Fenwick shocks East St. Louis to win the 6A state title

NORMAL, Ill. — Fenwick brings Johnny Lattner’s Heisman Trophy out on the sidelines for some football games. It’s a reminder of the school’s football legacy.

Tuesday in the Class 6A state championship game, Fenwick junior Jake Thies put his name into Fenwick history right next to the former Notre Dame great.

Thies’ two big plays, a 74-yard TD run in the third quarter and an interception in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, were the key moments in the Friars’ 38-28 win against heavily favored East St. Louis at ISU’s Hancock Stadium.

“I was just trusting my speed,” Thies said. “I knew once I got into the open field they weren’t going to catch me. It was a good play call. Coaches saw something. I found the gap and burst through.”

East St. Louis (10-4) has not won as many state titles as Mount Carmel or Joliet Catholic, but the Flyers make up for that by being the state’s only national powerhouse.

Every season, East St. Louis travels the country and faces some of the best schools in the nation, including prep-school teams. The Flyers are always loaded with college prospects and this year’s team is no exception. But East St. Louis didn’t win any of those games this season and it did not face any major competition in the state playoffs.

The Friars (11-3) led 14-13 at halftime and scored first in the second half on a 15-yard TD pass from Jamen Williams to Cameron Garrett. The Flyers countered with a long drive resulting in a short TD run by Myson Johnson-Cook and picked up the two-point conversion to tie the score at 21.

The teams traded touchdowns and Noah Sur gave Fenwick the lead for good with a 31-yard field with 2:45 left. Thies’ interception just seconds later set up a three-yard TD run by Williams with 2:22 that put Fenwick ahead 38-28.. Williams’ teammates pushed the pile into the end zone.

“That was a big play,” Williams said. “I was going nuts. I blacked out, saying some very rated-R words. But in the end, these guys pushed me in.”

Williams was 8 of 14 for 155 yards with 2 TDs and one interception. He had 11 carries for 39 yards and a TD. Thies had nine carries for 100 yards and 2 TDs.

“Jake’s a great player,” Fenwick coach Matt Battaglia said. “Everyone saw it tonight. But it helps when you have a great team around you.

East St. Louis quarterback Reece Shanklin was 17 of 27 for 158 yards with two interceptions. The Flyers rushed for 354 yards. Johnson-Cook had 181 yards and one TD and Ahmad Coleman rushed for 102 yards.

“A ton of mental mistakes on our part,” East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett said. “Turnovers on our part. They took advantage of our mistakes and capitalized on them.”

Fenwick only previous state title was the Class 5A crown in 2021. East St. Louis has won 11 state titles, including last season’s 6A championship.