The origins of high school football in Illinois date back to the 1880s. Some of the state’s most tradition-rich programs originated before 1900, including schools such as Oak Park, East Aurora, Freeport, Woodstock, Joliet, West Aurora, Pontiac, Pittsfield, and East St. Louis. Many of the greatest legends in the history of the sport played high school football in Illinois, including Red Grange, Otto Graham, Dick Butkus, Ray Nitschke, and Kellen Winslow, to name a few.
The IHSA did not adopt a formal playoff system until 1974. In Chicago, the Prep Bowl series that pitted the winners of the Public and Catholic leagues began in 1934. Elsewhere, schools in different regions of the state claimed ‘mythical’ state championships for many decades.
In small villages and larger cities all across Illinois, thousands of fans head to high school stadiums to watch football on Friday nights. The term ‘Friday Night Lights’ has become symbolic with high school football across the country, and in some communities, many businesses shut down, and a large chunk of the community heads out to watch the games. Friday Night football in Illinois brings people together and serves as a community social gathering, and it can also ignite decades-old feelings and rivalries that can be both friendly and full of animosity.
High school football in Illinois can be defined by the hundreds of local rivalries that exist to this day. The oldest state series involves two Chicago teams – Hyde Park and Englewood, which dates back to 1889. Other long-standing rivalries include East Aurora vs West Aurora, Champaign Central vs. Urbana, Ottawa vs. Streator, Tuscola vs. Arcola, Oak Park vs. Proviso East, Centralia vs. Mt. Vernon, Peoria Central vs. Peoria Manual, Metamora vs. Washington, Thornton vs. Bloom, Batavia vs. Geneva, Mount Carmel vs. St. Rita, Naperville North vs. Naperville Central, Evanston vs. New Trier, East St. Louis vs. Belleville West, Princeton vs. Kewanee and many, many more.
One online publication lists Batavia vs. Geneva as the No. 3 top high school football rivalry in the country. The schools are separated by just four miles in the Fox Valley in the far western Chicago suburbs, and the series dates back to 1913. Other old school rivalries that date back to the 1890s include East Aurora vs. West Aurora, Ottawa Township vs. Streator Township, Champaign Central vs. Urbana, Sandwich vs. Plano, LaSalle-Peru vs. Ottawa Township, and Carmi White County vs. Fairfield.
One of the state’s newest rivalries didn’t begin until 2010, when Rochester and head coach Derek Leonard joined the Central State Eight Conference. Derek’s father, Ken Leonard, retired as the head coach at Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in 2022 after a legendary career that culminated with a sixth state championship. The Rochester-SHG matchups between father and son were affectionately referred to as the ‘Leonard Bowl;’ and these games were considered classics and often close, high-scoring affairs. Ken Leonard ended his coaching career as the all-time wins leader in Illinois, finishing 419-81 from 1980-2022 while coaching at Gridley and SHG.
Many Illinois communities identify with their local high school football teams. Traditions are carried out year after year, with Homecoming parades and week-long celebrations that include alumni reuniting and catching up on old times. The history of certain rivalries can be traced back for generations, such as in the Douglas County communities of Arcola and Tuscola. This rivalry extends beyond the gridiron, when in the 1850s a controversial election saw Tuscola gain the county seat over Arcola. Both towns’ high schools began playing football in the mid-1890s, and the annual football game is known as the ‘Cola Wars.’
In the Mid-Illini Conference near Peoria, the communities of Metamora and Washington sit just a few miles apart. It’s not just a game, it’s simply known as Metamora-Washington week. The teams have met on the football field more than 60 times, with close to an even split. The stands are always packed, and the sidelines are overflowing with fans surrounding the field. The atmosphere is special, and for many community members this is the most important week of the year.
In many cases, rivalries involve teams in the same city. In Quincy, when the local public high school (Quincy Senior), and local Catholic high school (Quincy Notre Dame) get together, it’s a rivalry game, but also a community game. With Quincy’s remote location in the far western part of the state, coaches, students, parents, and fans put a lot of miles on buses and vehicles to travel for games. But when these teams compete against each other, the best talent of the city is on display, and the entire community can come together to celebrate.
The 2025 high school football season is here, and there are teams loaded with Division I talent and looking to repeat long playoff runs and state championships. The tradition of Friday Night Lights and community celebrations at high school football games in Illinois remains as strong as ever, and those traditions will continue again across the state through November.