Preseason Illinois Small-School Football Digest
2026-27 Illinois Small-School Football: Preseason Digest
The 2026-27 Illinois high school football season has officially kicked off. This digest covers the inaugural week of the season, utilizing the IHSA rankings poll published on August 20, 2026, which reflects results from the opening weekend. While the IHSA schedule and scores pages did not provide additional data, the rankings poll offers a clear snapshot of how the top ten teams in each class performed in their first contest.
Class 1A
Lena (L.-Winslow) enters the season as the top-ranked team in 1A, securing eight first-place votes in the preseason poll. However, the No. 1 seed dropped its opener, falling 34-28 to Benet. Despite the loss, Lena remains atop the poll with 97 points.
Mt. Sterling (Brown County) is the only team in the top five with a win, defeating Carrollton 52-0 to move into the No. 2 spot. Stockton (No. 3) and Dwight (No. 6) also suffered opening-week defeats, losing to El Paso-Gridley and Forreston, respectively.
Several teams posted dominant victories to climb the rankings. Hardin (Calhoun) moved to No. 4 after a 50-0 win over Triopia, while Camp Point (Central) reached No. 5 with a 28-0 victory at West Central. Heyworth (No. 7), Arthur (No. 8), Fithian (No. 9), and Kewanee (No. 10) all won their openers, with Fithian posting the largest margin of victory in the class, beating Bismarck-Henning 61-14.
Class 2A
Wilmington (Wilmington) leads the 2A rankings after a 16-7 win over McNamara, earning nine first-place votes. El Paso (Gridley) sits at No. 2 following a 41-20 victory over Stockton, while Maroa (M.-Forsyth) holds the No. 3 spot after a 59-0 shutout of New Berlin.
Downs (Tri-Valley) is ranked No. 4 after defeating Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 48-7. Aurora (Christian) and Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) are tied for No. 5, both with 33 points; Aurora beat Ottawa Marquette 27-18, while Sterling shut out Sherrard 47-0.
Farmington (No. 7) and Taylor Ridge (No. 7) are also tied, with Farmington winning 54-27 at Havana and Taylor Ridge edging out Kewanee 31-27. Westville (No. 9) defeated Iroquois West 48-8, while Seneca (No. 10) is the only team in the top ten with a loss, falling 14-7 to Chicago Christian.
Class 3A
Byron (Byron) is the No. 1 team in 3A, holding four first-place votes after a 55-7 win over North Boone. Elmhurst (IC Catholic) is ranked No. 2 with seven first-place votes, having defeated Nazareth 35-21.
St. Joseph (Ogden) is the No. 3 team after a 64-20 win over Prairie Central, while Tolono (Unity) is No. 4 following a 30-8 victory at Rantoul. Richmond (R.-Burton) rounds out the top five at No. 5 after shutting out Peoria Notre Dame 42-0.
Monticello (No. 6) beat IVC 26-6, while Kankakee (McNamara) is the only team in the top ten with a loss, dropping a 16-7 decision to Wilmington. Stanford (No. 8), Vandalia (No. 9), and Pecatonica (No. 10) all won their openers, with Pecatonica defeating Oregon 32-12.
Storylines to Watch
- Lena’s Resilience: Despite a 34-28 loss to Benet, Lena remains the consensus No. 1 team in 1A. How quickly the top seed can recover from an opening-week stumble will be a key narrative for the class.
- 2A’s Tight Race: The 2A rankings are closely contested, with five teams separated by fewer than 10 points in the top six. Wilmington’s narrow 16-7 win over McNamara highlights the competitive nature of the class.
- 3A’s Dominant Openers: Several top-ranked 3A teams posted shutouts or large margins of victory, including St. Joseph (64-20) and Richmond (42-0). These performances set a high bar for the rest of the season.
- Cross-Class Matchups: The 2A rankings feature a win for Taylor Ridge over Kewanee, a 1A team, indicating that cross-class matchups are influencing early standings.