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2025 IHSA football schedule release: DeKalb County’s top games to watch, week-by-week

By Eddie Carifio
The sun sets during the DeKalb, Sycamore game Friday, Aug. 30, 2024, during the FNBO Challenge at Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University.

The sun sets during the DeKalb, Sycamore game during the FNBO Challenge at Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in 2024. (Mark Busch)

The IHSA just released its statewide football schedule for the 2025 season. Here are some top games to watch in the Daily Chronicle coverage area.

Week 1: Sycamore vs. DeKalb (at NIU’s Huskie Stadium), 7 p.m., Aug. 29

It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which this annual trophy game doesn’t make the list, but on the heels of last year’s thriller this one is somehow even bigger. Sycamore rallied furiously in the fourth quarter for a 35-28 win, its third straight in the series.

Week 2: Phillips at DeKalb, 7 p.m., Sept. 5

Both teams were very strong at the end of the last decade, with Phillips winning two state titles and the Barbs in the postseason every year from 2013-19. Both missed the postseason last year but meet in an intriguing early-season matchup.

Week 3: Kaneland at DeKalb, 7 p.m., Sept. 12

There are a lot of intriguing matchups early for the Barbs, including this local rivalry game. The teams played for the first time since 2018 last season, a 42-7 Kaneland win in Maple Park.

Week 4: Seneca at Genoa-Kingston, 7 p.m., Sept. 19

It’s not often of late the Cogs, or any Big Northern Conference team, has to go outside the conference for a game. But Rockford Christian dropped 11-man just before the 2024 season, leaving teams scrambling. The Cogs added Leo last-minute last year, and this year faces a Seneca team that has gone 30-4 the past three years. The BNC will get back to 10 teams next year when Durand-Pecatonica joins for football only.

Week 5: Morris at Kaneland, 7 p.m., Sept. 26

Both teams are flush with playoff berths this decade. Kaneland has qualified for every postseason held since 2017 and Morris has done so in every season with a postseason since 2019. But Morris has dominated head-to-head, with Kaneland last winning in 2018.

Week 6: Kaneland at Sycamore, 7 p.m., Oct. 3

A big stretch for the Knights in Interstate 8 play continues as they face a Sycamore team they have not defeated since 2018. Sycamore won 35-7 in Maple Park after falling down 7-0 last season.

Week 7: Hiawatha at Rockford Christian, noon, Oct. 11

The Royal Lions have struggled to field an 11-man team the past couple years, having to forfeit all their games last year and drop out of the Big Northern Conference. The Hawks are familiar with them as old members of the Northeastern Athletic Conference. They last played in 2019, a 40-14 win for the Hawks.

Week 8: Sycamore at Morris, 7 p.m., Oct. 17

Last year was the first time since the pandemic that this game was not a de facto conference title game, as Rochelle was second in the I-8 behind the Spartans. Morris won in 2021 and 2023 at home to claim conference titles, while Sycamore won in 2019 and 2022 for titles. The last time neither of these two won a title was in 2018 in the Northern Illinois Big 12 East, when Kaneland and DeKalb shared the title.

Week 9: Althoff Catholic at Kaneland, 1 p.m. Oct. 25

The teams played in a thriller in Belleville last year, a 14-10 win for the Crusaders. Althoff went 14-0 and won the 1A title, with the game against the Knights the closest of the year aside from a 53-52 win against Tolono Unity. Injuries were a factor for the Crusaders in that one. Regardless, it’s set up to be an interesting rematch.