East St. Louis has established itself as a program that you always have to look out for in the state playoffs.

There’s also a bit of mystery attached to the Flyers as they play significant games against prestige programs from outside of the state of Illinois for almost the majority of their game schedule.

You never know what you are going to get, but there’s a pretty significant chance that it’s going to be pretty darn good.

Their foe, Fenwick, is well aware of the mystique that the Flyers carry. But to the Friars’ credit, they don’t fear the Flyers and relish the opportunity they have to take on that challenge.

Here’s a closer look at the two teams squaring off in the Class 6A title game, which will get underway at 1 p.m. Saturday in Normal.

Fenwick (10-3)

Head coach: Matt Battaglia (42-20, 6 years)

Last title-game appearance: 2021, defeated Kankakee 34-15 (5A)

Path to state

• defeated Chicago Kennedy, 42-6

• defeated Rolling Meadows, 45-7

• defeated Burlington Central, 49-21

• defeated Nazareth, 28-27

Offensive stalwart

Jamen Williams, QB: Williams is capable of strapping the team’s offense on his back if need be, but more importantly he values ball possession throwing just two interceptions on 266 pass attempts.

Defensive stalwart

Tommy Thies, RB/DB: It isn’t the opponent’s best interest to test Thies from his secondary post and he’s stepped up into the box to make 90 tackles.

The wildcard

Noah Sur, K/P: Sur is one of the nation’s top high school kickers and it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to see him boot a successful field goal from beyond 50 yards.

Stat book

• Fenwick quarterbacks have completed 65% of their passes this season.

• The Friars have five different receivers who500-point have at least 200 receiving yards.

• Fenwick is just six points short of the 500-point barrier this season.

The skinny

Fenwick is testament to how you build a strong foundation to a program. Many thought the Friars would slip substantially with the loss of standout lineman Nate Marshall, who is now at Michigan. But the reality is the Friars might actually be better than they were before not lesser. Its postseason results which included slaying bracket dynamo Nazareth indicate Fenwick is playing its best football at exactly the right time.

East St. Louis (10-3)

Head coach: Darren Sunkett (234-67, 25th season)

Last State Title Game Appearance: 2024, defeated Geneva 48-28

Path to state

• defeated Plainfield East, 63-7

• defeated Chatham Glenwood, 53-14

• defeated Simeon, 49-0

• defeated St. Laurence, 50-7

Offensive stalwart

Myson Johnson-Cook, RB: The explosive runner didn’t even need 100 carries to clear the 1,000-yard barrier as he has 99 carries for 1,107 yards on the year.

Defense stalwart

James Bryant, LB: Bryant seems to find himself right in the thick of things more often than not and has dropped opponents behind the line of scrimmage 20 times this season.

The wildcard

Ahmad Coleman, RB: Coleman is an electric offensive player that needed just 64 carries to put up nearly 700 yards and 14 scores.

Stat book

• East St. Louis’ two quarterbacks have completed nearly 67% of their passes.

• The Flyers tend to look to make big plays downfield, but those downfield shots are with purpose as they’ve thrown just four interceptions all season.

• East St. Louis is averaging nearly 10 yards a carry on 268 rushes.

The skinny

East St. Louis might possess as much talent as anyone in the state on its roster, but the Flyers always seem to be chasing clean performances in state titles. Penalties have always been something of a problem for the Flyers, but the immense talent that they possess has a way of papering over those issues. There’s no doubting that a Flyer scoring opportunity looms around every corner but a team that can successfully keep the ball away from them for a decent stretch had the potential to frustrate them, but often not enough to beat them.

FND pick

East St. Louis 40, Fenwick 21