Top-ranked Loyola vs. nationally respected East St. Louis is the state's premier Week 1 match-up

Despite Loyola’s local success, the state’s elite football program hasn’t received any respect in national rankings.

The Ramblers traditionally haven’t had the high-profile recruits that lead to national rankings. And they don’t play on the circuit against the other nationally-ranked teams.

That makes Saturday a unique opportunity. East St. Louis is the state’s premier program as far as the national rankings are concerned. The Flyers regularly appear and they play a national-level schedule.

The Ramblers will take on East St. Louis at ISU’s Hancock Stadium on Saturday at 7 p.m. The Flyers lost to Mount Carmel at Hancock Stadium in the season opener last year.

“It makes it easy when you are starting out with such a great program like East St. Louis,” Loyola coach Beau Desherow said. “That got everyone’s attention early and it is what we’ve been preparing for.”

Desherow isn’t worried about national rankings: “I’ll let other people worry about that.”

As always, East St. Louis is loaded. Safety Mekhi Mixon is a Grambling State recruit. Defensive back Charles Bass is heading to Missouri and running back TaRyan Martin has committed to Kent State.

The Flyers’ defense returns a strong core from last season. It only allowed 13 points per game and posted four shutouts against a tremendously difficult schedule season.

East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett is in his 24th season at the school. He’s won four state championships, but the Flyers have lost to Cary-Grove in two of the last three Class 6A state title games. The Trojans’ triple-option offense has given East St. Louis fits.

Loyola’s more traditional offense, led by Iowa recruit Ryan Fitzgerald at quarterback, should be easier for the Flyers to prepare for.

Bass and Mixon are major forces in the secondary for East St. Louis. Keylan LaGrant, a senior defensive lineman, has nine FBS scholarship offers.

According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Sunkett didn't name a starting quarterback in the preseason. Senior Larevious Woods rushed for 982 yards and 19 touchdowns last season. The Flyers’ offensive line is experienced.

Loyola is ready to hit the ground running this season, with several returning starters on both sides. Fitzgerald, who passed for 2,141 yards and 20 touchdowns and ran for 634 yards and 14 TDs last season, could give the Ramblers an edge in the season opener.

East St. Louis typically dazzles with size and speed. The Flyers’ 31-17 win at Batavia in 2019 was one of the most impressive athletic showing by any team in recent history.

Last season at Hancock Stadium Mount Carmel led 36-19 in the fourth quarter. Then East St. Louis came alive. The Flyers scored twice in the final minute as the Caravan barely held on to win 36-33.

Loyola has opened the season out of state for the past few years. Saturday’s game is likely to attract football fans from all over Illinois.

“For us it doesn’t matter where we play,” Loyola linebacker Charlie Daly, an Army recruit, said. “But East St. Louis at ISU is definitely going to get us hyped a little more. I’m excited.”