The La Salle-Peru football team has an all new nonconference schedule for 2026, adding Springfield Lanphier, Wheaton Academy, Alton and Marquette Academy to the schedule.

This spring, we at Friday Night Drive will start looking ahead to the fall with players we are keeping our eye on. Who are some of the top players to watch in 2026? We will start with the quarterbacks.

A look at the top football players in the NewsTribune area for the 2025 season.

La Salle-Peru senior Nick Hachenberger went from never playing defense in youth football to a tackling machine at linebacker, averaging 10.1 stops per game this fall. He is the 2025 NewsTribune Defensive Football Player of the Year.

Morris's Caeden Curran (Offensive POTY), Mick Smith (Defensive POTY) and Kaneland's Jake Buckley (Lineman of the Year) are among the Interstate 8's All-Conference players for the 2025 season. Below are all of this year's winners, including Honorable Mentions.

Congratulations to these 22 Illinois high school football players who were voted onto Friday Night Drive's Team of the Week for Week 9 of the 2025 high school football season

La Salle-Peru committed four turnovers that led to 17 points for O'Fallon as a seven-point game at halftime turned into a 34-0 loss for the Cavaliers.

Gallery

O'Fallon shut out L-P 34-0 on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025 at Howard Fellows Stadium. The Cavs end their season with a record of 2-7. Check out photos of the game by MaKade Rios.

A look at all the Week 9 football games in the NewsTribune area.