High School Football

Lincoln-Way East standout quarterback Jonas Williams changed his commitment and is now planning to head to USC after his senior season with the Griffins in the fall.

Five NewsTribune-area football players to watch for the 2025 season.

St. Francis junior Zachary Washington got a special opportunity when Michigan State offered him. He got a chance to play with his former high school quarterback. Plus more recruiting notes on Mount Carmel's Claude Mpouma, Carmel's Trae Taylor and Brother Rice's King Liggins.

Here are five Herald-News area players to watch for the 2025 season.

Prairie Ridge senior Gavin Tinch, a 6-foot-4, 295-pound defensive lineman, signed a letter of intent Wednesday to play college football for Southern Illinois University.

Jacob Alexander, a defensive end, had 14 Division I offers, 13 from Power Four conferences, including Michigan before going with the first team to offer him the Illini.

Marist junior Rico Schrieber committed to Purdue on Monday and announced his decision Wednesday after an impressive visit over the weekend.

Sycamore's Carter York made his commitment to South Dakota State official at a ceremony Wednesday at Sycamore, while Thatcher Friedrichs formalized his commitment to North Central College.

Here is a list of CCL/ESCC football players who have committed to colleges at various levels and can sign their financial aid agreement or letters of intent starting on Wednesday.

Fenwick senior Jack Paris' patience and hard work paid off Monday when he announced his commitment to Illinois.

The Herald-News area is always full of outstanding football players. Here are five to keep an eye on in the 2025 season

Arthur Burden, a Three Rivers Mississippi All-Conference first-team linebacker, played a key role in helping the Tigers make the last three Class 3A quarterfinals. He led the Tigers' defense with 98 tackles.

Crystal Lake Central has a new head football coach in Matt MacCrindle, who replaces longtime coach Dirk Stanger. MacCrindle, a 2003 Central graduate, has been a longtime assistant coach for the Tigers.

Pat Swanson realized his dreams of becoming a head coach Friday when St. Laurence announced his hiring as the team's new coach.

After leading Woodstock North's football program to a school-record eight wins, including one in the playoffs, Matt Polnow has resigned as head coach.

Fieldcrest graduate and Cincinnati Bengals tight end Cam Grandy spoke with Shaw Media's Kevin Chlum about his rookie season.

More than four years since leaving McHenry to take over the football program at Stagg, Colt Nero has been named the Warriors' new head coach. Nero starred at Crystal Lake South and Minnesota State University Mankato.

The CCL/ESCC will lose plenty of talented players to graduation, but there's plenty of talent left to watch this fall. Here are 10 CCL/ESCC players to watch for the 2025 season.

Miles Osei informed the football program Saturday that he was leaving to take the vacant head coaching job at Evanston Township High School, an official from Kankakee told the Daily Journal Saturday evening.

Streator High School this week hired Jay Slone, a Bishop Mac, Valparaiso University and international former player, to become the Bulldogs' next head varsity football coach.

Former longtime Marian Central assistant coach Terry Stanger has been named to the IHSFCA Hall of Fame. In his 22 years as an assistant, he helped the Hurricanes win 202 games and four Class 2A state championships.

JJ Raffelson has been hired as the La Salle-Peru football coach. The former Western Illinois linebacker was an assistant for the Cavaliers the past two years.

McHenry Community High School District 156 board of education members on Tuesday approved the appointment of Colt Nero as McHenry’s head varsity football coach. Nero is a former football player at Crystal Lake South and head coach at Stagg High School.

Jim Eustice has been hired as Mendota football coach. He was the coach at St. Bede for the last 10 years.

For retiring Marquette football coach Tom Jobst, it was about the journey, not the wins.

Marist alumnus and Notre Dame offensive lineman Pat Coogan has provided a spark all season for the Fighting Irish with his viral pregame speeches. Now Coogan will try to provide once last spark when the Irish play Ohio State for the national championship on Monday in Atlanta.

Hall's Logan Larson was offered and accepted the head coaching position at Pleasant Plains, his alma mater on New Year’s Day. He is expected to be approved at the Pleasant Plains school board meeting on Monday, Jan. 27.

Hinsdale Central product Thomas Skokna didn’t see the field as a freshman, when the North Central won its second national title, and had four catches for 59 yards as a sophomore. But he led the Cardinals in receiving this year with 57 catches, including three in the Stagg Bowl.

Football players from Burlington Central, Harvard, Jacobs, Richmond-Burton and Woodstock were selected to compete in the 51st annual Illinois High School Shrine Game on June 21 at Illinois Wesleyan’s Tucci Stadium in Bloomington. 

Here is the 2024 Sauk Valley All-Area Football Team.

The stats don’t tell the whole story about Eli Davidson. They only scratch the surface as to how big an impact he had for thew Class 4A quarterfinalists. He is the 2024 Sauk Valley Media Football Player of the Year.

After one season at the helm, Hall head football coach Logan Larson has stepped down from his position.

All-State receiver Blaise LaVista announced his intention on Sunday to transfer to Lincoln-Way East from Libertyville and play his senior season for the Griffins. As a junior at Libertyville, LaVista totaled 60 receptions for 1,447 yards and 24 touchdowns for the 9-2 Wildcats.

Former Notre Dame and Buffalo Grove star Tom Zbikowski will come back home after a decorated career in football and other areas when he takes over as the new St. Patrick coach.

Charles Coleman found himself at a crossroads two years ago, unsure of his next stop. He just knew he wasn’t done with football. Two years after sitting out the 2022 season, Coleman on Sunday ran for a 66-yard touchdown in North Central's win in the DIII national championship.

Sterling High School graduate Lucas Austin announced on social media he is transferring to Virginia Tech to continue his football career. He attended West Virginia University as a freshman and has four years of eligibility remaining.

After a productive season at Central Michigan as a three-technique defensive tackle, former Marengo star Jonah Pace has transferred to Iowa for his final season of college eligibility.

Rock Falls football coach Kevin Parker resigned after six seasons with the program. Here is his statement to Sauk Valley Media.

With a handful of Illinois Valley-area products on the roster, North Central College football captured the NCAA Division III championship Sunday.

Nazareth's Gabe Kaminski led the Roadrunners to three straight state championships and broke an IHSA record along the way. He earned Friday Night Drive's 2024 Defensive Player of the Year.

Mount Carmel senior quarterback Jack Elliott overcame obstacles to help the Caravan win a third straight state championship. Elliott earned Elliott's 2024 Friday Night Drive Offensive Player of the Year honor.

Congrats to all of the players who made Friday Night Drive's 2024 Team of the Year

A look at the best football players in the NewsTribune area during the 2024 season.

Princeton senior Cade Odell is the 2024 NewsTribune Defensive Football Player of the Year after recording 74 tackles and helping the Tigers reach the Class 3A quarterfinals.

Princeton junior Casey Etheridge repeated as NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year after running for 1,706 yards and 25 touchdowns.

A three-time All-Illinois Central Eight Conference and Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Class 4A Academic All-Stater and two-time all-state first-teamer

Here is the 2024 Kane County Chronicle All-Area football team

After a senior season in which he had 84 catches, 1,617 yards and 26 total touchdowns while also leading Geneva to their first state championship game since 2008, senior wide receiver and Georgia commit Talyn Taylor is the 2024 Kane County Chronicle football Player of the Year.

Longtime assistant coach Ken Carlson has been named the head football coach at Marquette Academy.

Meet football's best of the best in The Herald-News coverage area