Edwardsville Hosts Belleville East in High Stakes Regional Flag Football Rematch
Two Southern Illinois rivals meet Wednesday at Edwardsville High School, with a sectional semifinal berth adding weight to their third matchup of the season.
EDWARDSVILLE — Edwardsville and Belleville East will meet for the third time this season in a girls flag football regional final at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at Edwardsville High School, with a sectional semifinal berth at stake.
Edwardsville coach Taylor Hay welcomed the matchup between two Southern Illinois teams after Belleville East defeated East St. Louis 24-5 in Monday’s second semifinal.
“I think that's the way it should be,” Hay said. “Two strong teams from Southern Illinois facing each other, so I love to see it. That means that we are showing that we're putting on for Southern Illinois, so I'm excited for that game on Wednesday.”
In their last meeting, the Tigers rallied to beat the Lancers 13-12 at Tiger Stadium on Sept. 24, 2026. Edwardsville scored on a touchdown and conversion catch with 1:55 left in regulation.
The regional winner will face either top-seeded Champaign Central or Peoria Richwoods in a sectional semifinal at 10 a.m. Saturday at Belleville East’s Charlie Woodford Field. The sectional final is scheduled for 5 p.m. Oct. 13, with the winner advancing to the state finals Oct. 16-17 at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park.
Hay said the local postseason sites will allow families and friends to continue supporting the team without the travel required last season.
“Last year, we had to drive three hours away for games over and over, so this is nice to have it here,” Hay said.
Dan Brannan also contributed to this story.
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Dan Brannan also contributed to this story
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