High School Football Practice Begins Across Illinois Today
You can feel it in the air; it's almost football season, and with that being said, Illinois high school football practices started today, officially kicking off the 2026 season.
Only one team in the Rockford area ranked in the MaxPreps preseason Top 25, Byron High School, coming in at #11.
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Mount Carmel Chases Historical Fifth Consecutive State Title
No other Rockford-area team appears in the MaxPreps or Rivals preseason Top 25, which, to be fair, are both generally dominated by teams in the Chicago area, so to have even one make the top 25 in either poll is a pretty big deal.
Outside of the Rockford area, Mount Carmel opens the season as the state's #1-ranked team and is attempting to lock down their fifth consecutive state championship, hoping to add to their already massive trophy case. In case you were wondering, Mount Carmel has won 18 state titles, the most in IHSA history.
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Top Local Recruits and Key Dates for the 2026 IHSA Season
As far as top recruits go, Guilford High School edge rusher Keysan Talor is ranked among the best in the state and is committed to Ole Miss, making him one of the top players to watch this fall.
The first games are scheduled for August 20, playoff pairings are announced on October 17, and the IHSA state championship games follow on November 27 and 28.
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Gallery Credit: Matthew Wilkening
