The new Chicagoland Prairie Football League: Who’s in it, where did they come from and what to expect

While the fact there was something in the works was widely known, the sudden announcement last November that eight members of the Metro Suburban, Vermilion Valley, Three Rivers and independent ranks were leaving their current conference affiliations to form a new, football-only conference came as a surprise even to some of the schools forming it.

Now six months later with its first season on the horizon, Friday Night Drive takes a look at the eight teams – Seneca, St. Bede, Dwight, Elmwood Park, Marquette, Westmont, Walther Christian and Ridgewood – what conferences they’re coming from, how successful they’ve been and why they’ve joined forces as the Chicagoland Prairie Football League.

Dwight

Nickname: Trojans

2022 IHSA enrollment: 402.5 (co-op with Gardner-South Wilmington)

Conference history since 2000: Interstate 8 (2000-13), Sangamon Valley (2014-19), Vermilion Valley Football Alliance (2021-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 2-7

Playoff appearances (last): 7 (3A in 2018)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “Dwight had been in discussions for quite some time trying to find a better football conference ‘fit’ than the VVC, mainly due to the crossover games, which put us traveling two-plus hours each way and against much larger football schools. The Chicago Prairie League was created after several meetings discussing the dynamics of locations, size and ability. We feel that Dwight will have a better opportunity to compete with the new conference schools.” – Dwight athletic director Cathy Ferguson

“Aside from travel time, we will face some unfamiliar teams, which I feel can be a good thing. Our kids are excited about the new schedule and look forward to playing the schools up north that they’ve never seen before.” – Dwight head coach Luke Standiford

Elmwood Park

Nickname: Tigers

2022 IHSA enrollment: 957.5

Conference history since 2000: Suburban Prairie (2000-05), Metro Suburban (2006-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 1-8

Playoff appearances (last): 8 (5A in 2019)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? Like longtime league rival Ridgewood, Elmwood Park chose to seek out a new conference when the Metro Suburban began dissolving. Wheaton St. Francis, Aurora Central Catholic and IC Catholic are joining the CCL/ESCC, with five other members reading the tea leaves and announcing their intention to head to the Chicagoland Christian Conference, prompting Elmwood Park to move as well. Riverside-Brookfield was the last to find a new home, announcing in January its intention to join the Southland Conference. The Tigers, Class 5A playoff qualifiers in 2019, will be the largest school in the new Chicago Prairie Football League.

Marquette

Nickname: Crusaders

2022 IHSA enrollment: 163 (268.95 multiplied)

Conference history since 2000: Big Rivers (2000-11), Northeastern Athletic (2012-19), Independent (2020-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 9-2

Playoff appearances (last): 18 (1A in 2022)

State hardware: 3A state runner-up in 1984

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “It’s a good fit locally with three rivalry games against St. Bede, Seneca and Dwight – those games should have great crowds, a great atmosphere – and the other four teams up north should be a good draw too when they come here and we go there.

“This isn’t something that was just thought up and we went with it. It’s something that’s been in discussions for two years now, and not just by us. There’s a core of schools who have been speaking, not necessarily all eight that are in it, but it’s a few years in the making, and we’re happy with it.” – Marquette AD Todd Hopkins when the conference was announced

Ridgewood

Nickname: Rebels

2022 IHSA enrollment: 843.5

Conference history since 2000: Suburban Prairie (2000-05), Metro Suburban (2006-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 5-5

Playoff appearances (last): 14 (4A in 2022)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? Like longtime conference rival Elmwood Park, Ridgewood was forced to search for a new league when the Metro Suburban – a league both the Rebels and Tigers have been constant members of since 2006 – began falling apart. The hope is this new conference can offer similar stability. Ridgewood, which made the Class 4A playoffs last fall for its first venture into the postseason since 2017, will be the second-largest school in a Chicagoland Prairie Football League otherwise made up of Class 1A-3A schools.

St. Bede

Nickname: Bruins

2022 IHSA enrollment: 282 (465.30 multiplied)

Conference history since 2000: Big Rivers (2000-12), Three Rivers (2013-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 7-3

Playoff appearances (last): 18 (1A in 2022)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “[The moves to the Chicago Prairie in football and the Tri-County for other sports] provide St. Bede Academy with a nice mix of schools, both local and within the suburbs. We like the ‘fit’ from a competitive perspective, and it also allows us the opportunity to connect with our alumni residing in those areas.

“Additionally, we feel that these moves also provide us the opportunity to re-engage in ‘rivalry’-type games with several member schools of our new home.” – St. Bede Academy official statement when announcing its departing the Three Rivers for the Chicagoland Prairie in football and the Tri-County Conference in other sports

Seneca

Nickname: Fighting Irish

2022 IHSA enrollment: 428.5

Conference history since 2000: Interstate 8 (2000-17), Sangamon Valley (2018-20), Vermilion Valley Football Alliance (2021-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 10-1

Playoff appearances (last): 15 (3A in 2022)

State hardware: 2A state champion in 1990

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “We’re excited to prepare for a new conference. Although we were starting to develop some good rivalries in the Vermillion Valley Conference, it will be nice to be in a conference with some local opponents like Ottawa Marquette, St. Bede and Dwight. The north side of the conference offers some new opponents, which is always exciting to prepare for, as well as a former familiar opponent in Westmont, which we’ve had some great games with over the years.

“The new conference is going to give us some good opportunities to prepare for possible playoff opponents with perennial playoff teams in Ottawa Marquette and St. Bede, as well as some larger opponents with quality programs in Norridge Ridgewood and Elmwood Park.” – Seneca head coach Terry Maxwell

Walther Christian

Nickname: Broncos

2022 IHSA enrollment: 224.5 (370.43 multiplied)

Conference history since 2000: Private School League (2000-08), Independent (2009), Suburban Christian (2010-13), Metro Suburban (2014-17), Northeastern Athletic (2018-20), Independent (2021-22), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 0-9

Playoff appearances (last): 19 (4A in 2008 as Walther Lutheran)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “Last year alone we had two trips that were over three hours – Red Hill (in downstate Bridgeport), which was five hours, and Monmouth United, which was three hours – because it was either drive somewhere further and play someone about our size that isn’t a powerhouse right now or play a 5A/6A school like La Salle(-Peru) or St. Viator. …

“With this, there are schools down there and schools up here, all of us are roughly the same size, and we’ve played a lot of these people before anyway, even when we weren’t in a conference with them. It’s a good mix of teams, and if you end up with a team that’s decent, you have a chance to win enough games to be in the playoffs. We’re down right now, but we had a good number of kids last year who we hope are back.” – Walther Christian head coach Tim Eberhard

Westmont

Nickname: Sentinels

2022 IHSA enrollment: 375

Conference history since 2000: Suburban Prairie (2000-05), Interstate 8 (2006-17), Independent (2018), Metro Suburban (2019-2022), Chicagoland Prairie (2023- )

2022 season: 2-4 (played limited varsity schedule)

Playoff appearances (last): 2 (3A in 2006)

State hardware: none

Why form the Chicagoland Prairie? “Being one of the founding members of the Chicago Prairie Conference is a great opportunity for Westmont football to play like-size enrollment opponents. The majority of the time, we were the smallest team on the block. This way we feel we have a great opportunity to grow the football program and be more competitive on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons.

“Westmont is no stranger to traveling to the likes of Seneca and Dwight, and now to St Bede and Ottawa Marquette. We look forward to getting on the bus and going out to play the game the players love.” – Westmont head coach Tarshma Jackson