The undefeated Tiger football team has faced many challenges this season but none compare to the task that lies ahead. When the Tigers take the field Friday night at Belleville West, they will do so with a new signal caller.

After a hit to the knee against Belleville East, senior quarterback Riley Jones sustained multiple tears to his meniscus.

“All these years you have worked to get to the varsity level, then you get hurt the time it matters the most,” Jones said. “It’s not fun.”

After three years of training under EHS graduate Dan Marinko, Jones finally saw his chance under center and wasted no time.

Leading the Tigers to a 6-0 start, Jones is 24-40 for 380 yards in pass completion and has rushed for 333 yards, for second most on the team behind senior running back Jackson Morrissey.

“If [all] goes planned I should be back for the last conference game against Granite,” Jones said.

Stepping in to take the snaps for the Tigers will be 6-foot-4-inch junior, Brenden Dickmann.

“I have all the faith in the word in him,” Head Coach Matt Martin said. “Brenden’s a hard worker, he’s an observer, if there’s a guy that you’re going to have as a backup, that can prepare himself by watching, Brenden is one of those guys.”

Dickmann has spent the past two year training under quarterback Coach Jason Osborn, Marinko and Jones learning and preparing for the moment that has come quicker than he imagined.

“Learning from them has been a blessing,” Dickmann said. “They had so much experience and not only taught me what to do for each play, but also how to handle playing quarterback at the high school level.”

The last time the Tigers took the field was Sept. 25 against Belleville East. The Tigers defeated East St. Louis last week by forfeit due to the teachers strike happening in their district.

“As competitors you want to compete, anytime that gets taken away it’s frustrating,” Coach Martin said. “It’s out of our control, it’s out of East St. Louis’s control…we’re seeing the business side of education.”

The fifth ranked Tigers look to extend their undefeated season Friday against the 3-3 Belleville West Maroons. For Dickmann, taking over in the middle of the Tigers undefeated season brings an added pressure.

“Coming in during the middle of a season is a bit nerve racking,” Dickmann said. “The team has really helped out trying to take some stress off my shoulders but I personally just have to focus and play football.”