East St. Louis Football Game Canceled by Florida's Gadsden County

The Flyers’ matchup with Gadsden County is called off, leaving the nationally ranked program idle until a Sept. 12 showdown with No. 3 Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas

No. 25 East St. Louis won't get its chance at a bounce-back win this week after Gadsden County (Fla.) canceled Friday night's game. / Bill Welt / USA TODAY NETWORK

The East St. Louis (Ill.) football team will have another week to think about rebounding from a season-opening loss.

The Flyers, ranked 25th in the High School on SI Power 25 national high school football rankings, were to have played in the nightcap of the annual Gateway Football Scholars Classic on their home field in Southern Illinois.

However, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, their game Friday night has been canceled by the Flyers' opponent, Gadsden County of Havana, Fla.

Gadsden County encountered uncertainty even before the season began when the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) suspended head coach Russell Ellington and eight players for one year for numerous violations.

The FHSAA also slapped the program with a one-year postseason ban and fined the school $21,500, according to the Post-Dispatch. Gadsden County, the Class 2A state runner-up last year, lost 22-0 to Tift County in its season opener on August 23. Following an appeal, the eight Gadsden County players were reinstated to play in 2025 but the other sanctions were not lifted.

East St. Louis is now off until it travels to Las Vegas to play No. 3 Bishop Gorman on Sept. 12.