BELLEVILLE — Belleville East finished its season with a 9-8 record after a loss to Edwardsville in a regional matchup on Wednesday night, Oct. 7, 2026, overcoming injuries that included four ACL tears before falling short in its final game.
Belleville East coach Doug Zerjal said the Lancers lost their quarterback and other players to injuries but showed determination throughout the season. The loss came after East defeated East St. Louis 24-6 in Monday’s regional semifinal.
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“We had quite a few injuries that we overcame,” Zerjal said. “We lost our quarterback, and some girls. It sounds made up: We had four ACL tears this year.”
Zerjal credited Edwardsville for its performance and said East did not play its best in the season-ending matchup.
“I feel like we didn’t put our best foot forward, but they’re a really good team,” he said. “We didn’t execute, but the credit goes to them. They did a great job.”
Despite the finish, Coach Zerjal said he was proud of how his players responded to the injuries.
“We had all those injuries,” Zerjal said, “and I’m hoping next year, we can stay a little bit healthier and take our shot again. It just was a tough end to a season, where I felt like we showed a lot of determination and overcame a lot of obstacles, so I’m proud of the kids, even though tonight was tough.”
Zerjal pointed to Monday’s victory over East St. Louis as a highlight. The Lancers took an early lead on their way to the 24-6 win.
“I think the highlight was us winning against East St. Louis on Monday in the regional,” Zerjal said, “because we’re not the team we were at the beginning of the year. So, I think getting that win on Monday was a big positive for us.”
East had lost its two earlier games against Edwardsville by one point each. Zerjal said those close results offered reason for optimism, even after the final defeat.
“They’re a really good team, and I think they have a great shot to get to state again, and have some success,” Zerjal said. “We lost to them in the two earlier games by one point. I’ll probably choose to focus on those rather than tonight.”
Looking ahead, Zerjal said staying healthy and continuing to work would be important to the program’s progress.
“Yeah, I think the program’s close,” he said. “We’re close to taking the next step. We’ve just got to stay healthy and keep working. But I think we’re in a good spot as a program.”
