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BELLEVILLE – The saying in football is simple:
Next Man Up.
That means that a backup player must be ready to help his team keep succeeding when a starter goes down to injury or illness.
That was the philosophy Edwardsville had this past week, when injuries to quarterback Riley Jones and running back Jackson Morrissey to the sidelines for this week's game at Belleville West.
Kendell Davis and Brenden Dickmann answered the call and both of them were instrumental in the Tigers' 27-6 win over the Maroons.
“They (the Maroon defense) were fast and physical,” Davis, who had 24 carries for 134 yards and two touchdowns on the night. “I was reading my keys and kept pushing my (offensive) line to keep blocking.”
Edwardsville was off last week following the cancellation of their game against East St. Louis because of the ongoing teacher's strike that has shut down schools there. It gave Dickmann, who stepped in after Jones hurt his knee against Belleville East Sept. 25, a bit more time to get ready for the Maroons.
“It (the unexpected bye week) gave us an extra week to prepare,” Dickmann said. “It gave me an extra week with the team.”
Edwardsville's final two opponents are Alton and Granite City, and while both teams have not had the seasons they would have liked, in the Southwestern Conference, there are no easy matchups. “(Next week) is our Homecoming game, a big game for us, but anything can happen in the Southwestern Conference so we'll have to be ready.”
