East St. Louis Ronnie Gomiller scored two touchdowns and posted 310 all-purpose yards in the Flyers’ win over Gainesville, Friday night. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
| NCAA Football | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gainesville (0-2) | 7 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
| #1 East St. Louis (2-1) | 5 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 24 |
EAST ST. LOUIS, IL — East St. Louis’ Ronnie Gomiller put on another spectacular show in the Flyers’ home debut, Friday night against Georgia powerhouse Gainesville High.
Gomiller scored two touchdowns and posted 310 all-purpose yards to lead East St. Louis to a 24-21 victory over the visiting Red Elephants.
“Coach had seen some things that their defense wasn’t adjusting to, so we made adjustments and got it done to get the (correct)ballplayer,” Gomiller said.
And that correct ballplayer for most of the night seemed to be Gomiller, who gave East Side its first lead on an 81-yard touchdown pass from teammate Reese Shanklin.
East St. Louis Ronnie Gomiller scored two touchdowns and posted 310 all-purpose yards in the Flyers’ win over Gainesville, Friday night. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Gainesville, which grabbed the initial lead early in the first quarter, re-took the lead on its next possession, when the Red Elephants drove 72 yards on 12 plays and capped it with a two-yard touchdown run by quarterback Kharim Hughley. That put Gainesville up 14-11.
But that lead didn’t last long. First, kicker Austin Wilkinson connected on a 34-yard field goal to tie the score at 14. Then, after a defensive stop, the Flyers scored just before halftime on a 25-yard pass from Shanklin to Gomiller.
Shanklin finished the night with 288 passing yards and the two touchdowns to Gomiller.
“You play these national schedules to get better, and I felt we got better this week,” East St. Louis head coach Darren Sunkett said. “This is one of those weeks where I thought we played all four quarters. Not just defense, but offense and special teams. We kept fighting and didn’t get behind early.”
East St. Louis defenders Elijah Hanberry (90) and Omari Hogan (19) chase after Gainesville QB Kharim Hughley during Friday’s game at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Gomiller, who took at snap at quarterback when Shanklin came out for a play, rushed three times for 10 yards, caught four passes for 160 yards, had 35 punt return yards, and finished with 105 kick return yards, which included nearly breaking one for a touchdown.
“He’s a really good player,” Gainesville head coach Santavious Bryant said. “He’s got a bright future. The kid can go. I’m happy for him and his future. We’ll be rooting for him from down in Georgia.”
Wilkinson added a 45-yard field goal — his third make of the night — early in the fourth quarter that put East Side up 24-14. Gainesville got close again, just two plays later, when Hughley broke free for a 24-yard score, which made it 24-21.
From there, both defenses stiffened. Gainesville did so, trying to keep the game close. While East Side did the same to try to put the game away.
East St. Louis RB Chris Jackson tries to break free from a Gainesville defender during Friday’s game at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
Eventually, the Flyers were able to shut the Red Elephants down and get the stops they needed to run out the clock and win the game.
“We needed this win bad,” East St. Louis junior linebacker Omari Hogan said. “We came up on top and fought through adversity, and I’m proud of my guys.”
Hogan led the East Side defense with nine tackles and a quarterback sack. Senior defensive back Raheem Floyd had seven tackles and an interception, which helped put the game away.
“I feel like once we come together as a defense, nobody can stop us,” Hogan said. “We’re the best defense in the nation. I’m proud of my guys. We stepped up.”
East St. Louis LB Omari Hogan makes a sack during Friday’s game against Gainesville at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium. (Photo: Thomas Grove)
East St. Louis (2-1), which now has two wins over nationally-ranked opponents this season and remains the No. 1-ranked team in the state of Illinois, will be back on the field and at home again, next Friday, September 11, when it will begin Southwestern Conference play against O’Fallon High.
The Panthers are 1-2 on the season, after losing their game against Troy (Mo.), 21-0, Friday night.
Kickoff for the East Side-O’Fallon game is set for 7 p.m., and the game will be streamed live on the NFHS Network.
SCORING SUMMARY
| Qtr | Time | Scoring Play | GA | ESL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 11:44 | GA – Doyle Morrison 68 yd pass from Kharim Hughley (PAT good) | 7 | 0 |
| 1st | 02:43 | ESL – Austin Wilkinson 38 yd field goal | 7 | 3 |
| 1st | 01:22 | ESL – safety | 7 | 5 |
| 2nd | 10:21 | ESL – Ronnie Gomiller 81 yd pass from Reese Shanklin (kick failed) | 7 | 11 |
| 2nd | 06:40 | GA – Kharim Hughley 2 yd run (PAT good) | 14 | 11 |
| 2nd | 04:23 | ESL – Austin Wilkinson 34 yd field goal | 14 | 14 |
| 2nd | 02:50 | ESL – Ronnie Gomiller 25 yd pass from Reese Shanklin (PAT good) | 14 | 21 |
| 4th | 10:59 | ESL – Austin Wilkinson 45 yd field goal | 14 | 24 |
| 4th | 10:39 | GA – Kharim Hughley 2 yd run (PAT good) | 21 | 24 |
2026 EAST ST. LOUIS FLYERS FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
| Date | Time | At | Opponent | Location | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 22, 2026 (Saturday) | 6 pm | Neutral | #1 Chicago Mount Carmel | Normal, IL | W, 42-23 (1-0) |
| August 28, 2026 (Friday) | 6 pm | Neutral | American Heritage (FL) | Fort Lauderdale, FL | L, 35-28 OT (1-1) |
| September 4, 2026 (Friday) | 7:30 pm | Home | Gainesville (GA) | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium | W, 24-21 (2-1) |
| September 11, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | O’Fallon* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium | |
| September 18, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Belleville East* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium | |
| September 25, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Edwardsville* | Edwardsville, IL | |
| October 2, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Belleville West* | Belleville, IL | |
| October 9, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Home | Alton* | Clyde C. Jordan Stadium | |
| October 16, 2026 (Friday) | 7 pm | Away | Naperville North | Naperville, IL |