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Edison's Entertainment Complex Male Athlete Of The Month: Reed Rusick Shows Optimism For Edwardsville Football Team

The Edwardsville tight end says the team’s mentality has changed from last year, creating belief that a strong finish is still possible.

Colin Feeney, Contributing Sports Writer

Sep 15, 2026 4:04 PM Sep 15, 2026 4:27 PM

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Reed Rusick.

EDWARDSVILLE - Reed Rusick is a 6-foot-3, 200-pound tight end for the Edwardsville High football team in 2026. Early in the season, Rusick expressed confidence the Tigers will finish with a solid season overall in 2026. Edwardsville, 1-3, hosts Granite City on Friday night, Sept. 18, 2026.

Edwardsville dominated Belleville East this past Friday, 27-0.

Rusick is an Edison's Entertainment Male Athlete of the Month for the Tigers.

Athlete of the Month is sponsored by

"I think our leadership's gotten better than last year," he said. "I think we want it more than last season. We need to go out not being scared of our opponents. The first three games were rough, but we're going to put our helmets down, and we're going to win."

The Tigers conclude the year with home games against 0-4 Granite City, East St. Louis on Sept. 25, O'Fallon on Oct. 2, then go on the road at Belleville West on Oct. 9 and at Collinsville on Oct. 16.

"Yeah, I'm excited," Rusick said of what remains in the season. "I'm excited to play Granite City, a new team in our part of the conference, but I'm excited to expand the division, break out, and see what the new teams in our conference can do."

Rusick's goals and ambitions for the season reflect high expectations for the Tigers.

"I think we're going to be a lot better with leadership, like I said earlier," Rusick said. "But I also think that our position groups have gotten a lot better; I think we have received better coaching than last year, so I think we're going to be a well-rounded team. I'm looking forward to it all. By the end, it's going to be a great season."

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