Photo by Jeff Helmkamp

Alton's Ju'Qui Womack is one of four Riverbend players who were selected to participate in the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Shrine Game on June 15 in Bloomington.

Two months after leading the Alton football team to its second straight playoff berth, seniors Ju'Qui Womack and Donovan Porter found out on Thursday they will be playing another high school football game.

Womack and Porter will represent the Redbirds at the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Shrine Game on June 15 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Marquette Catholic senior Kaleb Ware and Civic Memorial senior Brayden Georgeoff are the other Riverbend players who were selected to play in the Shrine Game, a contest between the East and West squads,

All four were selected to play defense for the West team. Womack is a cornerback, Ware is a safety and Porter and Georgeoff are defensive linemen.

Womack and Porter helped the Redbirds finish 5-5 and qualify for the Class 7A state playoffs for the second straight year. Alton lost to Rolling Meadows in a first-round playoff 

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photo by Bill Roseberry

Terrence Walker and Ahmad Sanders

Ahmad Sanders and Terrance Walker wore a lot of different hats for the Alton Redbirds as seniors in 2018. In the end that versatility was a huge contributor in the Birds getting back to the playoffs for a second straight season.

Sanders and Walker played wide receiver, defensive back, were the main players in the return corps on special teams and even ran the football a little bit.

Walker scored touchdowns receiving, rushing, in the return game and on defense. He was a jack-of-all-trades for the Birds.

“I knew coming in from my junior year I had to be one of the main players on the team and had to get the job done,” Walker said. “I couldn’t let outside distractions interfere with me playing. I just came in confident I could get the job done and I performed.”

Sanders performed, too. He finished the season with a team-high five interceptions, including three in the first week of the season against Highland. Alton lost that game 21-0, but showed the playoff run of 2017 wasn’t just a fluke.

“It was big for me because I thought our team could prove something, but everyone was down on us coming into the season,” Sanders said of his three-interception game. “I just had to show what we could do, even though we ended up losing.”

Week 2 provided a better outcome for AHS. The Redbirds battled through multiple weather delays at Quincy to pull out a 41-37 victory to get their first win of the season.

Alton also had wins over Collinsville, Belleville East, O’Fallon and Granite City on the season. The Redbirds drew a first-round Class 7A playoff game at Rolling Meadows, but fell 29-27 to finish the season 5-5.

They didn’t go down without a fight, though. Junior quarterback Andrew Jones connected with Sanders with 24.3 seconds remaining in the contest to cut the Rolling Meadows lead to 29-27. Unfortunately, the 2-point conversion failed, as did the onside kick attempt.

Nonetheless, it was a highlight on the season for Walker and Sanders.

“We both had good games,” Sanders said. “In the first half (Walker) had scored two touchdowns and I knew he was going to do his part. I just had to step up and get a feel for the game and in the second half it just came around for me.”

Sanders said the TD catch from Jones in the waning seconds was his personal season highlight.

Walker admitted he owes a lot of his versatility in ‘18 to the seniors from ‘17 — most notably Kevin Caldwell Jr.

“Papi (Caldwell), I looked up to him as a wide receiver because he taught me everything I needed to know,” Walker said. “Not having him was rough at the beginning, but as I started getting going I was glad he helped me a lot so I could be better.”

For Sanders and Walker, their legacy is all about the impression they leave on Alton — and it’s one of hard work.

“I would like to leave my work ethic,” Sanders said. “Everyone has been watching me and we talk about it a lot at practice. When we’re in the weight room, I just worked the hardest.”

“I feel we told the underclassmen they need to keep working hard and that nothing is going to be given,” Walker added. “When they get down just push through it.”

Sanders and Walker would like to play in college, too, and together if possible. A list of suitors for them includes Missouri Baptist, Millikin, Northwest Missouri, and McKendree.

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Redbirds ‘up for the challenge,’ but fall short at Rolling Meadows

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Published 9:33 am CDT, Monday, October 29, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

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Alton running back Tim Johnson (right) cuts upfield off the block of wide receiver Lonnie Tate (middle) for a 73-yard touchdown run in the second quarter Friday night at Rolling Meadows. The play was called

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ROLLING MEADOWS – Alton football coach Eric Dickerson did not attempt to mask the disappointment, but readily conceded the obvious.

“It was a great game,” he said.

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But not the great result the Redbirds had hoped for after earning three leads before a late-rally came up a two-point conversion shy of forcing overtime 290 miles from home Friday night.

The unbeaten Rolling Meadows Mustangs survived and ended Alton’s season at 5-5 with a 29-27 victory in a first-round Class 7A playoff game on the artificial turf at Hoese Field.

After halting a 10-year playoff drought by making the Class 7A field last season, the Redbirds made it back-to-back in 2018. Graduation took away the biggest leaders and offensive producers from last season’s 6-5 squad that counted on running back Tony Smith and wideouts Kevin Caldwell and Johnathan Bumpers for big plays.

“Honestly, you get weapons like we had outside and up the middle, that’s a formidable monster to defend,” Dickerson said last summer. “Having those kids definitely helps out. … They all led by example by showing up in the weight room and making it to all our practices and everything we did in the summer. Right then and there, they set the precedent for what it’s going to take.”

Dickerson’s coaching staff and the returning Redbirds embraced the task of sustaining the program build and again met their goal of playing win Week 10.

“You get the system in place, now we’re at the mentality of next man up,” Dickerson said. “Who’s going to step up? Who’s going to take on that role?”

Those were the preseason questions and Dickerson got the right answers to repeat as a playoff qualifier out of the Southwestern Conference. Junior quarterback Andrew Jones passed for more than 2,200 yards with 23 touchdowns – including four Friday night — and 14 interceptions. Sophomore running back Tim Johnson took over Smith’s role as the featured rusher and turned in a 1,000-yard season while averaging better than six yards a carry.

Alton will also welcome back three starting offensive linemen in 2019, with juniors Jayme Copeland and Kyle Hughes and sophomore Tristan Underwood all stepping into prominent roles in the front five this season.

But it was again seniors that earned their legacy with a playoff trip in 2018. Donovan Porter and Michael Green were back and led the offensive line. And Terry Walker and Ahmad Sanders gave the Redbirds two more playmaking receiving threats on the perimeter.

Sanders had 10 catches for 128 yards, including TDs of 11 and the 29-yarder that drew the Redbirds within 29-27 with 24 seconds left in the game. Walker had TDs with brilliant runs after the catch for 16 and 45 yards while finishing with seven receptions for 85 yards.

When the Redbirds needed big plays at Rolling Meadows, Walker and Sanders supplied them. “They have all year,” Dickerson said.

The heart of Alton’s defense was found at linebacker with seniors Izeal Terrell, Charles Miller and Walker. Miller’s tackle at the 1-yard line on a fourth-and-2 play from the 3 left the Mustangs inches short of a first down and ended a 14-play Rolling Meadows drive in the second quarter with no points. Miller also had an interception in the third quarter he took back 42-yards for TD, though the return was nullified by penalty.

Terrell, who will continue his career at Southeast Missouri, kept Redbirds’ hopes alive when he busted through the line and stuffed Mustangs running back Jack O’Hara for a 4-yard loss on a jarring hit on third-and-one and forced a 26-yard field goal with 1:27 left in the fourth quarter instead of a victory-clinching TD.

“We knew they had a good offense – came in averaging 46 points a game – so we knew it would be a challenge,” Dickerson said of the 10-0 Mustangs, whose average margin of victory in the regular season was a Class 7A best 33.7 points per game. “We were up for the challenge, but too many big plays.”

The Mustangs’ TDs came on plays covering 9, 23, 16 and 25 yards and they finished with 356 yards offense. Rolling Meadows came in averaging more than 250 rushing yards per game, but was limited to 163 on 40 carries by the Redbirds. O’Hara, a backup thrust into the starting role, finished with 147 yards on 32 carries.

“Good player,” Dickerson said of O’Hara. “They’ve got a lot of good players over there, but so do we.”

The Redbirds matched the Mustangs with three turnovers. Alton’s Ja’Markus Gary’s interception in the red zone halted a Mustangs second-quarter drive. Rolling Meadows had 95 yards in penalties, including three 15-yarders for late hits on Jones. Alton was flagged for 75 yards in penalties, plus a delay of game that pushed its failed game-tying two-point conversion back to the 8-yard line.

“Both teams made their fair share of mistakes tonight,” said Rolling Meadows coach Matt Mishler, who called Alton “an extremely good football team.”

“They did some stuff to us with their defense,” Mishler said. “But our kids grinded it out. They made the adjustments we asked them to make. Some times you’ve just got to fight tooth and nail and you’ve got to do you job every play – down, up or in between – and we did that tonight. … It shows you the mettle of our kids.

“They don’t hang their head, don’t get too high or too low, it’s just, let’s go out and win the next play. If you do that enough times, you win the ballgame.”

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East St. Louis' Treven Swingler (10) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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East St. Louis' Tyler Macon (5) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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Alton's Terrance Walker (8) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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East St. Louis' Keantez Lewis (3) makes the reception during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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Alton's Andrew Jones (2) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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Alton's Terrance Walker (8) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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East St. Louis' DeMonta Witherspoon (4) runs with the ball during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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Alton's Terrance Walker (8) makes the reception during a football game on Friday, October 19, 2018 at Alton Public in Alton, Ill. Paul Halfacre | STLhighschoolsports.com

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ALTON • East St. Louis junior running back DeMonta Witherspoon never hesitated when he saw the hole.

Senior running back Treven Swingler's eyes lit up every time he saw the hole and sophomore quarterback Tyler Macon ran free time and time again.

Witherspoon wasn't shy when asked about the running game's success on Friday.

"I think we've got the best offensive line in the state," Witherspoon said.

East St. Louis rolled up 547 rushing yards as the Flyers knocked off Alton 71-28 in the regular-season finale on Friday night at Alton Public Stadium. 

"That's the game plan every week," East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett said. "We want to get out there and establish the run and have our play action pass off that. We've been doing a pretty good job of that all season. Hopefully, we can continue with the rushing attack throughout the playoffs."

East St. Louis (7-2, 6-0 Southwestern Conference), the No. 2 ranked large school in the STLhighschoolsports.com, pushed its conference winning streak to 20 games and clinched its third straight conference championship.

The Flyers offense racked up 737 yards. Both Swingler and Witherspoon topped the 200-yard barrier. 

With the imposing linemen up front, Swingler knew his job was relatively easy once he got the ball.

"They were blowing up their man and creating the holes," Swingler said. "All I had to do was get past the first defender because my line is going to create the holes."

The potent rushing attack was on full display on the first drive of the game as the Flyers marched 70 yards, all on the ground, capped by a 2-yard touchdown run by Witherspoon.

The rushing attack was far from done.

Witherspoon got into the end zone three times, including a 74-yard touchdown run where he burst up the middle and went untouched late in the first half.

"I was just trying to get into the end zone as quickly as I could," Witherspoon said.

Witherspoon finished with 249 yards on 16 carries.

Swingler, making his return to a stadium where he used to run while he played for Alton Marquette, scored five times and rushed 216 yards on 28 carries.

"It felt like a home game," Swingler said. "I knew I had to score a touchdown because I already scored a lot of touchdowns on this field."

Macon rushed nine times for 82 yards and went 10-for-21 for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

All three topped the 1,000-yard mark for the season after Friday's performances. 

"Those guys have done a tremendous job all season," Sunkett said. "Macon has done a great job with his arm also when it's time to throw the ball. If we can continue what we're doing offensively, I think we'll make some noise in the playoffs."

Alton (5-4, 3-3 SWC) got big plays four times in the game as junior quarterback Andrew Jones found senior receivers Terrance Walker and Ahmad Sanders four times for touchdown plays of 62, 29, 25 and 29. 

"They've done it for us all year," Alton coach Eric Dickerson said. "We've got some playmakers and it's our job to get them the ball and it's fun to watch those guys with the ball in their hands in space."

Jones finished with 308 yards and four scores, going 20-for-37. He also threw two interceptions.

While the big play was there, East St. Louis was able to limit Alton to just 16 first downs, compared to the Flyers' 33.

"They're just a good team," Dickerson said. "They're very quick and get to their assignments quickly. Their D-line was able to get some pressure on us. We've got some things to get better at."

The defense scored on a pick-six by junior Lawaun Powell Jr. late in the game and held Alton without a score for much of the second quarter and third quarters.

"I think our problem defensively is that we're giving up the big play at the wrong time," Sunkett said. "If we can ever hold together for four straight quarters and stop giving up that one big play, we'll have a good defense."

Redbirds ‘put it together’ in playoff-clinching rout of Granite

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Published 11:05 am CDT, Monday, October 15, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Kyle Hughes (right), a 5-9, 300-pound junior lineman, applies pressure as Kahoks QB Chris Chi gets off a pass Sept. 8 in Collinsville. Hughes was part of a defensive effort that limited Granite City

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ALTON – Fifty yards in penalties and one punt from seven possessions kept the Alton Redbirds from a perfect first half of football Friday night at Public School Stadium.

But coach Eric Dickerson conceded Alton’s 45-9 victory over the Granite City Warriors represented a nearly complete performance from the Redbirds.

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“It’s a close as it can get for us right now,” Dickerson said. “We’ve still got some penalties and some little things we can fix. But we definitely put it together on offense and defense tonight.”

Alton sophomore running back Tim Johnson split the heart of Granite’s defense for a 56-yard touchdown run on the Redbirds’ first offensive play. Johnson would add TD runs of 29 and 26 yards on his way to 194 rushing yards on 13 carries that put him within 84 of 1,000 for the season.

His work night was finished at halftime with the Redbirds leading 45-3 and bringing a running clock for the second half. Even with most starters on the sidelines, Alton still made plays on defense.

With the Warriors set up first-and-goal at the 3 early in the fourth quarter, the Redbirds got tackles for loss from Damarco Stewart, Damien Jones and Ihzel Brown to keep Granite out of the end zone.

They were following the tone set by Alton’s defense from the opening kick. Granite, which came in averaging 7.8 yards per carry and 276 yards rushing per game, had 26 yards offense in the first half. The Warriors finished with 85 yards offense, including 24 rushing yards on 30 carries.

Alton controlled the point of attack with linebackers Charles Miller, Izeal Terrell and Terry Walker hawking the football behind a line rotation of Brown, Kyle Hughes, Teiji Walker, Donovan Porter, Tristan Underwood, Michael Green and Armonte’ Miller.

“Our linebackers and D-line, we were able to get some penetration and cause a little havoc back there,” Dickerson said. “We know we’ve got some athletes. We’ve been waiting for them to step up and make some big plays and they definitely did tonight.”

Walker made the unit’s biggest play, pulling off his rush and intercepting Granite QB Freddy Edwards’ screen pass and returning it 30 yards for a TD and a 28-0 lead late in the first quarter.

“I stepped back and reached my hands up and it was just there,” Walker said. “When I caught the ball, I was just thinking, run to the end zone. It was great.”

Great summed up the night for the Redbirds, who improved to 5-3 and unofficially clinched a playoff berth for the second straight season. The playoff points – total victories by teams on your schedule – are projecting at 37 for the cut to advance and Alton’s current 40 figures to rise as high as 46 by the time postseason pairings are released Saturday.

“It’s big for us to go the playoffs, second time in a row,” Walker said. “We lost a lot of big keys from last year, but we’ve got players that can fill in and do what is asked of them.”

Alton will close the regular season back home Friday against Southwestern Conference champion East St. Louis. The 6-2 Flyers’ two losses came against powerhouses from Michigan and Ohio. An Alton upset could force East Side to share the SWC title with Edwardsville.

“It’s going to take a big week of practice,” said Terrell, who is committed to Southeast Missouri. “Stay focused, go into film, learn some stuff and then come out Friday ready to play. … We’re going to the playoffs and it’s exciting. But we still have more to fight for.”

Granite City’s playoff fight goes to Galesburg and a Week 9 clash with a 1-7 Silver Streaks team added to the schedule after the Warriors opted to flee the SWC. Granite is 4-4 and must beat the Streaks to get playoff eligible at 5-4 with playoff points that project at 40.

“We’re going to be a desperate football team,” Granite coach Brad Hasquin said. “We’ll try to do what it takes to win a football game. But it’s all there for us to take. We’ve got to take a 3 ½ hour trip to Galesburg and be focused. Our one job to do is win a football game.”

The Warriors, who last made postseason in 2011, are hoping to have Edwards back at QB after he left with a hit to the head early in the second quarter and Alton leading 35-3. Edwards, a dual-threat junior, came in at 1,037 passing yards with nine TDs and one interception, while averaging 9.6 yards per carry on 1,147 rushing yards.

Edwards left Friday with 10 yards on four rushes and was 0-for-5 passing with an interception. It was the level of play from the Redbirds that Dickerson had been waiting for.

“I knew that we were just misfiring here and there on both offensively and defensively,” Dickerson said. “Tonight, it kind of felt like we put everything together.”

Operating behind a front five of seniors Green and Porter, juniors Kyle Hughes and Jayme Copeland, and sophomore Underwood, Alton’s offense piled up 360 of its 393 yards offense by halftime.

After his one-play, 56-yard scoring drive to open the game, Johnson answered with a two-play, 72-yard scoring drive before other Redbirds offensive weapons joined the onslaught. QB Drew Jones had TD throws of 7 yards to Walker and 4 yards to Lonnie Tate while completing 6 of 8 passes for 123 yards. Ahmad Sanders had a 54-yard reception and Moory Woods had a 42-yard reception.

“We had a good week of practice, the boys were focused, we knew what was at stake in this game,” Dickerson said. “We came out ready and executed really well.”

The rout of Granite marked a goal achieved with playoffs all but guaranteed, but East Side became the Redbirds’ focus by Saturday morning.

“Nothing’s over,” said Dickerson, whose team has won three in a row. “We’ve got Week 9. But it’s a good feeling to have. The boys are excited, they’ve worked hard. Definitely some ups and downs this year, but to finish out the last three games the way we have is pretty positive.”

Redbirds lead 45-3 at half, rock Granite to get playoff eligible

Greg Shashack, gshashack@thetelegraph.com

 Published 10:32 pm CDT, Friday, October 12, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

Alton QB Drew Jones completed 6 of 8 passes for 123 yards and two TDs — all in the first half — in the Redbirds 45-9 victory over Granite City on Friday night in Alton. The Redbirds led 45-3 at halftime.

ALTON – The Alton Redbirds produced three touchdowns from their first nine offensive plays to stagger the Granite City Warriors on Friday night.

The Redbirds defense then landed a knockout punch with linebacker Terry Walker’s interception and 30-yard return for another TD.

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“It was like a train,” Walker said. “We just kept on rolling.”

The Redbirds’ 28-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the first quarter grew to 45-3 by halftime and Alton finished off the Warriors 45-9 under a running clock in the second half at Public School Stadium.

“It was really fun flying around playing,” Alton linebacker Izeal Terrell said. “We just played and it just happened. It was fun.”

With the fifth win needed to become playoff eligible at stake for both teams, the Redbirds overwhelmed the Warriors to improve to 5-3 with East St. Louis visiting Alton next week. Granite City takes a 4-4 record to Galesburg.

“Give credit to Alton,” Granite coach Brad Hasquin said. “They’re a good football program, a good football team. They came out ready to play. It’s on me that we weren’t ready to play.”

The Warriors came in averaging 276 yards rushing and 37.4 points per game, but were stuffed by the Redbirds defense. Granite finished with 24 rushing yards on 30 carries.

“The defense played super good today,” Walker said. “I’m really proud of these guys. We stepped up and played our game and executed well.”

By halftime when the outcome was decided, the Warriors had run 29 plays for 26 yards. Granite was 0 of 8 through the air, while Alton amassed 360 yards offense in the first half. The Warriors’ only two first downs in the half came via penalty.

“We’re disappointed,” Hasquin said. “We laid an egg.”

Alton scored on its first play with Tim Johnson racing up the middle untouched for a 56-yard TD run. After another three-and-out for Granite, Johnson came back on the same play calls for a 43-yard gain and a 29-yard TD run to make it 14-0.

Three Redbirds plays, 128 rushing yards for Johnson, who would finish with 194 yards and three TDs on 13 first-half carries. Alton quarterback Drew Jones completed 6 of 8 passes for 123 yards and TD throws of 7 yards to Walker and 4 yards to Lonnie Tate. Jones also connected on pass plays of 54 yards to Ahmad Sanders and 42 yards to Moory Woods.

An 80-yard kick return by Jerry Watson set Granite up at the Alton 12-yard line after Walker’s pick six made it 28-0. And after Warriors quarterback Freddy Edwards ran for nine yards, he was thrown for a 9-yard loss, Watson lost 2 yards and Granite had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Chase Reeves.

But the Redbirds answered with two more TDs before getting the ball back again at their own 23 with 35 seconds left in the second quarter. Jones’ bomb to Sanders put Alton in the red zone and Jake Lombardi, who converted 6 of 6 PATs, drilled a 35-yard field goal on second down with 11 seconds left in the half to put the Redbirds up 45-3 and trigger the running clock that comes with a 40-point lead.

The third quarter passed with just 12 plays and reserves settled the second half with no scoring until Granite backup QB Alex Bonvicino hit Justin Wiley for a 38-yard TD pass with 18 seconds left in the game.

Edwards, who came in with more than 1,000 yards rushing and 1,000 yards passing, left the game after getting hit in the head early in the second quarter with Alton up 35-3. He would not return, but Hasquin expects him back next week.

“We were already in a hole at that point,” Hasquin said of Edwards’ injury. “That didn’t make it any easier.

Redbirds find survival mode to be a good fit

Alton beats O’Fallon to stay in playoff hunt

Louie Korac For The Telegraph

 Published 8:18 am CDT, Monday, October 8, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack / The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton wide receiver Ahmad Sanders shakes the tackle attempt by Collinsville’s Jake Holten (4) at the 5-yard line and goes in for a TD in a Redbirds’ SWC victory Sept. 8 in Collinsville. The Redbirds picked

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O’FALLON — What will begin for those that have gained entry into the Illinois High School Association football playoffs in three weeks started for the Alton Redbirds last week.

It’s called playoff survival mode, and the Redbirds have been in full swing since their 21-9 win over Belleville East a week ago, and it carried over to a more convincing 49-17 win at O’Fallon to put Alton (4-3 overall, 3-2 in the Southwestern Conference) on the cusp of back-to-back playoff seasons for the first time since Joe Hook guided the Redbirds to six straight trips to the playoffs from 2001-06.

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Alton won two straight games in Weeks 2-3 over Quincy (41-37) and Collinsville (35-6) that got them to 2-1 before losses to Belleville West (52-21) and Edwardsville (35-12) to leave them at 2-3 on the season. Two wins in a row again puts them within one win of becoming playoff-eligible.

Alton, which finished 3-1 on the road this season, closes with home games against Granite City and East St. Louis, which will be a daunting task.

“We just try to take one week at a time,” said Alton senior wideout/linebacker Terrance Walker, who caught seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. “We know we’ve got to win every game going up until Week 10, so we’re just trying to get it done every week, focus on one game at a time.”

Alton coach Eric Dickerson got a balanced performance from his offense (288 yards through the air, 191 on the ground running the football) and a defense that gave up a couple chunks of yardage but one that intercepted O’Fallon quarterback Christian Curtis three times, sacked him another four times, stopped the Panthers (1-6, 0-5) on downs in the red zone and held O’Fallon to 262 yards of total offense, including just 105 on the ground (three yards per rush).

Part of the tone-setting performance included a 33-yard interception return for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage from senior linebacker Charles Miller.

And then when the offense gets clicking, with no turnovers, chances are the Redbirds are going to be on the winning side of things.

“When we execute, we’re really dangerous,” said Walker, who caught touchdown passes of 55 and 67 yards from Andrew Jones.

Both the Redbirds and Warriors will head into their matchup on Friday at Public School Stadium needing just one win to be playoff-eligible after Granite City knocked off previously unbeaten Breese Mater Dei 39-27.

Knowing it will face the tough Flyers in Week 9, it’s a win-and-they’re-in mindset for the Redbirds this week, who don’t want to face the notion of having to beat East St. Louis.

“You’re sitting there and you know what you’ve got to get,” Dickerson said. “We can’t look too far ahead. We have to take it one week at a time. I think we’ve put ourselves in a good position and we’ll get ready and go battle Friday.

“I hope we can get it done. These kids are believing and they’re getting excited.”

Alton coach says Redbirds will have to make strong finish happen

Dickerson: Redbirds will haveto make a strong finish happen

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 Updated 9:42 pm CDT, Saturday, September 29, 2018

Photo:

Billy Hurst | For The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s head coach Eric Dickerson speaks to his team during Friday night’s game against Belleville East at Public School Stadium.

ALTON —The defense never rests against the run for Eric Dickerson’s Alton High Redbirds, it seems.

Friday’s 21-9 victory over Belleville East is the latest example.

“The defense played a great game, I thought,” said Dickerson, the Alton coach. “It took awhile for us to get going on offense and we made some mistakes doing that, but the defense stepped up and did a really good job.”

The Redbirds held East to 51 yards rushing in Friday’s Southwestern conference victory. It was a win Alton needed to keep its playoff hopes alive. Alton is 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Southwestern Conference.

While Alton did shut down the Lancers’ running game, the East passing game was a different story with Kienen Waller going 18 of 32 for 215 yards and a touchdown.

“East has a good team,” Dickerson said. “In this conference, records aren’t always the only thing you look at. They have played well against some really tough teams.”

The Redbirds finally got their offense untracked late in the second quarter when quarterback Drew Jones hit Lonnie Tate with a 10-yard touchdown pass down the middle on second-and-goal with only 42.2 seconds remaining until halftime.

Alton made it 14-3 in the third quarter. A 22-yard run by Tim Johnson helped set up a 30-yard touchdown pass from Jones to Terrance Walker with 9:11 remaining in the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter the Redbirds drove the ball from their own 30-yard line to the end zone in 13 plays on a drive that ate up time and ended when Jones scored after bobbling the snap from center. He picked up the ball and scored from a yard out. The PAT kick made it 21-34 with 5:59 left.

“Drew is really coming along,” Dickerson said of his junior quarterback. “He made strides last year as a sophomore and is doing a good job this year.”

Jones completed 15 of 21 passes for 227 yards Friday.

“We had some really good scoring chances in the first half before we finally scored,” Dickerson said. “We had some snap problems and made some other mistakes.”

“We say we take our games one at a time, Dickerson said “and we do. But if we want to get back to playoffs this was one we pretty much had to have.”

If the Redbirds want to emulate last season’s postseason bid, they’ll need to win at least two of their final three games. Alton plays at O’Fallon next Friday, then plays host to Granite City Oct. 12 before ending the regular season Oct. 19 against East St. Louis.

Last season, Alton sat at 3-3 and 2-2 at this same juncture of the season and went 2-1 its last three games, made the Class 7A playoffs and advanced to the second round and played host to a playoff game at Public School Stadium.

The Redbirds beat O’Fallon 50-20, defeated Granite City 56-14 and fell to East St. Louis 22-19. And while Dickerson acknowledges the similarity of his team’s current position, he said don’t put much stock in the notion that history will automatically repeat itself.

“Last year was last year,” he said. “This is a different team and the other teams are different. I think we definitely have a shot, but it’s something we have to make happen, it just doesn’t happen by itself.

West dumps Redbirds in three-hour-plus marathon

Louie Korac For The Telegraph

 Updated 8:27 am CDT, Saturday, September 15, 2018

Photo:

Telegraph Photo

Alton coach Eric Dickerson’s Redbirds dropped a 52-21 decision to Belleville West at Public School Stadium in a Southwestern Conference game that took three hours and 12 minutes to complete.

ALTON — A chance to make a statement against an undefeated conference opponent went by the wayside for the Alton Redbirds on Friday night.

And it took only 28 seconds for it to slip away late in the first half.

Belleville West scored three touchdowns in a 28-second span, including and 86-yard touchdown pass, a fumble recovery in the end zone and a 19-yard touchdown pass after another Alton fumble and went on to a 52-21 win in Southwestern Conference play at Public School Stadium.

I a game that lasted 3 hours, 12 minutes, finished at 10:12 p.m. and was marred by an officiating crew that flagged the teams a combined 25 penalties (13 on the Maroons) for 198 yards, Belleville West (4-0, 2-0) turned a 21-7 lead into 42-7 by scoring with 1:48 remaining in the second, then again with 1:34 left and then with 1:20 left.

All the scores came after Alton (2-2, 1-1) had a chance to make it a 21-14 game but was stopped on downs at the Maroon 14.

“It was a minute and 30 and we gave up three touchdowns,” Alton coach Eric Dickerson said. “I mean, that’s just hard to come back from, I don’t care who you’re playing. An 86-yard touchdown pass, a fumble recovered for a touchdown and then a fumble on the next series inside your 10. That’s halted to overcome.”

West quarterback Jackson McCloskey found Dominic Lovett down the right sideline for the 86-yard score to make it 28-7. Then Jaylen McCray recovered a fumble in the end zone after Alton’s Andrew Jones and Tim Johnson mishandled a pitch to the left before Johnson fumbled again on the first play from scrimmage and McCloskey hit Will Lanxon from 19 yards out.

“You don’t put the ball on the ground like we did with the toss,” Dickerson said. “I dnt know if it’s a bad exchange or what happened but just can’t put the ball on the ground.”

Alton fought back and got a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by Terrance Walker with 1:06 left in the half, and Jones, who threw for 281 yards with two touchdowns but was picked off twice, found Moory Woods for a 61-yard touchdown with 6:23 left in the third to make it 42-21 but the Redbirds couldn’t get any closer.

West running back DJ Johnson, who rushed for two TD’s, ran it 35 times for 174 yards.

“That defense of theirs, they’re aggressive,” Dickerson said of the Maroons. “They fly around and they get to the ball, but when you’re down as much as we were, that’s a big hill to overcome. It’s a testament to our kids though. They fought and they never gave up and they battled. You just move on.”

Redbirds following familiar script

A rerun performancewould be OK with AHS

Louie Korac For The Telegraph

 Published 4:25 pm CDT, Monday, September 10, 2018

Photo:

Greg Shashack | The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 4

Collinsville’s Drew Doyle takes down Alton’s Terrance Walker (8) after a big gain in the Redbirds’ 35-6 Southwestern Conference football victory over the Kahoks on Saturday afternoon in Collinsville.

... more

COLLINSVILLE — Eric Dickerson has heard the script a time or 10.

The Alton Redbirds football team has followed a familiar path to last season through three weeks of action:

Lose to Highland in the season-opener, then win two games and use them as a springboard to what ultimately led the Redbirds to the postseason last year for the first time since 2006.

“That’s what they say,” Dickerson said after Alton beat Collinsville 35-6 on Saturday in the completion of a suspended game to move to 2-1 on the season and 1-0 in Southwestern Conference play.

Alton, which was shut out by the highly-touted Bulldogs 21-0 in its opener, went on the road and won a thrilling 41-37 game at Quincy last week in a tough venue (Flinn Stadium) before impressively putting together an effort spanning two days because of weather to dispose of the Kahoks (1-2, 0-1).

“Two in a row, a big win in Quincy and to come back and start a game on Friday and finish on Saturday and win, it’s a great start to our season,” Dickerson said. “But you know, it’s not defined on three games, so we’ll enjoy this win tonight and get ready for our next opponent.”

For Alton linebacker Izeal Terrell, who scored on a 1-yard plunge in the fourth quarter Saturday to seal the win, it’s a fun time to be around Redbird football these days.

Terrell, a senior, went through some lean years his freshman and sophomore seasons, winning only one game in two years.

Seems like an eternity ago after Alton went 6-5 last season and reached the second round of the state playoffs.

“I feel like there’s a lot more positivity and it’s a lot more fun to be around and to watch and play,” Terrell, committed to Southeast Missouri State, said. “Our crowd is great. We just enjoy playing. It’s really fun now.

“We want to build on what happened last year. I feel like we can do better, we have a good team and I feel like we didn’t lose a lot. I feel like we can do it. We felt confident coming into the season because we worked our butts off in the weight room this summer. I feel like it’s paying off and we could tell in a game like today.”

Sophomore running back Tim Johnson carried the load against Collinsville, going for 233 yards on 29 carries; he said with each passing game, the Redbirds, who host Belleville West on Friday, are growing with confidence.

“We’re getting confident,” Johnson said. “I feel like we’ll do real good this season actually. We’ve just got to go out and work hard.”

Alton led 7-0 when the game was suspended Friday because of lightning, and when it resumed Saturday afternoon, the Redbirds scored on the first play when the Kahoks botched the snap on the punt and sophomore Tristan Underwood recovered the ball for a touchdown. And when the Redbirds’ defense stiffened up and thwarted any momentum shift at the end of the half by keeping Collinsville from scoring to make it a one-score game, it was downhill from there.

But first-year Collinsville coach, and former Bunker Hill coach (2007-08), Mike Popovich wasn’t buying into that the game was won or lost there.

“That team hung 70 on our kids last year,” Popovich said, “so for us to come back and face the adversity and be resilient, I’m proud of them.”

What Alton wants to clean up heading into a matchup with West (3-0, 1-0), which is averaging 39 points per game through three games, is its kick coverage game and penalties. The Redbirds were flagged 12 times for 115 yards.

“Kick return, we need our kickoff (coverage) to shore some things up on there,” Dickerson said. “They got us on that reverse. Field position change, they flipped that on us a couple times too. We’ve got to take a look at that. I’m sure we’ll fix that up this week and be ready to go.”

Johnson stars with 227 yards, Alton romps past Kahoks 35-6 Saturday

by Brent Feeney

published September 9 2018 2:19 PM

updated September 9 2018 2:35 PM

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COLLINSVILLE – It took a bit longer than what Alton might have liked, but the Redbirds won their Southwestern Conference football opener over Collinsville Saturday afternoon.

Alton shook off Friday night’s suspension of their game against the Kahoks because of stormy weather produced by the remnants of Tropical Storm Gordon and went on to post a 35-6 victory over Collinsville at Kahok Stadium to go to 2-1 on the season, 1-0 in the SWC, thanks to some big plays on both sides of the ball; Collinsville, playing their final football season in the league, fell to 1-2 overall, 0-1 in the SWC.

“It was spread out over a couple of days, but a win’s a win and we’ll take it,” said Redbird coach Eric Dickerson. “You can’t fight Mother Nature and if she wants that game to be stalled, she has that power.”

The Redbird offense was certainly hitting on all cylinders; sophomore running back Tim Johnson ran for 227 yards for the game, 170 of them coming before the game was suspended Friday night. “Our offensive line does a great job of creating holes and Tim followed them,” Dickerson said. “It was a tough battle; Collinsville fought to the end but our kids weren’t going to give up – there was a lot of adversity out there, a lot of penalties that went against us, but they were able to stick through it and fight through it.”

On the first play of the game following the resumption from the suspension, the snap on a punt attempt by Collinsville got away and the ball bounced into the end zone, where Alton’s Tristan Underwood fell on the ball to give the Redbirds a quick 14-0 lead – they held a 7-0 lead at the point of suspension Friday night – and some momentum.

“That was quite a start today,” Dickerson said of the fumbled snap that led to the sudden touchdown. “We were able to use that and build off of that; out offense was clicking and the defense stepped up.”

What happened at the resumption was Kahok coach Mike Popovich’s worst nightmare come true, he said. “I think that was my nightmare,” Popovich said. “I think that was what I stayed up thinking about, what can not happen on that first play; we wanted to change the field position game. Last night, we went into spread punt with our quarterback (Chris Chi) – we had our kicker back this week and we’ve got a Division I long-snapper; it was just a perfect storm – it happens.

“I was proud of our kids for how they rebounded from that – between that and everything that happened after that when it dominoed, and for us to continue to battle, I was proud of them. It is what it is.”

Alton had struck first blood during Friday night’s portion of the game when Terrance Walker took a Andrew Jones handoff and took off for a 26-yard touchdown run on the Redbirds’ first drive of the game; Alton had gotten close twice more but couldn’t get it the ball over the goal line before Friday’s suspension; once Underwood pounced on the loose ball at the resumption to put the Redbirds ahead, there was no looking back; AHS had a 14-0 lead at halftime and expanded it to 21-0 quickly after the start of the third quarter when Lonnie Tate took a short pass from Jones, found an opening and took it 42 yards to the end zone to expand the lead.

Collinsville answered when Chi called his own number and took off for a 38-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 21-6 when the convert attempt failed, but Jones countered that right away when he capped off a Redbird drive with a 3-yard touchdown burst that made it 28-6 following the Jake Lombardi conversion. The final score of the day came when Izeal Terrell took a Jones handoff and crashed in from a yard out.

“We did well on offense, defense and special teams,” Dickerson said. “It’s a good team win and a great victory for us, a great way to start the conference (schedule) for us.”

The Redbirds return to Public School Stadium for a 7 p.m. Friday league clash with Belleville West, who defeated Fort Zumwalt West 28-10 on the road in a Thursday night game, while the Kahoks head to O’Fallon for a league game, also at 7 p.m. Friday.

Feeney, 56, is a native of Granite City and graduated from Granite City South in 1978. He was a part-time writer for the old Granite City Journal from 1979-84 before attending Eastern Illinois University in Charleston,
from which he earned his BA in journalism in 1988. He has worked for newspapers in Sikeston, Mo., Rocky Mount, N.C., Seneca, S.C. and in Charleston-Mattoon. He also worked for the old St. Clair County Suburban
Journals.

Redbirds rally to win at Quincy 41-37

Matt Schuckman For The Telegraph

 Published 12:37 am CDT, Saturday, September 1, 2018

Photo:

Jake Shane, Quincy Herald-Whig | For The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 3

Alton’s Ahmad Sanders evades a tackle by Quincy High’s Parker Stegeman Friday night at Flinn Stadium in Quincy |

QUINCY — A big-time player made a back-breaking play that could have led to a long ride home for the Alton football team Friday night.

Instead, the Redbirds responded with poise and maturity.

Quincy’s 14-point lead with 2:47 remaining in the first half Friday night morphed into a six-point deficit by the time the teams made it to the locker room. And the Redbirds made sure the Blue Devils never recovered.

Alton scored on the first possession of the second half and then made two critical defensive stands to preserve a 41-37 victory at Flinn Stadium. It is the first time the Blue Devils have lost at home to the Redbirds since 2007 and are now 35-6 at home in the last 10 years.

“We win at Flinn. That’s what we do,” Quincy coach Rick Little said. “We win here a lot. So to talk off the field with a … I don’t even like to say the L-word … but to walk off with that, it’s tough.”

On the flip side, it’s energizing for Alton.

“That first victory,” Alton coach Eric Dickerson said. “It never seems like that first victory is easy, but we got that. I think that gives us confidence in all phases.”

So does responding the way the Redbirds did.

The first play after Alton scored to make it 14-8 with 7:53 to go in the first half, QHS senior wingback Jirehl Brock hit an open seam in the middle of the field, juked three different defenders in the secondary and raced 61 yards for the third of his five touchdowns. He then caught the two-point conversion pass from Donovan Prost for a 22-8 lead.

Brock finished with 200 yards on 29 carries and caught three passes for 65 yards, while scoring all five of Quincy’s touchdowns.

“Wow,” Dickerson said. “There’s no doubt he’s a Division I running back.”

The collection of athletes Alton countered with changed the tide.

The Redbirds’ Ahmad Sanders returned the ensuing kickoff 52 yards to the Blue Devils’ 41-yard line. Alton got to the 11-yard line before QUincy’s defense tightened up, but on fourth and 5 from the 6, Sanders squirted to the 1-yard line for the first down before fumbling into the end zone. Lonnie Tate recovered it for a touchdown for the Redbirds, trimming the deficit to 22-14.

On the first play of the next drive, Quincy quarterback Donovan Prost fumbled as he ran toward the right sideline, and Alton’s Ju’Qui Womack recovered at the 16-yard line. Three plays later, Izeal Terrell scored on a 2-yard run as the Redbirds tied the game.

An interception thrown by Prost with 33 seconds remaining in the half gave Alton the ball again, and Redbirds quarterback Andrew Jones found Moory Woods deep over the middle for a 33-yard touchdown strike with one second left in the half. It put Alton up 28-22.

“It definitely gave us some momentum,” said Dickerson, who got 155 yards rushing from sophomore Tim Johnson and 249 yards passing from Jones. “That’s what we were looking for tonight. Our kids never stopped. They stayed the course and we had some good things happen to us. Momentum is a fickle thing, and it worked well for us in the first half.”

Little knew his team could regroup.

“The plan at halftime was simple,” Little said. “We told them we’re not a team that beats ourselves. We said, ‘Hang in there. Here’s the recipe. They’re going to get the ball. We’ve got to get a stop.’”

Alton drove 68 yards on the opening drive of the second half and capped it with a 26-yard touchdown reception by Terrance Walker for a 34-22 lead.

That’s when the Redbirds made the first of their two big defensive stands. The Blue Devils had first and goal from the 8-yard line and failed to score as Brock was stopped short of the goal line on third down from the 2-yard line and Prost was stopped on a quarterback sneak on fourth down.

Alton made it hurt when Sanders turned a short catch into an 84-yard touchdown four plays later.

“We knew at that point we had to make a play,” Little said.

Brock made two. He caught a 29-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the fourth quarter and then scored on a 1-yard run with 5:38 to go to make it a four-point game. Less than a minute later, Quincy’s Jack Rupert intercepted a pass at midfield to give the Blue Devils the ball with 4:40 to go.

“When the music plays in a movie, it’s a climactic moment,” Little said. “We got our stop, so let’s go score.”

He had every reason to believe they would.

“We hadn’t punted the whole game,” Little said. “We felt we were in a great position to capitalize.”

The Blue Devils reached the Redbirds’ 23-yard line with 1:30 to play, but an incompletion, a run that was a stuffed and a screen pass that never materialized left the Blue Devils facing fourth and 10 with 1:05 to go.

“Now it’s a one-down territory,” Little said.

Prost’s pass was incomplete, and Alton ran out the clock on its first victory of the season.

-

Alton 41, Quincy 37

ALT QHS

23 First downs 23

34-195 Rushes-yards 48-310

249 Passing yards 106

445 Total yards 416

11-21-1 Comp-Att-Int 6-12-1

8-85 Penalties-yards 6-40

3-0 Fumbles-lost 2-1

Alton 0 28 13 0—41

Quincy 7 15 0 15—37

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

Q—Jirehl Brock 16 pass from Donovan Prost (Devin Neally kick), 9:10

Second Quarter

Q—Brock 2 run (Neally kick), 10:16

A—Tim Johnson 10 run (Izeal Terrell run), 7:53

Q—Brock 61 run (Brock pass from Prost), 7:41

A—Lonnie Tate fumble recovery in end zone (kick failed), 2:37

A—Terrell 2 run (Terrance Walker pass from Andrew Jones), 1:33

A—Moory Woods 33 pass from Jones (run failed), :01

Third Quarter

A—Walker 26 pass from Jones (run failed), 7:54

A—Ahmad Sanders 84 pass from Jones (Jake Lombardi kick), :37.5

Fourth Quarter

Q—Brock 29 pass from Prost (Neally kick), 11:52

Q—Brock 1 run (Drake Tournear pass from Prost), 5:38

———

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING—Alton, Johnson 20-155, Sanders 6-15, Jones 5-14, Walker 2-9, Terrell 1-2; QHS, Brock 29-200, Adonte Crider 10-71, Garrett Drew 5-44, Prost 4-(minus 5).

PASSING—Alton, Jones 11-21-249-1; QHS, Prost 6-12-106-1.

RECEIVING—Alton, Sanders 5-132, Walker 3-51, Tate 2-33, Woods 1-33; QHS, Brock 3-65, Crider 1-21, Rod Rudd 1-15, Tournear 1-5.

Highland blanks Redbirds 21-0

The Telegraph

 Updated 12:12 am CDT, Saturday, August 25, 2018

Photo:

Nathan Woodside | The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 8

Alton senior wide receiver Ahmad Sanders puts a move on Highland’s Logan Chandler Friday .

The Alton Redbirds find themselves in a familiar position following a 21-0 loss to Highland Friday in the season opener at Public School Stadium.

Alton lost to the Bulldogs in last year’s opener as well, but went on the claim a 7A playoff berth. Alton coach Eric Dickerson said that while Highland deserved credit, his team’s mistakes are correctable.

“They’re a good team,” Dickerson said. “We just had too many turnovers, dropped passes. It was uncharacteristic of how we have been playing, but they are all things that can be fixed - and they will be fixed.”

Alton got 53 yards rushing from Tim Johnson and quarterback Andrew Jones was 15 of 28 for 136 yards.

We corrected things somewhat during the game,” Dickerson said. “We played pretty well defensively in the second half, but couldn’t get in rhythm on offense.”

2018 PREP FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Alton Redbirds

Pete Hayes, phayes@thetelegraph.com

 Published 12:31 pm CDT, Wednesday, August 22, 2018

Photo:

Pete Hayes | The Telegraph

IMAGE 1 OF 5

Alton High football coach Eric Dickerson gives advice to players during a summer weight room session at Alton High School.

GODFREY — For Eric Dickerson and his Alton Redbirds football team, there’s a double-edged sword to the magical ride of last season, which saw them advance to the playoffs and excite Alton High fans about football for the first time in many moons.

What do they do for an encore? Dickerson’s answer is simple:

“Keep in going.”

The Redbirds, who finsiished 6-5 overall, indeed look to keep things moving down the same road, one which led to a first-round playoff victory in Chicago and a Saturday afternoon to remember, albeit a loss, to Lincoln Way East in the second round at Public School Stadium.

Alton averaged 33.4 points per game last season and the 367 points scored are a single-season school record. Defensively, the Redbirds allowed 24.1 points a game after surrendering 40.1 in a winless 2016.

The Redbirds throttled Collinsville 70-0 and scored a least 50 points in Southwestern Conference routs of Belleville East (50-26), O’Fallon (50-20) and Granite City (56-14). Those victories in Weeks 6-8 accounted for Alton’s first three-game winning streak since 2006.

Perhaps even more reflective of progress for the Redbirds were hard-fought three-point losses to SWC powers Edwardsville (20-17) and East St. Louis (22-19). Dickerson was not in the market for moral victories, but those battles with the Tigers and Flyers were confidence builders.

“I think it was,” Dickerson said. “To be able to be competitive and be in every game – yes, it’s a loss – but we were able to take a lot of positives from that and build on it.”

Dickerson said the Redbirds started working on the 2018 season a day or two after that playoff defeat last fall.

“We have had a good summer, weight training, 7 vs 7, and team camps,” Dickerson said. “We’re returning a handful of starters on offense, Michael Green, Donovan Porter, and Jayme Copeland on the line.”

At the skill positions, the Redbirds will build around the trio of quarterback Andrew Jones, along with Terry Walker and wide receiver Ahmad Sanders.

“Jones, Walker and Sanders are a good place to start,” he said. “Plus, we’re looking at being very strong up front with some good athletes out wide.”

Last season, Jones completed 48 percent of his passes (41 of 86) for 647 yards and eight touchdowns and three interceptions. His quarterback rating was 94 percent.

Walker caught three passes for 80 yards and two touchdowns.

Lost to graduation are Jonathan Bumpers, who scored six touchdowns, as well as Kevin Caldwell, who scored seven.

In 2017, the Redbirds offense was simply too much for many of their opponents. They had victories in which they gave up 21, 26, 20 and 19 points. But in those same games, they put 48, 50, 50 and 70 points on the scoreboard themselves.

“We’re looking to improve on the defensive side of the ball,” Dickerson said. “The kids worked hard this summer and they’re getting very excited to begin the season.

“On defense Kyle Hughes returns on the defensive line, along with Izeal Terrell and Charles Miller at linebacker. Ju’Qui Womack and Ahmad Sanders bring some experience back in the secondary.”

Alton will begin the season Friday at 7 p.m. against Highland and will travel to Quincy Aug. 31 for a date with Quincy High. The Southwestern Conference season begins Sept. 7 at Collinsville. The Redbirds have SWC home dates against Belleville West, Belleville East, Granite City and finish the regular season at Public School Stadium against East St. Louis on Oct. 19.

Photo by Theo Tate

Photo by Theo Tate

Photo by Theo Tate

Photo by Theo Tate

Alton football coach Eric Dickerson attended the first practice session of 2018 on Monday by wearing a T-shirt that read in the back, “One team, one mission.”

The Redbirds' mission is return to the state playoffs for the second year in a row. Last year, Alton finished 6-5 after going 0-9 the year before. It also made its first state playoff berth since 2006 and won its first state playoff game since 1992.

The Redbirds beat Lincoln Park in Chicago in a Class 8A first-round playoff game before losing to Lincoln-Way West in the next round.

At exactly 3:10 p.m., Monday, more than 50 players started their four-hour practice under hot and humid conditions at the Alton practice field.

The other Riverbend schools – Marquette Catholic, Civic Memorial, East Alton-Wood River and Roxana – also had their first practices on Monday. Marquette and EA-WR also competed in the state playoffs in 2017, while Roxana and CM finished with losing seasons.

Dickerson returns for his fourth season as Alton coach. Last year, he celebrated his first winning season after having a combined one victory in his first two years.

Darrell Angleton is in his fourth season as Marquette coach. He coached the Explorers to state playoff appearances the last three years.

Garry Herron is back for his fourth season as EA-WR coach. He guided the Oilers to state playoff trips in each of the last two years.

Mike Parmentier is in his third season as Civic Memorial coach. His Eagles had one victory last fall after going 5-5 and competing in the Class 4A state playoffs the year before.

Wade DeVries takes over head coaching duties at Roxana, replacing Pat Keith, who is heading the Southwestern program.