EDWARDSVILLE — The Edwardsville High football team will try to rebound from last week’s loss to Kankakee when it travels to southeast Missouri power Jackson for a 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, kickoff, while Metro-East Lutheran opens its eight-man season at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 29, 2026, at Martinsville.
The Tigers enter the road game 0-1 after a 28-7 loss to the Kays. Edwardsville was held to 6 yards rushing and 170 total yards and turned the ball over three times.
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Quarterback Brady Reames completed 8 of 16 passes for 147 yards. Backup quarterback Dean Williams went 2-for-2 for 17 yards.
Friday’s game will be Edwardsville’s first visit to Jackson’s home field, The Pit, since 2022, when the Tigers won 41-34 in double overtime. Edwardsville was scheduled to play at Jackson in 2024, but a threat of gun violence at Jackson High forced the game to be moved to Tiger Stadium, where Edwardsville won 41-7.
The game will be the season opener for Jackson.
Metro East Lutheran Football Has High Hopes
Metro-East Lutheran enters its opener after a 7-3 football season in 2025. The Knights reached the Illinois 9-Man Football Association playoffs before losing at St. Anne in the first round. Metro-East defeated Martinsville 70-40 in last year’s matchup.
Quarterback Ben Schilbe returns after completing 32 of 68 passes for 620 yards and seven touchdowns last season. He also ran 17 times for 189 yards and caught 15 passes for 114 yards.
Running back Lee Watson also returns after rushing 138 times for 1,089 yards and seven touchdowns. Watson was one of two Metro-East Lutheran runners to surpass 1,000 yards last season.
The Knights also return receiver Issak Brokemeier, who caught 40 passes for 656 yards and 11 touchdowns. Metro-East Lutheran will play its home opener Sept. 4 against Oblong at 7 p.m.
