With a win on this upcoming Saturday semi-final game. East Side has a chance of making an appearance in a championship game in every decade since the state series started in 1974. They appeared in the 70's (74,79) 80's (83,84,85,87,88,89) 90's (91) 2000's (2008) 2010's (??)
East St Louis Flyers
- Thread starter flyers99
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I was very impressed with size of the crowd East St. Louis brought with them to Villa Park last Saturday afternoon.
My guess is that at least 300 fans made the 300 mile trip up I-55. It seemed most of their fans were middle aged men and women. Not a lot of high school age kids or younger.
I couldn't help but laugh listening to these men complain every time a penalty was called on East High. They were convinced that the refs were against them all afternoon.
They probably will bring a even bigger to Lisle this Saturday for their game against Benet Academy.
My guess is that at least 300 fans made the 300 mile trip up I-55. It seemed most of their fans were middle aged men and women. Not a lot of high school age kids or younger.
I couldn't help but laugh listening to these men complain every time a penalty was called on East High. They were convinced that the refs were against them all afternoon.
They probably will bring a even bigger to Lisle this Saturday for their game against Benet Academy.
The city of East St. Louis has always supported high school sports, especially football. Sports is one of the most positive aspects in the city. ESL is 99% black. Most house holds are single parent mothers trying to raise teenage boys on a 20k annual income. Drugs rule the city. 45% of the city is poverty. There is a lot of negatives. A lot of people don't make it out. There is a saying that you are a product of your environment and that holds true in the city of no pity. The streets is all most of these kids know and you can only do better if you are shown better. However, there is a lot of good people STILL living in ESL. People truly making a difference. A good friend of mine started from the bottom and now is raising his kids in ESL and they are stellar! Daughter is a straight A student and has high schools begging her to attend. Beautiful wife, both with great careers and support the community in every way. ESL fans love to see these kids doing something other than running the streets and selling drugs. We support these kids like they are our own. All gas, no brakes. 2016 we are bringing home a championship. The city deserves it!
I thought it was somewhere in the neighborhood of 250-300 when looking at it Saturday, so happy to see it validated by someone else.
not only was it impressive the number of fans they had travel to WB (looked like either slightly more or even than WB number of fans) it was a truly impressive tailgate atmosphere. Basically like a good college tailgate complete with a couple of RV's, TVs, Bags, grills the whole kit and caboodle.
The ESL sideline also had by far the least amount of players that I have seen in 7A this year, so to get that amount of fans traveling that far was even more impressive.
Love the amount of support.
not only was it impressive the number of fans they had travel to WB (looked like either slightly more or even than WB number of fans) it was a truly impressive tailgate atmosphere. Basically like a good college tailgate complete with a couple of RV's, TVs, Bags, grills the whole kit and caboodle.
The ESL sideline also had by far the least amount of players that I have seen in 7A this year, so to get that amount of fans traveling that far was even more impressive.
Love the amount of support.
Most 5A and 6A schools have more players on the sideline. I counted 25 on SL dressed besides the 11 on the field. Took my socks off to do the math and it came to 36 +/- dressed. that is a small squad.
point being is that it is a huge traveling fan base and truly impressive.
point being is that it is a huge traveling fan base and truly impressive.
The Flyers travel well and support its team. They had a huge turnout in Providence first game of the season. Then over 10,000 attended the CBC game. Over 5000 for the Edwardsville game. If and If they win Sat. Will have a big turn for the state title game.
Trust and believe they are coming. They probably didn't expect to see that many fans. Especially those who were tailgating. We have to support them kids. They have a chip on their shoulder. It's them against the world. They live for these moments. I will be there in attendance. It should be pretty interesting to see how the fans are going to interact since we're going to be on the same side. Saturday can't get here fast enough.
Actually saw the whole fan bus at dinner after the game. Some of the coolest team swag I've seen.
Won't be any issues, Benet has had this set up for 10 years+. It has prevailed thru some heated rivalry games, Naz, Joliet Catholic, as well as a couple other games where the fans did not see eye to eye, not really had any issues. Certainly not like when playing at Hanson stadium having to be wanded on the way in.
The ESL fans I saw at WB were way more festive, polite and decorous than fans from some of the "big" programs from the Chicago land area. That is what HS sports is supposed to be about. They looked like they were having a ton of fun at no one else's expense.
However, if you want to wander around.....Benet plays at Benedictine College which is across the street from Benet. Since it is a college campus they do have your standard college benefits. At the south end of the stadium is a parking lot, at the S/E corner of that parking lot is a bar called the Coal Ben (in the old power plant, where the smokestack is). Bar opens at noon with college pricing, $2 beers, $7 pitchers and $4 hamburgers. lots of TV's for seeing early college action. Come on in its usually a pretty festive atmosphere and fans of all teams are welcome although it is humorous to see 50 year old fans carded.
its a 100 yard walk to the entrance to the stadium.
Rooting for ESL, nothing against the Benet program but would like to have ESL take it all this year as they have so many other obstacles to overcome in life. Still hurting from the GBN loss, glad they played them tough to the last second but someone's got to lose I guess, was hoping this was the year our kids got the big trophy for the 1st time in school history, don't think anyone left will challenge ESL as much as the Panthers did, we'll see I guess.
A few years back ESL had some really cool t-shirts
"All Gas.....No Brakes"
"All Gas.....No Brakes"
I'd actually would have been agnostic on it, but Frank Kaminsky made my decision for me with his jersey stunt - go Flyers!!
HAHA! Forgot about that, Go Flyers! Plus Benet beat GBN in basketball on a late 3 pointer a few years ago with a trip to State on the line, would have lost in the final anyway but would have been nice! Panthers are RARELY good in b-ball but that team was good.
Pretty impressive...I know JC has appeared in the championship game in every decade. 70s(75,76,77,78) 80's (81,87) 90's (90,92,96,99) 00's (00,01,03,04,07,09) and 10's (11) Have any other schools appeared in every decade? MC?
I have seen it get ugly there. Lisle police had to intercede last year when Benet was ruining JCA's perfect season. Fan bases are separated by a single aisle, you hear everything being said. Not an ideal situation in a heated game.
Benedictine is kind of crabby about tailgating, but you can try.
I know how much Benet and Naz dislike each other, I hear it from both side lol, so it's a surprise to me there hasn't been any incidents in the past. Don't get me wrong I'm glad there hasn't been, that is a really bad setup though.
Trust me Flyer fans will not cause any trouble. However we will be there to talk football and have a good time. Of course we will give the ref's some grief its not football if you don't.Can't comment on the tailgating in parking lot, as I mentioned earlier, there is a bar right there with phenomenal pricing and ample TVs and as I also mentioned the ESL fans are more than welcome there. If they have any issues in the parking lot, should come on in.
as to the "it get ugly there"....I have been to more than 30 games (Varsity, same amount Soph) there and the only incident that ever got "ugly" enough was when JCA had their "perfect season" ruined and the Lisle police were asked to intervene over PA with a two specific JCA fans. which should be enough of a statement in itself.
I was there for 2 Naz games which was probably the most intense games for a variety of reasons and there were not issues between the fan groups, nor when O'Fallon, St. Pats, ND, St. Laurence, Marist, Downers South,..etc were there.
Based on what I saw at WB last week there is no way there is any issues with ESL fans.
I have also been there at least a couple of times when a few Benet students are dragged out by administrators for arriving intoxicated.
yep. should be a good game (hopefully) and should be fun for all. Lot of respect for a program that can send 300+ fans 5 hours away 2 weeks in a row.
on the officials part, just hoping to have a crew that has no member over 250#'s and over the age of 60.
its a good atmosphere at Benedictine. Good seats (other than 15 yards too far from the field), easy concessions, plenty of bathrooms, good sound system, plenty of parking....And fans on the Benet side that are just not used to getting this far.
All the players on our side are healthy and it looks like the same on your side, should be a great game.
I haven't been to a game at BU since MCHS rolled up the Academy and pushed one in late to spark a controversy. I'll be there Saturday with a heavy heart. Cheering for the Academy is tough business from this vantage point.
Hoping for a great game, no matter the outcome, but I see ESL running away, 42-14.
Hoping for a great game, no matter the outcome, but I see ESL running away, 42-14.
not snobbery. More a function of its not their property or campus, they don't control the property, parking lots or security. That is Benedictine College a separate entity entirely. They rent the field for the games. Its not like 50 years ago when the religious order controlled both the college and HS at the same time. Benet has no control over the parking lots.
Like I said earlier, there is a bar on the property 100 yards from the entrance to the stadium with all he elements of a successful tailgate cheap beer, cheap food, and TVs with the added benefit of being inside which since its going to be 35 degrees and highly windy on Saturday might be a good option.
Technically MC has because 1980 is still considered the 70's decade. (80,86,88-91,95-96, 98-00, 02, 05-06,10, 12-13)
100% False. Per merriam-webster.com a decade is defined as follows:a period of 10 years. The 70's include the 10 year period of 1970-1979. That is why they are called "the 70's". Under no circumstances does that include 1980. A decade can be ANY period of 10 years, such as 1948-1957. Just because there was no year zero does not mean all decades must run from 01-00, it is simply any period of 10 years.
I might pull up for some of that bar b que at the ESL tailgate and not even stay for the game lol
Griffin ('75), Griffin ('82), Sacred Heart-Griffin ('95), Sacred Heart-Griffin ('03, '05, '06, '08), Sacred Heart-Griffin ('13, '14).
