2025 IHSA football schedule release: The Times area’s top games to watch, week by week

With the release of the 2025 IHSA football schedules, here is a week-by-week look at the can’t-miss games across The Times coverage area.

Week 1: Marquette at Aurora Christian, 7 p.m., Aug. 29

This will be the fourth consecutive fall the Crusaders have opened up against the Eagles. Two of the previous three season-opening meetings were tight affairs, including last season’s 24-19 Marquette loss at Gould Stadium. Both teams, per usual, found themselves back in the playoffs by season’s end, and this one will be a quality first win for whoever comes out on top.

Another good one: Chicago Christian at Seneca, 7 p.m., Aug. 29

Week 2: Streator at Ottawa, 7:15 p.m., Sept. 5

The 104th meeting of the Route 23 Rivalry, the third-oldest high school football rivalry in Illinois, will take place at King Field. Both teams had disappointing 2024 campaigns – Streator finishing 3-6; the Pirates’ lone win coming over the Bulldogs 34-7 at Doug Dieken Stadium – but looking at the schedule this year both have realistic chances of starting 3-0 if things break right ... and, of course, they can win this one.

Another good one: Fieldcrest at El Paso-Gridley, 7 p.m., Sept. 5

Week 3: La Salle-Peru at Ottawa, 7:15 p.m., Sept. 12

It’s back-to-back fierce rivalry games at King Field for the Pirates, who will host the Cavaliers for the 127th meeting of the archrivals. L-P has dominated of late, winning the last 11. This one officially is a nonconference game, with the Week 6 meeting in La Salle the one that will count in the Interstate 8 standings.

Another good one: Plano at Sandwich, 7 p.m., Sept. 12

Week 4: FCW at Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio, 7 p.m. , Sept. 19

This will be a nice midseason measuring-stick matchup for both of these Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoff teams from a year ago. Last season, though Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland won six games and returned to the I8FA postseason for a second straight season, the Falcons did not measure up to the powerhouse Clippers in a 46-14 defeat.

Another good one: Seneca at Genoa-Kingston, 7 p.m., Sept. 19

Week 5: Streator at Peotone, 7 p.m., Sept. 26

As written earlier, the Bulldogs on paper appear to have three reasonably winnable games to open the season before Week 4’s visit from perennial powerhouse Coal City. If Streator could come into Week 5 with a 3-1 or even 2-2 record, this matchup with playoff regular Peotone would become an interesting one in the midcard of the Illinois Central Eight Conference and the state’s at-large playoff picture.

Another good one: St. Bede at Marquette, 7 p.m., Sept. 26

Week 6: Seneca at Marquette, 7 p.m., Oct. 3

There are only four teams left in the Chicagoland Prairie – Dwight and St. Bede being the others – and no automatic IHSA playoff bid for the champion, but that’s won’t lessen the intensity as the defending conference champion Fighting Irish and league runner-up Crusaders meet for the only time after playing twice last fall. Both were double-digit Seneca victories.

Another good one: Ottawa at La Salle-Peru, 7:15 p.m., Oct. 3

Week 7: Ridgeview/Lexington at Fieldcrest, 7 p.m., Oct. 10

These old Midstate Conference rivals didn’t play in 2024 due to the formation of the Heart of Central Illinois superconference, but Mustangs-Knights is back on the menu in a week that doesn’t, on paper at least, offer a lot of compelling matchups in the area. Fieldcrest (1-8 last season) won the last meeting against the Mustangs (2-7 in 2024) by a score of 36-14 in 2023.

Another good one: West Central at FCW, 7 p.m., Oct. 10

Week 8: St. Joe-Ogden at Seneca, 7 p.m., Oct. 17

All right, now we’re back with a really good one. Seneca, which went 9-2 last season with its only losses coming to 10-win Du-Pec and 11-win BHRA, welcomes to town St. Joe-Ogden, a 10-win team from a year ago whose only loss came in 3A’s second round in a rematch battle with nine-win Tolono Unity. Both were conference champions and won a playoff game, combining to outscore their opponents 785-345.

Another good one: Dixon at Streator, 7 p.m., Oct. 17

Week 9: Sandwich at Marengo, 7 p.m., Oct. 24

This season finale turned out to be a big one for both teams last season. Marengo handed the Kishwaukee River Conference’s other Indians a 28-14 Week 9 loss in Sandwich, propelling Marengo into the playoffs and tamping down Sandwich’s own playoff seed so it had to visit Wheaton Academy, resulting in a lopsided first-round loss and a 5-5 ultimate season records for both sets of Indians. This one could loom just as large.

Another good one: Granite City at Ottawa, 7 p.m., Oct. 24