EDWARDSVILLE – Edwardsville is facing another stern test at Tiger Stadium this evening as O'Fallon comes calling for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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The Tigers, coming off a 20-17 win at Alton last week, stand at 2-3 overall, 2-1 in the Southwestern Conference while the Panthers, who slipped by Belleville East 43-40 last week at home, also stand at 2-3 and 2-1.
“I guess what we're looking for against O'Fallon is that they're good enough to beat you if you don't play well,” said Tiger coach Matt Martin. “We're going to look for ball security on offense and special teams, we're going to try to create turnovers on special teams and defense so hopefully, that puts is in a position to win the game.”
The Tigers' win last week against the Redbirds didn't come easily; quarterback Kendall Abdur-Rahman scored what proved to be the winning touchdown with 9:47 left in the third quarter on a 47-yard sprint up the middle. Like the Tigers, the Panthers dropped their first three games of the season to Hazelwood Central, Normal West and Belleville West before defeating Collinsville and the Lancers last week.
“They're getting better,” Martin said of the Panthers. “If you watch them on film, they're getting better week to week; we've got to continue to improve too or we won't get a victory that we need.
“They want to run the ball on offense; you'd better stop that or try to contain that; they've run their quarterback a little bit more this year than they have in the past. Their quarterback throws the ball pretty well and they have some receivers that can make plays; it's about limiting the big play. We've got to tackle better; I thought in the first half of the Alton game, we didn't tackle well, so we've got to improve that.
Martin knows that if the Tigers can win out the rest of the way, they will reach the six wins needed to automatically qualify for the IHSA football playoffs that begin the weekend of Oct. 27-28; they finish out with Belleville East, at Belleville West and Collinsville. “Both Belleville schools look tough from the little bit I've seen on film,” Martin said. “It's just really about simplifying things – you've just got to focus on the day and try to get better each day and hopefully, that prepares you enough to win on Friday night.”
