CHATHAM - Myson Cook-Johnson ran for 251 yards and three touchdowns, while quarterback Reece Shanklin was 13-for-16 for passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns as East St. Louis blew open a close game in the second half to defeat Chatham Glenwood 53-14 in the second round of the IHSA Class 6A football playoffs Saturday afternoon, Nov. 8, 2025, at Glenwood High in Chatham.
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The Flyers led at halftime 20-14, but scored 33 unanswered points in the second half to take control of the game and move on to the quarterfinals next weekend.
Shanklin hit Ronnie Gomiller from 26 yards out to give the Flyers an early 7-0 lead, but the Titans came back to tie the game on a one-yard run to tie the game 7-7. Early in the second quarter, Johnson-Cook went for a 65-yard touchdown run to give East Side the lead back at 13-7 after the conversion was missed, and later on, Grady Mueller ran 67 yards for a touchdown to give Glenwood the lead at 14-13. Johnson-Cook ran in from 13 yards out to give the Flyers the lead for good at 20-14, and a missed field goal by the Titans kept the score 20-14 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Shanklin ran the ball in from three yards out to extend the lead to 27-14, after which the Titans intercepted a pass and returned it to the Flyer 11. Glenwood turned the ball over on downs in the game's turning point, giving East Side the ball, and Johnson-Cook immediately took off on a 99-yard touchdown run to give the Flyers a 34-14 lead.
Late in he third, Shanklin connected with Kortez Rupert for a touchdown pass to up the lead to 40-14, and in the fourth quarter, Shanklin and Amir Tillman had rushing touchdowns to make the final 53-14.
The Flyers are now 8-3, and advance to a quarterfinal game against Chicago Simeon, who defeated Normal Community West 36-21 on Saturday, in a quarterfinal game this coming weekend at Clyde C. Jordan Memorial Stadium, with date and kickoff time to be announced Monday. The Titans end their season at 10-1.
