Zach Weigel was approved as the new head football coach at Sherrard High School at Wednesday’s school board meeting. Currently a teacher at Davenport Central High School, Weigel brings a wealth of coaching experience across multiple levels.

Forty-four of the top football players from Seneca, Marquette, Fieldcrest, Ottawa, Streator, FCW and Sandwich, here is the 2025 Times All-Area Football Team.

After stepping into the featured back role for the best football team in the area, Seneca senior Cam Shriey is the 2025 Times Football Player of the Year.

Two-win teams in the playoffs? Join hosts Steve Soucie and Matt Rodewald as they review the IHSA expansion of the high school football playoffs and what it means for the sport going forward.

IHSA Proposal 19 was passed by a majority of member schools in an IHSA schoolwide vote. Its implementation will increase the number of playoff qualifiers from 256 teams to 384 teams.

A look at the top football players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

Proposal 19 is on the ballot with a submission that proposes that the playoff field be expanded by 16 teams in each classification with a total of 384 teams qualifying for the postseason. Steve Soucie's uses 2025 data to project what the format could look like.

The CCL/ESCC announced its new alignment for the 2026 and 2027 seasons with many of the league's 24 teams finding themselves in different division than before.

La Salle-Peru senior Nick Hachenberger went from never playing defense in youth football to a tackling machine at linebacker, averaging 10.1 stops per game this fall. He is the 2025 NewsTribune Defensive Football Player of the Year.

Princeton senior Casey Etheridge is the NewsTribune Offensive Football Player of the Year for the third time after running into the record books this fall.

Mount Carmel finished the same place it started the season in the No. 1 spot of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the final rankings here.

The Class 7A/8A state football title games have been rescheduled for Wednesday afternoon and evening at Northern Illinois University

Morris's Caeden Curran (Offensive POTY), Mick Smith (Defensive POTY) and Kaneland's Jake Buckley (Lineman of the Year) are among the Interstate 8's All-Conference players for the 2025 season. Below are all of this year's winners, including Honorable Mentions.

The Three Rivers announced its all-conference football team and L-P's Aubrey Duttlinger and Kelsey Frederick earned all-state honors in volleyball.

The top three teams in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings held strong in the semifinal round, but that's where the stability ended. Check out the new rankings here.

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they break down what we saw in the Illinois high school football playoff semifinals, talk about Mt. Carmel coach Jordan Lynch's recent comments, and look ahead to the state title games

Getting a strong sense of deja vu when looking at the lineup of state championships? That's understandable considering the group has collectively made 115 title game appearances previously. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 13.

Here are the championship game pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio defeated Polo 30-20 to win the 8-man I8FA championship game on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025 at April Zorn Memorial Stadium in Monmouth. This is the Clippers third straight championship.

Wilmington continues to storm its way through the 2A field, can anyone slow down the Wildcats? Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A playoffs.

A trio of power teams continue to roll through the playoffs while the upstarts still continue to emerge shaking up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the new rankings here.

The quarterfinal round was an absolute breeze for some teams while others experienced significantly more stress in keeping their postseason runs alive. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 12.

The Dwight football team had its season come to an end with a 44-0 loss at Stockton on Saturday night in the IHSA Class 1A playoff quarterfinals.

Here are the semifinal round pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

Dwight in 1A and both Morris and Coal City in 4A are preparing for quarterfinal IHSA playoff matchups.

A playoff field that started with seven undefeated teams is down to just three. But the group is still chock full of teams that can make a serious run to the title. Steve Soucie breaks down the quarterfinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A playoffs.

The NUIC and WIVC conference hold five of the eight spots in the 1A quarterfinals, are the two conferences heading toward a state final showdown? Steve Soucie breaks down the quarterfinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 1A playoffs.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 2 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 7A and Class 8A. See the proposed regions here.

A number of ranked teams bowed out in the second round of the playoffs shaking up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings considerably. Check out the new rankings here.

More from the Times-area’s sidelines from Week 11 (the second round of the IHSA football playoffs), including notes on Seneca and Dwight's second-round games and quarterfinal matchups.

Here are the quarterfinal round pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

High seeds had a rough go of it in Round 2 of the playoffs, while the CCL/ESCC flexed its muscles in numerous classifications. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 11.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Round 2 of the playoffs!

Wilmington rushed 54 times for 418 yards and six touchdowns and held host Seneca to just 42 total yards in a 42-0 rain-soaked victory on Saturday in the second round of the Class 2A playoffs.

Wilmington shut out Seneca 42-0 on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025 at Seneca High School. Check out photos from the game by MaKade Rios.

Here is a look at the second-round playoff matchups awaiting Seneca, Morris and Dwight this weekend.

The Class 2A field remains chock full of quality teams and the group has a collective record of 147-13 as we move into Round 2. Steve Soucie breaks down the second round of the 2025 IHSA Class 2A playoffs.

The Northwest Upstate Illini Conference and the Western Illinois Valley Conference are already stealing the headlines in the Class 1A postseason. Steve Soucie breaks down the opening round of the 2025 IHSA Class 1A playoffs.

A Roxana High School proposal that would expand the playoffs and provide a regional schedule model has released regional mockups for Class 5A and Class 6A. See the proposed regions here.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Round 1 of the 2025 high school football playoffs

Ranked teams did what they should do largely rolling to easy first round victories in the state playoffs. Check out the new rankings here:

Matt Rodewald, Steve Soucie, and John Sahly break down what happened with a fifth down in the PORTA vs. Fairfield first-round playoff game, and review what else happened in Round 1 in the IHSA football playoffs

Princeton coach Ryan Pearson wanted to make sure seniors Casey Etheridge, Gavin Lanham and Ryan Jager all got in the end zone in Saturday's playoff game. BCC star Valshun Powe said it was a "team win." Amboy prepares to hit the road, doesn't care about seeds.

More from the Times-area’s sidelines from Week 10 (the opening week of the IHSA playoffs) of the football season, including notes on Seneca, Marquette and Dwight's first-round games and second-round matchups.

If you like points being scored the opening round of the playoffs was definitely worth tuning into. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 10.

Each week, we’ll have 22 players – 11 on offense, 11 on defense – to make the Friday Night Drive Team of the Week. Vote for your favorite players for Round 1 of the playoffs!

Here are the second round pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

Coal City's Logan Natyshok rushed for 272 yards and five touchdowns while the Coalers defense allowed Sterling just 100 total yards in a 49-7 victory in Saturday's Class 4A playoff first-round game in Coal City.

Seneca outscored visiting Port Byron Riverdale by 14 points in the second quarter, ultimately the difference in the Fighting Irish's 35-21, first-round Class 2A playoff victory.