Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview an exciting Week 1 in Illinois high school football on the Friday Night Drive podcast

The wait is over. The many, many questions that teams have for the 2025 season are about to begin getting answered. Steve Soucie takes a look at the games to watch in the first week of the IHSA football season.

Here are team-by-team breakdowns, five players to watch, five can't miss games and Steve Soucie's predictions for the West Suburban Conference.

The 2025 boys soccer season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

With the kickoff of the high school football season days away, here is the Friday Night Drive preseason Top 25. Who is No. 1?

The 2025 girls volleyball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

History tends to repeat itself in regards to the IHSA Football Playoffs, but the new enrollment numbers could lead to a bracket that looks a lot different in the next postseason chase. Here is Steve Soucie's 2025 IHSA football preseason playoff projection.

Here are Gary Duncan's photos from Glenbard West football practice.

The Illinois high school football season gets underway Monday, Aug. 11, with the start of preseason practices. Here are some of the top storylines to watch in the Suburban Life area this season.

Glenbard West senior Josh Abushanab showcased his improved game during the spring and summer, and now appears poised to take the next step to lead the Hilltoppers

Football teams including St. Francis, Hinsdale Central, Glenbard West and Lincoln-Way East participated in a 7 on 7 tournament on Thursday, June 25, 2025 at Naperville North.

Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area softball team.

Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area girls soccer team.

History tends to repeat itself in regards to the IHSA Football Playoffs, but the new enrollment numbers could lead to a bracket that looks a lot different in the next postseason chase. Here is Steve Soucie's 2025 IHSA football preseason playoff projection.

Glenbard West's latest Final Four appearance wasn't expected. It was earned. The Hilltoppers, making their 11th straight state appearance, finished runner-up Saturday with a 25-20, 25-20 loss to Marist in the state championship in Hoffman Estates.

In a thrilling quarterfinal match at Hoffman Estates High School, Glenbard West secured its spot in the boys volleyball final four, showcasing resilience and skill as Charlie Clifford’s 14 kills helped overcome New Trier 25-21, 29-27.

Drew Gami was part of a four-run second inning and later showed off his lethal arm from center field as York prevailed past Glenbard West in sectional semifinal action Thursday.

Tervor Martay responded by scoring three consecutive goals in a three-minute span to lift New Trier past Glenbard West 9-6 before a large and spirited crowd at the boys lacrosse supersectional Tuesday in Hoffman Estates.

Glenbard West avenged an earlier loss to York by winning the Conant Sectional championship Friday.

Illinois commit Ashley Adams scored a hat trick with three goals in just 44 minutes, while sophomore Kelsey Clousing was on the receiving end of both her assists as Wheaton Warrenville South cruised to a 7-0 victory over Glenbard West.

Wheaton Warrenville South defeated Glenbard West in a Class 3A Glenbard West Sectional semifinal game on Tuesday, May 27, 2025 in Glen Ellyn.

Westmont junior Kyla Babb pulled off an impressive distance double on Saturday at the state track and field meet, taking second in the Class 1A 3,200 meters and third in the 1,600. Downers Grove North, Downers Grove South and Wheaton North were among other schools with medals.

How will St. Francis' record-setting distance crew line up in Charleston? Can Westmont's Kyla Babb pull off the distance double? Here are five storylines to watch for Suburban Life area athletes at the IHSA girls state track and field meet.

Wheaton Warrenville South softball beat Wheaton North 1-0 in a wild ending, Sophia Rosner struck out 11 and homered for Benet softball, plus the rest of the baseball, softball soccer and volleyball results in Wednesday's Suburban Life roundup.

Downers Grove North, with six event champions, won its fifth straight West Suburban Silver championship – just the second time that has been done in conference history dating back to 1973. Glenbard West was second.

Glenbard West took second behind Evanston at its Jim Arnold Invite on Saturday, with Wheaton North, Lake Park and Naperville North rounding out the top five. Meanwhile Glenbard South's Kyle Quaid-Bowman soared to a win in the pole vault.

Glenbard West led in the first set before faltering, but the Hilltoppers dominated Lincoln-Way East in the second set and edged them in the third to win the Lincoln-Way East Invitational.

Downers Grove South senior Kailee Rodeck soars to record pole vault, Vanderbilt commit Finn Richards chasing Benet track records from 50 years ago, and Willowbrook's Amelie Ojeda breaks her school 3,200 record. That and more in Bill Stone's track and field notebook.

Evan Gaughan and York claimed “The Bucket Trophy” and clinched a share of the West Suburban Conference title by virtue of their 8-7 victory in a thriller over Glenbard West on Thursday in Elmhurst on Thursday.

With three straight 2-0 victories against West Aurora, Andrew and host Plainfield North, Glenbard West had a good showing in the Plainfield Classic tournament. That, plus notes on Lemont, Downers Grove South, Benet, Hinsdale South and Morton in Chris Walker's soccer notebook.

Lily Bobor and starting pitcher Avery Arnold had run-scoring doubles in Wheaton Warrenville South's four-run first inning, and the Tigers went on to a 13-5 win over Glenbard West on Tuesday.

Willowbrook senior distance standout Amelie Ojeda and Wheaton North’s Sophia Dalrymple had stellar individual days, while Glenbard West took third place as a team at its Sue Pariseau Invitational.

Downers Grove North freshman Macy Ermitage missed almost all of cross country season with a stress fracture – but she's back in a big way on the track. Ermitage won the 3,200 at Downers Grove North's Ritter Invitational, leading the Trojans to second place as a team.

Ainslie Bobroff was bound to end up on a ball field. She grew up a 10-minute walk from Wrigley Field. Softball came when she moved to the suburbs. Now she stars as a four-year second baseman for Glenbard West. That, plus notes on Hinsdale Central and Glenbard East super sophs.

Despite the loss of nearly every top pitcher from its staff from last season’s Class 4A fourth-place team, namely superstar Ryan Sloan, York is missing a beat this spring. That, plus notes on Glenbard West and more in Bob Narang's baseball notebook.

The track and field season is heading outdoors and here are previews of girls teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

Hinsdale South senior Audrey Atkinson, who established the all-time school scoring record last season, is closing in on 100 career goals. That, plus notes on streaking Morton, Julia Benjamin's return to Glenbard West as a goalkeeper and more in Chris Walker's soccer notes.

Hana Allen scored off a scrum in front of the net to lift Glenbard West to a 1-0 win over Wheaton North on Thursday.

The 2025 high school soccer season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

The 2025 high school softball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

The 2025 high school baseball season starts this week. Here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

Junior Josh Abushanab scored a team-high 16 points, his two free throws sending Glenbard West into the fourth quarter ahead by 2, but Evanston held the Hilltoppers to one basket over the first seven minutes to win 47-43 in the Class 4A Hoffman Estates Supersectional.

After only managing one point in the second quarter, Glenbard West, led by senior Teyion Oriental, flipped the script in the second half to take a 50-33 victory over Geneva for the Hilltoppers' first sectional title since their state title run in 2022.

Geneva faced Glenbard West boys basketball in the Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional final on Friday, March 7, 2025 in St. Charles.

TJ Williams scored a career-high 32 points and added seven steals, and top-seeded Glenbard West pulled away from Glenbard East for a 65-47 win in Tuesday's Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional semifinal.

Glenbard East boys basketball faced Glenbard West in the Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional semifinal on Tuesday, March 4, 2025 in St. Charles.

Glenbard West's memorable playoff run that included the program's first sectional title since 1999 ended on Monday, as Fremd beat the Hilltoppers 67-47 in the Class 4A Hersey Supersectional to advance to state for the eighth time in program history.

Glenbard West girls basketball faced Fremd in the Class 4A supersectional on Monday, March 3, 2025 at Forest View Education Center in Arlington Heights.

Top-seeded Glenbard West (26-5) survived a scare from No. 9 Addison Trail, outlasting the Blazers, 74-73 in double-overtime to capture a Class 4A regional basketball title Friday night in Addison.

Makenna Yeager scored 22 points, helping lead Glenbard West to a 46-39 win over Batavia in the Class 4A St. Charles East Sectional final for the Hilltoppers' first sectional title since 1999.