East St. Louis High School, the No. 1 ranked team in The Sporting News Midwest High School Football Top 25, will not take on a team out of Florida this coming week.
MORE: Midwest High School Football Top 25 rankings for Week 2
According to a report by the Post-Dispatch, Gadsden County has canceled the plan meeting between the two schools.
East St. Louis opened its season with a heartbreaking 22-21 loss to Bergen Catholic in New Jersey at the Battle at the Beach Classic. Bergen Catholic is ranked 13th in The Sporting News High School Football Top 25, moving up five spots after beating East St. Louis, who dropped out after being ranked 17th.
🚨UPDATE: The 2025 Gateway Scholars Football Classic is cancelled due to team changes.
— ESTL Schools 189 (@estl189) September 2, 2025
✅ Two games will still be played at Clyde C. Jordan Stadium on 9/6/25:
11am Girls Flag: Belleville East vs. ESTL Flyerettes
1:30pm Wheaton vs St. Francis
Tickets $5 at the gate. pic.twitter.com/RiZOyagI8M
The Jaguars were Class 2A state runners-up to Cocoa last season in the Florida High School Athletic Association playoffs. They lost their head coach, Russell Ellington, as he was suspended by the FHSAA along with several players over the summer.
Ellington took a job with Savannah State after winning 18 games over two seasons with Gadsden County.
Gadsden County has not played since an August 23 loss to Tiff County, 22-0.
The East St. Louis vs. Gadsden County game was expected to be the featured attraction at The Gateway Scholars Football Classic inside Clyde C. Jordan Stadium in East St. Louis.
The Flyers, meanwhile, will now have extra time to prepare for their meeting on Friday, September 12 with second-ranked Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas, Nevada. They finally compete in Illinois on Friday, September 19 at Alton in league play before making their home debut the following week vs. Belleville West.
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