaluate how physical somebody is on these days; we'll have that time. We just have to work on getting better and getting in shape and that takes time.
“I liked the practice tempo, hopping around to drill to drill, it's a sign of maturity and focus, and guys getting better. It's tough right now; you've been facing each other – the same people all summer long and you've got two more weeks of it; it gets a little easier when you actually start getting into competition and you have a game to look forward to.”
Several key players return to the Edwardsville roster this season. “Anytime you have experience, I think the big thing in coaching, whether it's players trusting coaches or coaches trusting the players when you've been through a year, you've got a pretty good understanding of what you can expect from them,” Martin said.
Edwardsville's seniors are looking to make an impact on the program this season. “It's how do you want to be remembered and what your legacy is going to be,” Martin said of the seniors. “I'm a big fan of seniors; I think they should be like assistant coaches out there, and when they're usually pretty mature and they're handling problems and they don't get to me, that's usually a good sign.”
The Tigers' young players are wanting to make an impact as well, and Martin hopes that they will step up. “It's very important” for them to take advantage of the preparation, Martin said. “because it's easier when you're younger to say 'my time will be in a year' or 'my time will be in two years'. This might be your best chance at a conference championship or a state championship; that's one of the hardest things to impress on them.
“We're all guilty of being young; you can barely look past today (for the younger persons). They have to understand there's a sense of urgency, that there isn't much time – 18 days isn't much prep for your first game.”
The entire Metro East area has been focusing on A.J. Epenesa as a major impact player for the Tigers this year. The three-sport star, who has verbally committed to Iowa for football, is expected to be a team leader this year. “A.J. is doing everything I expect,” Martin said. “We've talked about him learning to be more of a vocal leader; I see that out of him. That's a positive. He's going to have to accept more of a role on offense; he's too special of an athlete to not be a bigger part of the offense.”
Brenden Dickmann saw time at quarterback last year and will step into the role this season. “He's come a long way and I expect him to keep improving,” Martin said. “He's a worker; he's one of those kids who grew up in the community and all he's ever wanted to be was a Tiger football player and he practiced a lot for that every day. I know he'll give me his best effort.”
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