FOOTBALL

The top central Illinois high school football programs of the last 20 years

Wes Huett
Journal Star

During most Thanksgiving weekends, 16 high school football teams from across our state are preparing to take the ultimate stage: The Illinois High School Association football state championships.

This is not like most Thanksgiving weekends.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the prep football season was pushed to the spring and the championships canceled.

Earlier this fall, the Journal Star picked the best football players who graduated from area high schools since the year 2000. Then we looked at the best and most important games of the last two decades.

Now we take a look at the top 10 programs since 2000, based on playoff victories. We also include their total playoff appearances and top finishes — all since the turn of the century.

Metamora quarterback Michael Fay runs with the ball during the 2009 Class 4A state championship football game in Champaign.

1. Metamora

The undisputed king of central Illinois football over the last 20-plus seasons, the Redbirds and coach Pat Ryan won nearly 40 playoff games since 2000. Metamora has 16 more playoff wins than the next closest large-school program.

Playoff appearances: 17  Playoff wins: 38

Best finish: 5A title (2007), 4A title (2009)

The Illini West football team acknowledges the crowd following a 22-20 victory over Stillman Valley in the 2010 Class 3A state championship game.

2. Carthage/Illini West

The most decorated small-school program in the area. The Carthage Blueboys, who later became the Illini West Chargers, are playoff mainstays behind longtime coach Jim Unruh and current coach Lyle Klein.

Playoff appearances: 18 Playoff wins: 36

Best finish: 3A titles (2008, 2010); 1A title (2000)

Annawan-Wethersfield's quarterback Coltin Quagliano throws against Le-Win in the second quarter on Saturday, Nov. 23, 2019, at Wethersfield High School in Kewanee.

3. Wethersfield / Annawan/Wethersfield

The Wethersfield Flying Geese won a championship under coach Tom Buck in 2001 and made the semifinals in 2002. The program really began cooking after it created a co-op with Annawan in 2008 to become the Annawan/Wethersfield Titans.  

Playoff appearances: 14 Playoff wins: 25

Best finish: 1A title (2001)

Stark County running back Chase Johnston tries to escape the clutches of a Ottawa Marquette defender during a 2015 IHSA Class 1A semifinal at Dunlap High School.

4. Stark County

Coach Jade Noard has created a culture of excellence in the small towns of Toulon and Wyoming, building the Rebels into a playoff stalwart with a pair of title-game appearances since 2000. 

Playoff appearances:17 Playoff wins: 22

Best finish: 1A runnerup (2008, 2015)

Washington football coach Darrell Crouch addresses his players after a victory last season in Washington.

5. Washington

Coach Darrell Crouch has grown the Panthers into a perennial playoff team with 12 appearances since he took over in 2005. Six times his teams ended their seasons in the quarterfinals and twice in semifinals.

Playoff appearances:16 Playoff wins: 22

Best finish: 5A semifinals (2013, 2017) 

Richwoods coach Roland Brown waits to take the field with his players before kickoff of Friday's game with Central.

6. Richwoods

The king of 1980s Peoria football remains one of its top programs in 2020. Coach Roland Brown has led the Knights to half of their playoff appearances since 2000, ending twice in the semifinals and once in a title game.

Playoff appearances: 14 Playoff wins: 19

Best finish: 6A runnerup (2011)

Deer Creek-Mackinaw fullback Jared Reese stiff-arms a defender during the 2016 Class 1A state championship football game in Champaign.

7. Deer Creek-Mackinaw

Retired coach Jim McDonald built the Chiefs into a power before retiring in 2005 after back-to-back quarterfinal runs. Current coach Job Linboom hasn't slowed much, getting Dee-Mack to the quarters and semis — before striking gold in 2016 with the program's first title. 

Playoff appearances: 14 Playoff wins: 17

Best finish: 2A title (2016)

Bureau Valley's, from top left, Eric Blackert, Shawn Wager and Jonny Barnas move in to stop Addison Driscoll running back Justin Nudo during the Class 3A championship game Friday, Nov. 26, 2004, at Memorial Stadium at the University of Illinois in Champaign.

8. Bureau Valley

The Manlius-based consolidation won 12 playoff games over a three-year stretch from 2004 to 2006. The Storm earned a spot in the 2004 title game under Jason Kirby and a title in 2005 under Dave Moore, who led them back to the semifinals in 2006.

Playoff appearances:10 Playoff wins: 17

Best finish: 3A title (2005)

The Spring Valley Hall football program has the ninth-most playoff wins since 2000.

9. Hall

Longtime coach Gary Vicini built the Red Devils into a machine throughout the 1990s, that success spilling into the 2000s with the program's second title in 2001. Randy Tieman brought Hall back to playoff prominence with six playoff wins before he stepped down this February.

Playoff appearances: 15  Playoff wins: 14

Best finish: 3A title (2001)

Peoria High's Coran Taylor poses with the Class 5A championship trophy in Champaign.

10. Peoria High

Coach Tim Thornton has the Lions on this list despite just six playoff appearances. Half of the 10 playoff wins came in its historic 2016 season during which Peoria set multiple state scoring records.

Playoff appearances: 6 Playoff wins: 10

Best finish: 5A title (2016)