Quarterback Dean Williams Powers Edwardsville Past Belleville East 27-0
Cruz Lakatos helped lead a strong defensive effort as the Tigers blanked Belleville East and opened Southwestern Conference play with a decisive victory.
BELLEVILLE - Quarterback Dean Williams threw two first half touchdown passes, then ran in for a third himself as time expired in the first half, and the defense played very well as Edwardsville won its first game of the season with a comprehensive 27-0 triumph over Belleville East in a Southwestern Conference game Friday night, Sept. 11, 2026, at Charlie Woodford Field.
It was the second year in a row the Tigers won their SWC opener after starting off the regular season 0-3, while the Lancers fell to 1-3 after the loss, having come off a big win over Belleville Althoff Catholic the week before.
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Williams threw touchdown passes of 39 yards to Tucker Sanderson and 31 yards to Nolan Smith to give Edwardsville a 14-0 lead in the opening half, and made the play of the game on the final play of the first, half, fighting off a tackle by a Lancer defender and going into the end zone as the clock ran out, giving Edwardsville a 21-0 lead at the interval.
Williams later threw a five-yard scoring pass to Braylon Hill-Lomax late in the game to make the final 27-0 for Edwardsville.
The defense shined in the win, as linebacker Cruz Lakatos intercepted a pass to end an East drive in the second half, and also recovered a fumble to stop another drive.
Brandon Houston, Jr. and Wyatt Gibbs led Edwardsville's ground attack all night long against the Lancers.
Both the Tigers and Lancers are now 1-3 for the season, with Edwardsville hosting Granite City next Friday, and East going to East St. Louis for its week five game, also next Friday. Both games start at 7 p.m.
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