It’s finally time for football season. Practice starts Monday, Aug. 11, and there will be plenty of storylines to keep an eye on around the area. With that in mind, here’s a look at five to watch this football season in the Herald-News area.

1. Lincoln-Way East stars’ big finale

Don’t let the headline fool you. Lincoln-Way East isn’t going anywhere. Given the Griffins’ history, they’ll continue to excel beyond this season. However, this year’s senior class is filled with star-studded players looking to close their prep careers with a state title. Quarterback Jonas Williams is one of the most touted signal-callers in the nation and will head to USC in January. Defensive end Jacob Alexander is heading to Illinois, while transfer Blaise LaVista is a Washington commit. Running back Brody Gish is a Navy pledge. The Griffins have lost only two games in two years, but that first state title since 2019 remains elusive. This may be their best chance yet at taking another crown, so keep an eye on them all season.

2. Joliet Catholic has an eye on the tie

There is no universe in which Joliet Catholic would ever settle for a tie, but in the record books they’ll be OK with it – at least for this year.

The Hilltoppers once held the record for most football state championships in Illinois history. Two years ago, Mount Carmel came along and tied that record. Last year, Mount Carmel seized first place with their 16th title. Of course, they’ll all talk about how records don’t matter as much as the week in front of them and such, but when it comes to state titles, that’s got to be a hard one to swallow. JCA lost a lot of experience last season that will be tough to replace, but the Hilltoppers seem to reload as well as anyone in the state. Navy commit Ian Campbell will return to lead the defense, and the rushing attack will always be deadly. The Hilltoppers always set their aim for state and in this case a tie for the all-time record. Maybe then they can focus on taking sole possession of it in 2026.

3. Winning time for Joliet Central?

Anyone on hand for Joliet Central’s victory at Plainfield Central last season saw tears of joy on coach Tom Hart’s face. Athletic director Kevin Fitzgerald had them, too. Heck, the players looked like they’d just won the Super Bowl. That victory was the first one for the Steelmen in five years, almost to the day. It was a breakthrough of epic proportions for a team that hasn’t made the playoffs as a non-co-op team since 1976.

This year, the Steelmen have to replace 25 seniors from last year’s squad while going with a sophomore quarterback. There’s a lot of youth on offense, although the defense has looked solid in practice. Hart preached about taking steps in the right direction and set a goal of winning at least two or three games this year. It’ll be a tough task, but there’s extra motivation now for Joliet Central.

4. Finding (the new) Landin Benson

With the number of bigger schools in the Herald-News area, it can be easy to forget how outstanding some of the smaller programs are. Coal City advanced to the 4A state semifinals last season thanks in large part to the outstanding play of do-it-all player Landin Benson. Don’t believe it? There’s a dang sign outside the city that reads “home of Landin Benson.” The state wrestling championship was part of that, but the outstanding play at running back was a big factor, too.

Now, however, Benson is gone, and the Coalers will be tasked to find someone new to fill the enormous shoes left by him. It’s harder for 4A schools to replenish the roster year in and year out, but not impossible. Seeing who emerges from Benson’s shadow will be an exciting story to follow.

5. And the rest

Where to even begin? It’s nearly impossible to pick a fifth storyline when there’s so much intrigue around the area. With the graduation of super athlete Jack Wheeler, how will Morris look this season? Will Joliet West’s offense take the next step to match its vaunted defense? Which Plainfield will emerge as the best of the bunch? Can Providence Catholic find its way back to the playoffs? How does Lincoln-Way West replace Austin Rowswell and Josh Veldman? Can senior Zane Caves lead Minooka to the promised land? There’s no shortage of questions in need of answers from the Herald-News area. Lucky for everyone, there are only a few weeks left until the answers start to emerge.