5 Peoria-area Week 1 high school football games that caught our attention for 2023
The wait for high school football is nearly over.
In just 45 days, the Friday night lights will be turned on and teams will be ready to play. The Illinois High School Association released the statewide regular-season schedule on Monday.
Here is a look at five Week 1 matchups that caught our attention for the weekend of Aug. 25-26.
Kickoff 2023: All Peoria-area schedules can be found here.
Rochester at Peoria High
This meeting between two of the state's perennial powers comes courtesy of a one-year crossover agreement between the Big 12 and Central State Eight conferences. Peoria High is coming off a Class 5A runner-up finish, while Rochester, which has won eight state championships since 2010, lost in the Class 4A semifinals last season. Both of these teams have the reputation of scoring points, especially the Lions who have the benefit of returning three-year starting quarterback Tino Gist. This game is 7 p.m. Friday at Peoria Stadium.
Peoria Notre Dame vs. Manual
Another league opener for these Big 12 Conference city rivals comes in Week 1. PND held on for a 40-38 victory in last season's opening week. The Rams scored 30 second-half points as backup quarterback London Toliver finished 8-for-11 with 293 yards and five TDs. PND used its signature run offensive to score five first-half rushing TDs en route to the win. This game is 7 p.m. Friday at Richwoods Stadium.
Richwoods at Bloomington
Richwoods looks to snap a five-game losing streak, traveling to the Twin Cities for a 7 p.m. Friday kick. The Knights, who play five road games this season, lost 28-26 in Week 1 in 2022 and last beat Bloomington in Week 7 of the 2017 season. This game is 7 p.m. Friday in Bloomington.
Sterling at Metamora
Metamora starts and ends its regular season at home. Sterling head coach Jon Schlemmer was on Metamora's state runner-up teams in 1999 and 2000. The Golden Warriors were a Class 5A quarterfinalist last season. In their previous meeting, Sterling beat the Redbirds, 44-12, in the first round of the 2015 5A playoffs. This will also be the debut of the artificial turf on Malone Field. This game is 7:30 p.m. Friday in Metamora.
Knoxville at Elmwood/Brimfield
These two playoff teams from 2022 meet in the newly formed LincolnLand Conference, which is a merger between the Lincoln Trail and Prairieland conferences. In the team's last meeting, the Trojans beat Knoxville, 22-8, in the pandemic-shortened spring 2021 season. The Blue Bullets then joined the Lincoln Trail for the 2021 fall campaign. This game is 7 p.m. Friday in Elmwood.
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: List of 5 Peoria-area games worth watching in Week 1
