EDWARDSVILLE - East St. Louis quarterback Zakeyla Perry threw for three touchdowns, while receivers Skylar Wood and Samantha Gooch also had big games, but it was the Flyers team, especially the defense, that kept Edwardsville off-balance all throughout the game, and the team effort helped to deal the Tigers their first-ever loss in program history in a 25-7 East Side win Wednesday night, Sept. 17, 2025, at Tiger Stadium.
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The Flyers go to 3-1 with the win, and head coach Ashley Gaston thought it was a complete team effort that made the difference.
"I really feel good about it," Coach Gaston said on a jubilant Flyer sideline after the game. "Coming into this game, I knew we were playing against a number-one team. We only had one loss, but it was a tough loss, and to face them, I know we just had to come in, work hard, and do what we've been working on for the last two weeks in practice just to get prepared."
The work paid off tremendously for the Flyers, and Gaston was very happy with everything.
"I want to give the whole team credit," Gaston said, "because it was a team effort. But there were some highlights, and on defense, I'm not going to highlight anyone of defense. The whole defense did what they were supposed to do. On offense, our highlights were the quarterback (Perry), I'll highlight one of the wide receivers (Gooch), and the other wide receiver (Wood)."
The team played magnificent football all night, and Gaston was very proud of their efforts.
"Yes, the team played great all together tonight," Gaston said. "I can't be more proud of them. Moving on to the second half of our season, and we get to replay everybody, so I'm looking and expecting more from us."
The East St. Louis football tradition has definitely rubbed off on the new program, and the girls' team is hoping to establish its own tradition.
"Yes, this is our first year with the football team," Gaston said, "and I know our boys are great, and we come in right behind. We're trying to be great as well."
Both defenses were able to stop the other team offense in the first four possession, but on Edwardsville's third possession, quarterback Ella Wallace threw for her only touchdown of the game, a 46-yard toss, and hit the conversion pass to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead late in the first quarter, the only lead the Tigers would have.
In the second quarter, Perry threw 13 yards to Gooch to cut the lead to 7-6, but the conversion pass was no good, leaving the Tigers in the lead. Undaunted, just before halftime, Perry threw 26 yards to Wood for the go-ahead score, but a two-point pass was incomplete. Nevertheless, the Flyers took a 12-7 lead into the interval, the first time the Tigers had trailed at halftime.
In the third quarter, Gooch took a swing pass from Perry and rambled 11 yards into the end zone, with the conversion being good, upping the Flyer lead to 19-7. The East Side defense took it from there, bottling up the Edwardsville offense, and not letting them go on long drives, the Flyers often taking possession in Edwardsville territory. It paid off late in the game, as Gooch went in from seven yards out, but the conversion was missed, giving East Side a 25-7 lead.
The Tigers were stopped on their final possession, and the Flyers ran out the clock to give East Side the win, and Edwardsville its first loss.
East St. Louis is now 3-1, and hosts Belleville West next Tuesday at 6 p.m., then Mascoutah next Thursday, and goes to Belleville East on Sept. 30, both games starting at 6:30 p.m.
