Soucie: Everything you need to know as the 2023 IHSA football season gets underway

Hope springs eternal for all IHSA football programs on Monday as practice begins..

Obviously, the goals and expectations are different for the 498 teams set to compete in 11-man football this fall.

The state finals will move to Illinois State University’s Hancock Stadium in Bloomington. ISU will hosted he inaugural event in 1974 and then held the finals through 1988 before the event departed for the University of Illinois.

Let’s look at some of the top storylines entering the 2023 season.

What are some of the biggest differences to look out for?

There’s an increase of playoff-eligible teams this season, largely due to a major realignment in the Chicago Public League.

In addition, Sandwich and Fisher are returning to 11-man football, while programs such as Westmont, Urbana and Riverdale are planning on playing full schedules after playing abbreviated schedules a year ago.

Just two programs, Alleman and Raby, have announced they will not be playing varsity schedules this season after doing so in 2022.

But, the biggest difference – at least in terms of effect on the overall postseason landscape – is the admittance of IC Catholic and St. Francis into the CCL/ESCC. Their arrival led to a realignment of a league that already had a large amount of pedigreed programs locking horns.

Divisional games will be perilous. Crossover games ominous. Any time capable of surviving this CCL/ESCC slate with a playoff qualification should wear it as a badge of honor.

Is the door still open for a non-five win team to qualify for the playoffs?

Certainly.

Last year’s field produced the first four-win at-large qualifier (Buffalo Grove) in state history. And, until a late Week 9 push from upstarts, it seemed likely that even more would do so.

But, wait. Didn’t I just say there are more teams playoff-eligible this year?

As long as less than 500 teams are in the mix for playoff qualification (remember, we’re at 498), the mathematical probability remains of teams not reaching five wins but still earning a playoff berth.

After the nonconference weeks conclude, less than 250 wins will be passed out to Illinois teams on a weekly basis. It makes it unlikely that 256 teams will be able to accumulate five or more wins.

Dates to circle on the calendar?

The 2023 season comes out firing on all cylinders with a lot of explosive nonconference matchups. The strongest of that list gives an opportunity to see the new state venue at Illinois State with Mount Carmel and East St. Louis locking horns on Aug. 26 at Hancock Stadium.

That isn’t the only matchup of defending state champions on the docket. Class 1A champion Lena-Winslow will play Class 2A winner St. Teresa in Week 5, Mount Carmel will play another defending champion in Class 8A winner Loyola in Week 9, while Class 3A champs IC Catholic will also lock horns with Loyola in Week 7.

Something for all programs to be mindful of in regards to the calendar is that there is a significantly larger number of games scheduled to be played on days other than Friday. Both Thursday and Saturday games have increased on the whole.

Another scheduling quirk: teams are allowed to kick off the season on Thursday this year and a marquee matchup has already taken advantage of that addendum. Lincoln-Way East will travel to Gately Stadium to challenge an up-and-coming Kenwood squad.

Players to keep an eye on?

There’s an incredible group of wide receivers/tight ends to keep watch of in Illinois this year.

Glenbard South’s Cam Williams, a Notre Dame commit, Bolingbrook’s Kyan Berry-Johnson (Wisconsin), Kenwood’s I’Marion Stewart (Michigan), Marian Central’s Christian Betancur (Clemson) and Geneva’s Talyn Taylor lead a group of spectacular athletes at the position.

There’s plenty of talent in the trenches as well. St. Ignatius’ defensive lineman Justin Scott (Ohio State) is widely regarded as the state’s top collegiate prospect. The offensive line group is highlighted by a Georgia recruit in Kankakee’s Marquis Easley and a trio of Iowa commits in Lincoln-Way East’s Josh Janowski, Hersey’s Will Nolan and St. Charles East’s Bodey McCaslin.