Explosive offense, tough-as-nails defense, special teams keys to Tigers massive playoff win
OSWEGO – Edwardsville was trailing at halftime of the IHSA Class 8A second-round playoff game at Oswego Saturday night.
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The Panthers' lead wasn't much – it was 14-10 – but it prompted the Tigers to make a few adjustments.
The adjustments set Edwardsville on track, and the Tigers did the rest as they came from behind to eliminate the previously undefeated Panthers 31-14 and advance to next weekend's quarterfinals, where they will meet Glen Ellyn Glenbard West, who eliminated fourth-seeded Homewood-Flossmoor 28-21 earlier in the day Saturday. 
Tiger coach Matt Martin credited EHS defensive coordinator Kelsey Pickering with making the adjustments that helped get the Tigers on their way. “Coach Pick made great adjustments at halftime,” Martin said. “Coach Pick is the hardest-working defensive coordinator; I'm so proud of him – he's grown so much over the years, but they were simple adjustments.
“They gave us some tough formations; he got us lined up right, we made some personnel changes that helped too, and that was all (Pickering).”
Brenden Dickmann had an outstanding game, going 10-of-13 passing for 155 yards and a touchdown and also having six carries for 49 yards, including a 29-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that gave Edwardsville the lead for the first time. “I thought Brenden did a great job executing the offense and throwing the ball,” Martin said.
But it wasn't just the effort from one player, Martin felt – it was a total team win. “I thought it was one of the best team wins we've had – special teams, offense and defense, just a great effort. They're a good football team – well-coached, their kids played hard, they're a class act.”
Edwardsville got the opening kickoff and drove downfield, but the drive stalled and Riley Patterson missed a 42-yard field goal try to give the Panthers the ball. Helped by a couple of penalties, Oswego scored first with 3:09 left in the opening term when Elliott Pipkin hauled in a 23-yard touchdown pass from Levi Olson to put the Panthers in front. The Tigers bided their time and countered when Patterson connected on a 22-yard field goal with 5:05 left in the second to pull EHS to 7-3.
The Panthers answered when Olson connected with Pipikin again, this time from 42 yards out on a catch-and-run with 3:11 left in the second to extend the lead to 14-3. When the Tigers got the ball again, they grinded out a drive that ended when Cyress Ahart scored from a yard out with 35 seconds to the long break to pull EHS to 14-10.
“I was proud of the kids,” Martin said. “We're on the road, good things weren't happening, they kept fighting, they didn't pout; that kind of swung the momentum going into halftime for us.”
On the drive that led to Dickmann's touchdown run, the Tigers lined up for a Patterson field-goal try and managed to draw the Panthers offside on fourth-and-four, enough to give them a first down and keep the drive going. “That was huge for us,” Martin said.
Dickmann's touchdown run ensued to put the Tigers up 17-14. “That was a big momentum-changer, especially after missing that field goal on the first drive,” Dickmann said. “It was a big help for the morale of the team.”
Dickmann then helped extend the lead to 24-14 when he found Dayleon Harris from 10 yards out with 3:04 left in the third term before Chris McCartney closed out the scoring when he found the end zone from 5 yards out with 4:04 left in the final quarter.
McCartney led the Tigers in rushing with 16 carries for 79 yards, while Ahart contributed 42 yards on 10 carries for EHS; Daval Torres had seven catches for 105 yards for Edwardsville. Drew White led the Panthers with 31 carries for 113 yards while Olson was 9-of-16 for 122 yards and two touchdowns but two interceptions at key moments for the Tigers; Pipkin had seven receptions for 123 yards and his two touchdowns.
The time and date for next weekend's quarterfinal game against the Hilltoppers will be announced Monday by the IHSA office.
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