The Times Week 1 preview: 2024 season gets underway with rematches, new foes

Heart of Central Illinois Small

Meridian (0-0, 0-0) at Fieldcrest (0-0, 0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Veterans Park

About the Hawks: Macon Meridian went 2-7 last season (one of those wins a forfeit) and has just three triumphs over the past two seasons. The return of a pair of proven performers – Central Illinois All-Conference OL/LB Paul Ralston and QB Devin Leffler (1,271 yards, 11 touchdowns passing in 2023) – and the merger of the Central Illinois and Heart of Illinois conferences into an enrollment-based, two-division superleague has the Hawks realistically hoping for better in 2024. They’ll be getting a taste of what the HOIC side of the new league has to offer right off the bat in the Knights.

About the Knights: Fieldcrest had a remarkable turnaround season last fall, going from 1-8 to 4-5 and just missing the IHSA playoffs with a one-point loss to playoff qualifier Heyworth in Week 5 ultimately keeping them out. Head coach Nick Meyer’s Knights have reason to believe they’ll return to the promised land in 2024, chief among them the creation of the HOCI Small and the return of a number of last season’s top performers – including four-year starter RB/DB Eddie Lorton (927 yards last fall) and three-year starters such as FB/DL Jackson Hakes and OL/DLs Jordan Carey and Cooper Haugens. All five of Fieldcrest’s losses in 2023 came against eventual playoff teams.

Friday Night Drive pick: Fieldcrest

Nonconference

Streator (0-0) at Decatur Eisenhower (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bulldogs: Streator has a new head coach (Matt Cloe) for the first time since 2020 and a new starting quarterback (Isaiah Weibel) for the first time since 2021. The Bulldogs also have a new philosophy of trying to build a physical football team centered on line play, hard-nosed defense and a balanced offensive attack. How far along they are in that transformation will be on display Friday against a new opponent for Streator, which replaced its usual Week 1 game with East Peoria by adding Decatur Eisenhower, a 212-mile round trip. Some players to keep an eye on for the Bulldogs include the dual-threat Weibel, RB/DBs Anthony Mohr and Jordan Lukes, OL/DL Liam Martin and WR/DB Matt Williamson. There will be no preliminary game, with the JV contest moved to Monday in Streator.

About the Panthers: Eisenhower is coming off a 1-8 season and a 10th-place finish in the 11-team Central State Eight Conference in 2023. (The conference split into divisions this fall.) It was a season in which their average final score was a 53.6-11.6 defeat, with the Panthers piling up 46 of their 104 points in their lone victory – a 46-24 win over Springfield Lanphier in Week 4 that saw then-sophomore QB Garryon Henderson account for four total touchdowns. Henderson, like Weibel a runner as well as a thrower, returns as a captain this season looking to lead the Panthers to their first winning season since back-to-back Class 5A playoff years in 2015 and 2016. Eisenhower is the second largest opponent on Streator’s schedule, 211 students smaller than Ottawa and 205 larger than Streator.

Friday Night Drive pick: Streator

[ Streator season preview from Friday Night Drive ]

Aurora Christian (0-0) at Marquette (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Gould Stadium

About the Eagles: Aurora Christian – which handled the Crusaders 42-0 in last year’s season opener on its way to a sixth consecutive playoff berth and an eight-win season, the program’s most since 2018 – lost Class 1A all-state quarterback Owen Hampton to graduation, but does have a few cornerstones of last year’s success back. That includes OL/LB JT Anderson, WR/DB Jonan Miceli and TE/LB Dominic Klimpke. Junior Asa Johnson in the offseason looked to be in line to take over the starting QB duties for an offense that in 2023 averaged 34.5 points per game. The Eagles defense allowed only 15.3 per outing.

About the Crusaders: Marquette has been in the playoffs for the past 11 years under head coach Tom Jobst and intends to make it 12 this fall. Like last year, however, starting off 1-0 will be a challenge even with some key contributors back from 2023′s 7-3 squad. Those include junior QB Anthony Couch (508 yards passing last season), leading returning rusher Peyton Gutierrez (652 yards in ‘23) and third-year starting OL/DL Sam Mitre. After getting shut out by the Eagles last season, Marquette’s wing-T offense went on to average 33.6 points per outing in the Crusaders’ remaining eight contested games. This year’s Cru will be looking for a faster start.

Friday Night Drive pick: Aurora Christian

[ Marquette season preview from Friday Night Drive ]

Seneca (0-0) at Tremont (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday at Turks Field

About the Fighting Irish: Only three starters – TE/LB Casey Klicker, QB/DB Paxton Giertz and RB/LB Nick Grant – are back for a Seneca program that has put together back-to-back playoff berths, undefeated regular seasons and conference championships in both the Vermilion Valley Football Alliance North (2022) and the Chicagoland Prairie (2023). The cupboard isn’t bare, however, and the next group of Fighting Irish, many of whom saw ample on-the-field varsity time in lopsided games these past two seasons, is eager to keep Seneca’s good thing going. How quickly an almost entirely new offensive line jells will likely determine if Seneca can enjoy another special season.

About the Turks: Tremont suffered through a winless 2023, held to one score or less in its first eight games of the season and ultimately scoring just 40 points on the season. The advent of the enrollment-based Heart of Central Illinois Conference – in which Tremont is in the smaller half – and a roster that not only includes returners such as QB Brett Bane, WR-turned-RB Blaine Williams and OL/DL Ty Dykes, a transfer from Metamora already named a Turks captain, but a number of other upperclass athletes joining the program has Tremont optimistic the 2024 season will be a lot better.

Friday Night Drive pick: Seneca

[ Seneca season preview from Friday Night Drive ]

Sandwich (0-0) at Manteno (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Sandwich, which followed up an 0-9 season by forfeiting the entire 2022 campaign, was the Cinderella of the state last fall, going 6-3 in the regular season and making it all the way to Class 4A’s quarterfinals. The Indians won’t be surprising anyone this season, but they might not need to as they bring back a pair of 1,000-yard rushers (Simeion Harris and Nick Michalek), QB Brady Behringer, LB Jeffrey Ashley and their anchor in the trenches, OL/DL Tate Frieders. Head coach Kris Cassie has hinted the Indians may throw a little more out of their wing-T offense, and they may need to in this intriguing matchup.

About the Panthers: Sandwich won last season’s matchup 34-14, the first half of an 0-2 start against old old Interstate 8 Conference rivals now in the Kishwaukee River (Plano being the other one) that ultimately cost the Panthers a playoff spot when they finished the season 4-5. Aside from those opening two losses and end-of-season losses to Illinois Central Eight powerhouses Wilmington and Coal City, Manteno was awfully good, going 4-1. It brings back a significant number of starters – most notably RB/QB Niko Akiyama, QB Connor Harrod and Illinois State commit OL/DL Cooper Monk – in a bid to return to the playoffs after a rare in recent history three-year drought.

Friday Night Drive pick: Sandwich

[ Sandwich season preview from Friday Night Drive ]

Plano (0-0) at Ottawa (0-0)

When: 7:15 p.m. Friday at King Field

About the Reapers: Former Streator head coach Kyle Tutt was unexpectedly elevated to Plano’s head coaching position mid-summer and takes over a Reapers roster with a lot of turnover after a playoff-qualifying, 5-5 2023. At Streator, Tutt ran a possession-controlling short passing game with occasional home-run tries down the field; while Plano last season ran much of its offense through now-graduated star RB Waleed Johnson. QB/LB Kaiden Schimandle and FB/DL Kolten Schimandle are expected to be primary weapons in this fall’s Reapers attack. Plano will also be looking to replace much of a defense that surrendered 28 or more points only once in 2023, though the D-line looked promising throughout the summer offseason.

About the Pirates: Ottawa went 3-6 last season, the first of those six losses a 33-20 decision at the hands of Plano in Week 1 at Reaper Stadium. A junior-heavy team this fall, the Pirates are counting on last year’s experience translating to this year’s success. As the preseason drew to a close, head coach Chad Gross seemed to be on a path of starting the season alternating the speedy Weston Averkamp and strong-armed Mark Munson at quarterback. RB Archer Cechowicz and OL/DL Evan Paris are also key returners for the Pirates, who after this one have back-to-back visits to archrivals Streator in Week 2 and La Salle-Peru in Week 3. Improving on its 28.6 points allowed per game allowed last season will be a must. “You want to win every game, and the opening game is obviously one of those,” Gross said. “As a team if you can come out in that first game, play well and get a win, it can really set the tone in a way for the rest of the season.”

Friday Night Drive pick: Ottawa

[ Ottawa season preview from Friday Night Drive ]

8-Man Football Association

FCW (0-0) at West Prairie/Southeastern (0-0)

When: 7 p.m. Friday in Sciota

About the Falcons: An 8-3, Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoff team a year ago, Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland will be leaning heavily on a second straight large and talented senior class to do it again in 2024. QB/DB Seth Jones, WR/DB Connor Reed and I8FA All-State selection OL/DL Aydan Radke, last season’s top passer, wideout and lineman, respectively – return, as does big-legged kicker Connor Decker. The heart and soul of last year’s team – a running back corps featuring two 1,000-yard rushers – is, however, gone to Pomp and Circumstance. This matchup against a fellow 2023 playoff team should be a good litmus test for this year’s cauldron of Falcons.

About the Cyclones: West Prairie/Southeastern went 6-3 during last fall’s regular season, though only one of those wins – Week 8′s 26-20 edging of 5-4 River Ridge – came against a team that finished .500. The Cyclones were outscored a combined 112-12 in their other three matchups with winning teams. Three of their first four matchups and four of their first six this season are against 2023 I8FA playoff teams, including a second matchup with FCW at Woodland’s Wood Shed in Week 4, though the schedule seems to ease up quite a bit from there (their final three opponents went a combined 3-24 in 2023) if the Cyclones can get through the opening stretch in decent shape.

Friday Night Drive pick: FCW

[ FCW season preview from Friday Night Drive ]