The state finals in November won’t be the only compelling games at Illinois State’s Hancock Stadium this season.
For the second straight year, downstate power East St. Louis will meet a Chicago-area heavyweight in a season opener in Normal.
Last year, Mount Carmel edged East St. Louis 36-33 in a matchup of defending state champs. This year, it’ll be two-time defending Class 8A winner Loyola vs. returning 6A runner-up East St. Louis at 7 p.m. on Aug. 31.
Loyola is capable of scoring points in bunches. Quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald, who will be a preferred walk-on at Iowa, is 14-0 as a starter after throwing for 2,141 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior.
Drew MacPherson, who is committed to Iowa as a safety, returns as the Ramblers’ lead back. He’ll be joined in the backfield by fellow senior Luke Foster, who missed last season with an ACL injury.
Other impact players for Loyola include 6-7 tight end Brendan Loftus, who is committed to Miami (Ohio), and safety Donovan Robinson, a Washington commit.
East St. Louis is led by defensive back Charles Bass (Missouri), safety Mekhi Mixon (Grambling) and running back TaRyan Martin (Kent State).
Here’s a look at some other top games this season:
Barrington at Maine South, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 20
This is the best of the annual crossovers between the Mid-Suburban and Central Suburban leagues.
Maine South, coming off a 10-2 season and trip to the 8A quarterfinals, is loaded with experience on offense. Senior quarterback Constantive Coines passed for 2,831 yards last season, ran for another 967 and accounted for 39 touchdowns. Senior running back Michael Dellumo had 1,328 total yards and 20 TDs.Army commit Zak Stoilov, a 6-foot-4, 280-pound tackle, anchors an offensive line that also returns guards Eddy Dase (6-4, 285) and Derek Koziol (6-3, 245), center Lazar Bubic (6-3, 278) and tackle Petar Strbac (6-5, 280).
Barrington quarterback Nick Peipert had 2,905 passing yards and 35 touchdowns for a 12-1 team that lost to Lincoln-Way East in last year’s 8A semifinals.
Joliet Catholic at Nazareth, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 27
This is a rematch of last year’s Class 5A state final, a 38-20 win for Nazareth.
The Roadrunners are 9-9 in the regular season over the past two years and were a rare 4-5 playoff qualifier last fall. But they’re 10-0 in the last two postseasons with a pair of 5A titles, and have the talent and experience to have a better overall record this fall.
Players to watch for Nazareth include edge rusher Gabe Kaminski (Stanford), defensive back Garrett Reese (Indiana) and quarterback Logan Malachuk.
As usual, it starts on the offensive line for Joliet Catholic, which returns Cameron Juricich (6-4, 315), Michael Lynch (6-4, 305), Jack Jakovich (6-3, 270) and Elijah Watt (5-9. 250) up front.
Geneva at Batavia, 7 p.m., Oct. 4
This rivalry goes back to 1913, and Batavia has dominated lately, winning the last 13 meetings to cut Geneva’s series lead to 51-49 with five ties.
The best player on the field this year will be Geneva receiver Talyn Taylor, a top-100 prospect nationally who is committed to Georgia.
Batavia’s strengths are a defensive line anchored by Malachi Smith, “the strongest Bulldog in history,” according to coach Dennis Piron, and exceptional speed on offense.
Morgan Park vs. Simeon, 1 p.m., Oct. 26 at Gately Stadium
One of the last games of the regular season likely will have major implications in the Public League Red race and playoff seeding.
Morgan Park, coming off back-to-back trips to the 5A quarterfinals, has talent and experience all over the field with the likes of quarterback Marcus Thaxton, four-star junior receiver Nasir Rankin and defensive backs Jovan Clark (Wyoming) and Jahmare Washington (Wisconsin).
Simeon has a new coach in alum Sinque Turner and a pair of elite defensive linemen in senior Chris Burgess Jr. (Notre Dame) and junior McHale Blade.