TROY - Quarterback Ella Wallace threw three touchdown passes, two to Sophie Shapiro, while Shapiro scored three times as Edwardsville's girls flag football team romped by Mascoutah 32-13 in the IHSA Danville sectional semifinal game Monday evening, Oct. 13, 2025, at Knights Stadium at Triad High School in Troy.The Tigers' win ended the Indians' big run through the regionals, where Mascoutah won over third-seeded East St. Louis and second-seeded Peoria Richwoods, and put them into the final on Tuesday evening, Oct. 14, 2025, against Plainfield Central, which defeated Yorkville 22-8 in the other semifinal Monday at Plainfield East High.
Tuesday's winner advances to the state finals this weekend at Villa Park Willowbrook High School.
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"We feel great," said Edwardsville head coach Taylor Hay, "and we're excited to take our team on the road to Danville tomorrow to play a team we haven't seen this season, Yorkville or Plainfield Central."
Hay continued: "We were able to roll in some people that don't usually play that much, and they were able to hold it down a little bit. They only allowed one score, so we did what we were supposed to do: put it away."
To be one game away from the state finals, and four away from a state championship for a first-year program such as the Tigers is an incredible accomplishment, and it was a preseason goal set by Hay and her coaching staff.
"I mean, that's kind of what I told the girls from the beginning," Hay said, "that one of my goals was to get to the state tournament, and win the championship. We're four games away from that, so we're excited."
Of course, the Tigers are one game away from clinching the state finals berth, and from this point on, anything can happen.
"When we get to state, we have three games," Hay said. "The girls know it will all be challenging. They won't be given to them at 42-0. We're ready."
Although it will a very quick turnaround to the sectional final at Danville, the team has been watching video of Plainfield Central to learn about them, and that will be the modus operandi going into the game.
"Well, since we don't have a practice this time," Hay said, "we'll watch film. We've kind of been watching a little bit of film on them anyway, so we're going to play our game, and if we need to make adjustments, as any, we will."
The Tigers got on the board first in the opening period on a 32-yard touchdown pass from Wallace to Remi Werden to give Edwardsville the early 6-0 lead. In the second, Sophie Antonini ran in from three yards out to increase the lead to 12-0, and Shapiro scored her first touchdown on a three-yard run, with Wallace connecting on a two-point conversion pass to give Edwardsville a 20-0 lead.
The Tigers' defense then stopped a long Mascoutah drive to take the ball back, but on the first play, the Indians intercepted a pass and returned it to the Edwardsville 25. It only took Mascoutah three plays to score, as Amiyah Fair ran in from 20 yards out to cut the lead to 20-7.
On the first play after the score, the Indians intercepted again, but time ran out, leaving the Tigers ahead 20-7 at halftime. Mascoutah had first possession of the second half, and momentum on its side. The Tiger defense, however, stopped Mascoutah at midfield, and on the first play of the next possession, Wallace hit Shapiro from 50 yards out for the touchdown that made it 26-7, giving momentum back to the Tigers.
Later in the quarter, Shapiro caught a six-yard pass from Wallace for another touchdown to put Edwardsville up 32-7. Late in the game, Indian quarterback Delilah Bell scored a consolation touchdown to make the final 32-13.
The Tigers are now 14-1, and meet the Wildcats, who are 13-8, in the sectional final Tuesday at Danville in a 6 p.m. start.
The winner goes on to the state finals this weekend, where they will meet the winner of the Richton Park Rich Township sectional, either Chicago Perspectives/Leadership Charter or Country Club Hills Hillcrest, in the second quarterfinal Friday at 5:45 p.m. The state semifinals are set on Saturday at 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., with the third-place game set to begin at 2:30 p.m., and the state final to start at 4 p.m.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
