Team previews

Coal City Coalers

Coach: Francis Loughran (5th season)

2024 record: 10-3 (6-1)

Schedule: Aug. 29 Pontiac; Sept. 5 at Richmond-Burton; Sept. 12 Bloom Township; Sept. 19 at Streator; Sept. 26 Reed-Custer; Oct. 3 at Manteno; Oct. 10 at Peotone; Oct. 17 Herscher; Oct. 24 at Wilmington

Worth noting: The perennial powerhouse Coalers – who have been to the playoffs 34 of the last 37 full seasons including the last 13 postseasons in a row – finished runners-up in the ICE last season due to a 21-14 loss at champion Wilmington, but made it all the way to the Class 4A state semifinals before bowing out with another 21-14 loss, this one to eventual state champion DePaul Prep. Coal City lost a good senior class highlighted by the graduation of all-everything/do-everything Landin Benson, the program’s all-time leading rusher, but brings back four of the starting offensive linemen (all-conference Cade Poyner, Wyatt Koehn, Brody D’Orazio and Sean Viles) who led the way for him plus a pair of All-ICE defensive players (DL Emmett Easton and LB Mason Garner). QB Connor Henline saw significant varsity reps as a sophomore last season due to injuries and lopsided second halves and looked plenty capable of taking over Coach Loughran’s run-heavy with big plays in the passing game offensive attack. Since it’s never too early to look forward to great football, mark Week 9’s matchup versus Wilmington down now as the likely conference championship game.

Herscher Tigers

Coach: Mike Mosier (4th season)

2024 record: 4-5 (3-4)

Schedule: Aug. 29 at Canton; Sept. 5 Bishop Mac; Sept. 12 at Manteno; Sept. 19 Wilmington; Oct. 3 at Streator; Oct. 10 Reed-Custer; Oct. 17 at Coal City; Oct. 24 Peotone

Worth noting: The Tigers narrowly missed a playoff berth last season, winning close thrillers over Bishop Mac (20-13), Reed-Custer (8-7) and Streator (31-30) in addition to a comfortable handling of ICE last-place finisher Lisle (28-7). Herscher was not all that competitive in its five losses, though. That’s a gap Coach Mosier believes his Tigers can close with strong, proven line play led by returner Nash Brubaker, skill position returnees such as RB/LB Alek Draper, RB/MLB Gavin Hull and QB/DB/P Tanner Jones, and a dedication to improving on the defensive side of the ball. “Wilmington will probably be at the top again,” Moiser said of the ICE in 2025. “I think us and Manteno can be players.” Back-to-back conference games the first two October Fridays against Streator and Reed-Custer look like must-wins if Herscher plans to keep its hopes of a first playoff bid since 2018 alive heading into what could be a win-and-in/lose-and-out Week 9 home showdown with Peotone. As of this writing, Herscher does not have a Week 5 opponent to replace Lisle.

Lisle Lions

Coach: Cory Dillard (3rd season)

2024 record: 0-9 (0-7)

Schedule: n/a

Worth noting: Due to low upperclass numbers in the program, Lisle is playing a JV-only schedule in 2025 with hopes of returning to varsity action in 2026.

Manteno Panthers

Coach: RJ Haines (19th season)

2024 record: 7-3 (5-2)

Schedule: Aug. 29 at Sandwich; Sept. 5 Plano; Sept. 12 Herscher; Sept. 19 at Reed-Custer; Sept. 26 at Wilmington; Oct. 3 Coal City; Oct. 10 at Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley; Oct. 17 at Peotone; Oct. 24 Streator

Worth noting: The Panthers returned to the playoffs in 2024 led by the likes of all-conference performers QB/LB Connor Harrod – a dual-threat, as dangerous with his legs as he is with his arm, and third-year starter – and WR/DB Tyler Buehler. Harrod looks to be in line for a big senior season with a lot of speed around him, including Buehler, Dylan McIntyre and state track medalist Briggs Cann as receiving threats. “The biggest strengths are our team speed and athleticism on both sides of the ball,” Haines said, though adding the Panthers have “a lot of new players playing key positions, especially on the line of scrimmage.” Junior Franklin Jordan will anchor the O-line and linebacking corps. How Manteno fares in its three nonconference games – Weeks 1 and 2 against old Interstate 8 rivals Sandwich and Plano and Week 7 at small-school powerhouse Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley – will go a long way toward deciding if the Panthers will be back in the postseason in 2025.

Peotone Blue Devils

Coach: Apostolos Tsiamas (11th season)

2024 record: 6-4 (4-3)

Schedule: Aug. 29 at Granite City; Sept. 5 Marengo; Sept. 12 at Wilmington; Sept. 26 Streator; Oct. 3 at Reed-Custer; Oct. 10 Coal City; Oct. 17 Manteno; Oct. 24 at Herscher

Worth noting: The Blue Devils have been to the playoffs five consecutive postseasons, but didn’t quite achieve their preseason expectations of joining the ICE’s top tier during last year’s six-win campaign led by all-everything RB Chase Rivera. RB/LB Tucker Cain, himself an All-ICE performer who rushed for over 700 yards last fall, looks ready to step into that role as the centerpiece of a run-heavy, hard-hitting Peotone team that has talent, but not a lot of senior leadership outside of Cain and lineman Evan Pane. “[This is] one of the more athletic groups we’ve had come through,” Tsiamas (aka “Coach Tolly”) said. “We are extremely young. If you’re not sure what grade a kid is in who’s on the field, guess ‘junior’ and you will probably be correct.” One of those juniors, Alex Chenoweth, – whom Tsiamas calls his team’s ‘“Mr. Everything” – will take over at QB and MLB. Late-season matchups with (in order) Coal City, Manteno and Herscher loom large if the junior-heavy Blue Devils can keep themselves in playoff contention through the opening two-thirds of the season. As of this writing, Peotone does not have a Week 4 opponent to replace Lisle.

Reed-Custer Comets

Coach: Joe Turek (1st season)

2024 record: 1-8 (1-6)

Schedule: Aug. 29 at El Paso-Gridley; Sept. 5 Harvard; Sept. 12 Streator; Sept. 19 Manteno; Sept. 26 at Coal City; Oct. 3 Peotone; Oct. 10 at Herscher; Oct. 17 Wilmington

Worth noting: Last fall’s Comets managed only one victory two years removed from a magical two-year run to the Class 3A quarterfinals. New head coach Joe Turek is “looking to build a standard, moving up the conference standings” with a roster of an “experienced group of upperclassmen potentially blending together with a young, growing group of talent.” A quartet of third-year varsity starters – namely WR/DB Thomas Emery, OL/DL Dhane Debelak, WR/DB Kris Budick and all-conference RB/DL Dominic Alaimo – are expected to lead the way along with fellow returners such as RB/LB Hudson Cook, RB/LB Jeremie Knutson and OL/DLs Christian Mounts and Alex Rodriguez. The Comets open against a 2024 playoff team in El Paso, but then have a couple games against programs that also struggled last season, Harvard (2-7) and Streator (3-6). As of this writing, Reed-Custer does not have a Week 9 opponent to replace Lisle.

Streator Bulldogs

Coach: Jay Slone (1st season)

2024 record: 3-6 (2-5)

Schedule: Aug. 29 Decatur Eisenhower; Sept. 5 at Ottawa; Sept. 12 at Reed-Custer; Sept. 19 Coal City; Sept. 26 at Peotone; Oct. 3 Herscher; Oct. 10 at Wilmington; Oct. 17 Dixon; Oct. 24 at Manteno

Worth noting: The Bulldogs will enter the season with their third different head coach in three years – Bishop Mac/Valparaiso University graduate and more recently Herscher assistant coach Jay Slone. His goal is to get the program back into the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and its first playoff win since its lone Week 10 victory in 2008, but more so to build a new culture for Streator football starting with accountability and consistent technique. In his first year, he’ll be relying on leaders such as OL/LB Cole Winterrowd, QB/TE/LB Sharron Morton, QB/WR/DB Jerrad Clark, QB/WR/DB Sam LeRette, WR/DB LA Moton, RB/LB Leodies Jordan and OL/DL Luke Gebhardt to set the cornerstone. If the Bulldogs can get things figured out fast, they could get off to a surprising start. Their first three opponents each went 1-8 in 2024. Streator added a tough challenge to replace Lisle for Week 8’s senior night at Doug Dieken Stadium – longtime NCIC/NIB 12 rival Dixon.

Wilmington Wildcats

Coach: Jeff Reents (31st season)

2024 record: 12-1 (7-0)

Schedule: Aug. 29 at Morris; Sept. 5 Sandwich; Sept. 12 Peotone; Sept. 19 at Herscher; Sept. 26 Manteno; Oct. 3 Thornton; Oct. 10 Streator; Oct. 17 at Reed-Custer; Oct. 24 Coal City

Worth noting: The defending Illinois Central Eight Conference champions have been a playoff entrant each of the past 28 postseasons and won three state championships (3A in 2014, 2A in both 2021 and 2023). Only a 2A state semifinal loss to eventual state champion Montini kept the Wildcats from returning to a state championship game last fall, and while there will be “a lot of new faces in some key areas,” according to Coach Reents, there are also plenty of returners back from last fall’s successful Wildcats roster. That starts with five returning All-ICE performers – LB Declan Moran, DB Billy Moore, OL/DL Logan Van Duyne, OL/LB Zach Ohlund and all-state RB/DB Ryan Kettman, who appears to be in line for a huge senior campaign. RB/DB Nate Cupples is another returning starter, and TE/LB Cooper Holman could make a big impact. There are some question marks, but more than enough reason to suspect the Wildcats will answer them. “We have good experience back on the line, [and] I think our overall speed is decent,” Reents said. “How quickly can this team come together?” As mentioned both above and below, Week 9’s home matchup with Coal City figures to be the biggest game on a schedule loaded with them, including a new and intriguing season-opener at Morris.

5 players to watch

• Ryan Kettman, RB/DB, sr., Wilmington: Baseball’s his primary sport, but Kettman is plenty good on the gridiron too, where he earned All-ICE accolades as well as honorable mention all-state, Joliet Herald-News All-Area and Friday Night Drive Team of the Week MVP recognition. He finished 2024 with 1,439 yards, 24 TDs and a 9.53 yards-per-carry average.

• Tanner Jones, QB/S/P, sr., Herscher: A four-sport varsity athlete and returning all-conference football performer, Jones was a dangerous dual-threat quarterback last fall for the Tigers as well as one of the team’s leading defensive players with 64 tackles (a team-high 30 solo).

• Tucker Cain, RB/LB, sr., Peotone: Another all-conference performer despite the now-graduated Chase Rivera being last year’s primary ballcarrier, Cain could double last year’s 710 yards and 11 touchdowns rushing statistics for the run-first Blue Devils.

• Cade Poyner, G/DT, sr., Coal City: One of three returning All-ICE Coalers from a year ago, Poyner followed up his dominant two-way performance on the football field last fall with an all-state wrestling campaign. He’ll anchor the lines again even stronger his senior season.

• Connor Harrod, QB/LB, sr., Manteno: A third-year starter behind center, Harrod has thrown for over 2,000 yards in his career and also served as one of the Panthers’ primary ground weapons. With good speed around him – especially at receiver – his senior year could be his best yet.

5 can’t-miss matchups

• Week 3 – Herscher at Manteno: We are going to find out some things about the ICE right away. This conference-opener, for example, features a Herscher team expected to be on the rise facing off against a Manteno program that won seven games last season but will feature a lot of new faces in key places.

• Week 3 – Streator at Reed-Custer: This ICE-opening matchup pits the conference’s two new head coaches against each other. With Lisle not playing varsity this season, it will be even more vital for both programs to get the winnable games on their schedules, and no doubt both think this is one of ‘em.

• Week 5 – Manteno at Wilmington: Coming off a playoff appearance and with Harrod back behind center for a third season, the Panthers are hoping to step up into the ruling class of the Illinois Central Eight. In recent years, Wilmington has been that ruler.

• Week 7 – Coal City at Peotone: A pair of playoff regulars meet here, though both have some question marks heading into the season. Peotone especially has a young team, but one Coach Tolly believes is extremely athletic and has a chip on its shoulders to make it to Week 10 and beyond.

• Week 9 – Coal City at Wilmington: A scheduling quirk has the Coalers visiting the Wildcats for a second consecutive year in what annually winds up being the de facto ICE championship game (and most expect will be again this year). Wherever it’s being played, it’s almost guaranteed to be a great one and one heck of a dress rehearsal for both teams’ inevitable playoff runs.

Steve Soucie’s predicted finish

(* - projected playoff qualifier)

1. Wilmington*
2. Coal City*
3. Manteno*
4. Herscher*
5. Peotone*
6. Streator
7. Reed-Custer