Here's our 2025 All-BCR Football Team, representing players from Bureau Valley, Hall, LaMoille, Princeton and St. Bede.

From a couple of NIU commits at quarterback to dynamic players in the secondary, we look at the best football players in DeKalb County with the Daily Chronicle 2025 All-Area Football Team.

Davon Grant will leave DeKalb as the most prolific receiver in school history. He heads to the University of Illinois as the all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards and is the Daily Chronicle 2025 Football Player of the Year.

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they recap the Illinois high school football state championship games for Class 8A-5A

A foundational offensive line group. A defensive line that will mostly be here in January. A linebacker that can fill some big shoes. Here are five takeways from NIU's 2026 signing class.

Wednesday marked the beginning of the 2025 Early Signing Day Period for NCAA Division I football. Here is a list of CCL/ESCC players who will be playing Division I FBS and FCS football next year.

Quinn Urwiler’s NIU career wasn’t just tackles, it was tone‑setting. The Batavia grad leaves as a leader who embodied grit, accountability, and culture in a season that tested the Huskies at every turn.

The Oswego football team played Mount Carmel Saturday to decide the IHSA Class 8A state championship in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

The Brother Rice and St. Rita football teams played Wednesday in the IHSA Class 7A State Championship game in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Willowbrook senior Marli Smrz, who threw for over 3,600 yards and 72 touchdowns in leading the Warriors to a 22-1 record and third place in the state, is the Suburban Life girls flag football Player of the Year. Read more about her in this Q&A interview.

Oswego East junior quarterback Danielle Stone, who led the Wolves to Southwest Prairie Conference and regional titles, is the Record Newspapers girls flag football Player of the Year. Read more about her in this interview.

Marist 6-foot-7 wide receiver Stephen Brown, a two-sport standout with Division I football and basketball offers, has committed to play football at NC State. Brown, whose father Andre played at Miami (FL) and in the NFL, caught 63 passes for 1,035 yards and 10 TDs at Marist.

Fenwick defeated East St. Louis 38-28 on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

Wheaton St. Francis defeated Providence Catholic 39-35 to win the Class 5A State championship on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

Robbie Connor rushed for 96 yards and 3 touchdowns, Charlie Klass added 2 rushing touchdowns and Reid Hites threw for a touchdown as St. Ignatius took down Morgan Park 40-12 to win its second straight Prep Bowl.

Here are Joe Lewnard's photos from the Class 4A state championship game between Montini and Rochester.

Miss out on any of the high school football action in northern Illinois? Listen to the audio versions of our stories from the Class 4A-1A state title games of the 2025 IHSA playoffs

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.

Byron and Tolono Unity square up Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University for the 3A football title. Byron won a barnburner 56-50.

Wilmington and Maroa-Forsyth face off Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University for the 2A football title. Wilmington won 42-6.

Lena-Winslow and Brown County take the field Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, at Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University for the 1A football title. Lena-Winslow took the win 58-13.

Dario Milivojevic has not been afraid to do anything for St. Francis. And with one win separating the team from a state title, he's ready to do it one last time.

As the Wilmington offense enters Friday's IHSA Class 2A State championship game red hot, it's the offensive line where the Wildcats set the tone in their signature double-wing offense.

Montini's Angelo DeSensi grew up on the Chicago Bulls, and once had NBA dreams. Now the 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior left tackle and ace student is the anchor of the unbeaten Broncos' offensive line as they go for the program's eighth state title Friday night.

The Three Rivers announced its all-conference football team and L-P's Aubrey Duttlinger and Kelsey Frederick earned all-state honors in volleyball.

Providence Catholic won only four games last year, losing in the regular season finale to keep the Celtics out of the postseason. A year later, they're playing in the state championship game.

The two remaining undefeated CCL/ESCC programs, Mount Carmel and Montini, will look to complete their perfect seasons during the IHSA state championship games this weekend. Montini will face Rochester in 4A on Friday night. Mount Carmel will battle Oswego in 8A on Saturday.

Join hosts Steve Soucie, Russ Hodges and Josh Welge as they preview the Illinois high school football state championship games

Gianni Casurella does not need to be reminded that Oswego is the surprise participant in this Saturday’s Class 8A final. Doubt is his fuel. "A fire in my soul every day." Oswego's senior defensive tackle is a huge reason behind that defense's dominance during the playoff run.

Wilmington will look to win its third state title in the last five years and fourth in program history when the Wildcats face Maroa-Forsyth in Friday's IHSA Class 2A state championship.

Join hosts Joel Boenitz and Josh Welge as they preview the Illinois high school football state title games for the west suburban schools

Having faced off in the regular season, St. Rita and Brother Rice are set to battle in a rematch for the IHSA 7A state championship. Providence and St. Francis, who played each other in the regular season, are also set for a rematch in the 5A state championship.

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they break down what we saw in the Illinois high school football playoff semifinals, talk about Mt. Carmel coach Jordan Lynch's recent comments, and look ahead to the state title games

Miss out on any of the high school football action in northern Illinois? Listen to the audio versions of our stories from the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA playoffs here

Wilmington defeated El Paso-Gridley 41-0 in IHSA Class 2A semifinal playoff football on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2025.

For the second straight week, Wilmington had five touchdown drives of one or two plays, tallying 483 rushing yards in a 41-0 win over El Paso-Gridley in Saturday's Class 2A state semifinal.

Brother Rice QB C.J. Gray ran for four of the Crusaders six rushing touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Downers Grove North in a Class 7A semifinal Saturday.

Fremd's deepest playoff run in program history came to an end at the hands of Mt. Carmel in Saturday's Class 8A semifinal.

Domination. That was the word Lena-Winslow coach Ric Arand used to describe his team’s play in the second half of a 30-16 win over Stockton in the Class 1A state semifinals Saturday.

Dario Milivojevic, Tanner Glock and St. Francis forced five Belvidere North turnovers to earn a spot in the Class 5A state championship game against Providence Catholic. The Spartans had lost in the semifinal round the last three years.

East St. Louis showed again Saturday why it’s a next-to-impossible force to stop, handling St. Laurence 50-7 in the Class 6A state semifinals.

The Oswego and Lockport football teams met Saturday in a state football semifinal game.

Richmond-Burton faces Byron in an IHSA Class 3A smifinal playoff football game on Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Richmond-Burton High School, in Richmond.

The Montini football team hosted Morris Saturday afternoon in an IHSA state football semifinal matchup.

The Batavia and St. Rita football teams met Saturday with a trip downstate on the line.

Nazareth hosted Fenwick Saturday for an IHSA state football semifinal matchup.

Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio defeated Polo 30-20 to win the 8-man I8FA championship game on Friday, Nov. 21, 2025 at April Zorn Memorial Stadium in Monmouth. This is the Clippers third straight championship.

Loyola's 6-foot-8 offensive tackle Tommy Fraumann, a Michigan legacy, has committed to play football for the Wolverines next year. Fraumann, whose Michigan roots run back multiple generations, helped the Ramblers win an IHSA 8A state title last season.

If there’s anybody that knows the Lena-Winslow and Stockton football rivalry, it’s Jesse Snyder, formerly at Princeton. He played in it for Le-Win and has coached in it from both sides of the field, first as a head coach at Stockton and now as an assistant for Le-Win.

The Herald-News prep football preview for Week 13 of the 2025 season, featuring key showdowns across the greater Will and Grundy county area as the IHSA playoffs continue.