Prior to the playoff days, the "big game" downstate was when the Belleville (now Belleville West) Maroons played the East St. Louis Flyers.  The game was played on Thanksgiving day and was one of the highlights of the school year.  It is the oldest rivalry downstate.  The intensity of the rivalry lives on, but has been lost in the playoff mania.  And of course the game is played the fourth week and is no longer the climax of a long season.  Good luck to both teams this year.  East St. Louis should win, but when these two schools are involved, an upset is always possible.