An early look at St. Bede’s 2024 schedule

The St. Bede Bruins will embark on their second season in the Chicagoland Prairie Conference, but there will be some changes.

Three schools did not return to the league after its inaugural campaign – Elmwood Park, Ridgewood and Westmont.

The Bruins, which went 5-5 (4-3) last year, will be joined in the Chicagoland Prairie for Year 2 by holdovers Ottawa Marquette, Seneca, Walther Christian Academy and Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington.

There will be five new opponents on the Bruins’ schedule for 2024 - Tri-Valley, Eureka, Chillicothe IVC, Bloomington Central Catholic and Ottawa.

The meeting with Ottawa will be the Illinois Valley neighbors’ first since 1980. The Pirates own the all-time series record of 15-6-2, winning the last five games from 1976-80.

The St. Bede schedule will be one of streaks. The Bruins will play four straight weeks at home from Weeks 2-5 followed by three straight road trips in Weeks 6-8.

Here’s an early look at the Bruins’ 2024 schedule which kicks off Friday, Aug. 30, at Tri-Valley.

Friday, Aug. 30 - The Bruins will make the 78-mile trek to Downs for the season opener to face a Tri-Valley team coming off 10-1 season, not losing until the second round of the 2A playoffs against Willmington. Tri-Valley is a member of the Heart of Central Illinois Conference.

Friday, Sept. 6 - The Bruins will kick off their four-game home stand against Eureka, which is also a member of the Heart of Central Illinois Conference. The Hornets went 5-5 last year, falling in the first round to Lombard Montini in the 3A playoffs.

Friday, Sept. 13 - The conference opener brings Walther Christian to the St. Bede campus. The Broncos went 0-6 in the league, 0-8 overall, including a 54-0 setback at the hands of the Bruins.

Friday, Sept. 20 - The defending conference champion Seneca Irish will call on the Bruins at the Academy on Week 4. The Irish ran the table in the Chicagoland Prairie at 7-0, including a 79-35 shootout over the Bruins. Seneca finished 11-1, bowing out in overtime to Wilmington in the 2A quarterfinals.

Saturday, Sept. 28 - St. Bede will celebrate its 2024 homecoming game against Marquette, coach Jim Eustice’s alma mater, for a 1 p.m. Saturday matinee. The Crusaders went 7-3 (6-1) last year, including a 34-20 win over the Bruins.

Friday, Oct. 4 - The Bruins have picked up a one-year contract with Chillicothe IVC, assuming the Grey Ghosts’ previous deal with Aurora Central Catholic, and will make the Week 6 trip to Chillicothe. The Grey Ghosts went 1-8 a year ago, going 1-7 in the Illinois Prairie Conference.

Friday, Oct. 11 - The last conference game of the season sends the Bruins to Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington. The Trojans went 5-5 (4-3) last year, including a 31-28 loss at St. Bede.

Friday, Oct. 18 - The last stop on the road trip sends the Bruins to face perennial powerhouse Bloomington Central Catholic. The Saints marched to a 11-1 record last year, handed its first loss in the 2A quarterfinals.

Friday, Oct. 25 - Ottawa makes the trip to play St. Bede for the first time in 44 years to close out the regular season. The Pirates went 3-6 a year ago.

The 2024 Bruins schedule

* Denotes Chicagoland Prairie Conference game