Big 12 Conference predictions: How Peoria's high school football teams can win the league

Winning the Big 12 Conference is no small task.

Five Big 12 teams made the Illinois High School Association football playoffs in 2022 highlighted by Peoria High's run to the Class 5A state championship game. Normal West went undefeated in league play with the Lions, Champaign Centennial and Normal Community all winning six Big 12 games.

One unique aspect of the nonconference schedules for the Big 12 this season is playing the Central State Eight Conference teams. Peoria High faces Rochester in Week 1 with Manual traveling to Lincoln in Week 4. Jacksonville hosts Peoria Notre Dame in Week 5, while Richwoods goes to Springfield Southeast in Week 2. Bloomington, Champaign Central, Danville and Urbana will also be vying to compete in the Big 12.

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Here is an outlook on the Peoria schools' chances in the Big 12 Conferences.

Manual

• Coach: Dennis Bailey, second season

• Last year: 1-8 overall, 1-6 in Big 12 play

• Players to watch: London Tolliver, QB, Sr.; Nas King, OL/DL, Sr.; Namolos Thompson, RB, Jr.; DeMarcus Lucas, DB/WR, Sr.

• Key conference game: Week 1 vs. Peoria Notre Dame

• Manual can compete in the Big 12 if: the Tolliver-led offense can outscore teams with the defense making stops in key moments.

Peoria High

• Coach: Tim Thornton, 14th season

• Last year: 12-2 overall, 6-1 in Big 12 play

• Players to watch: Tino Gist, QB, Sr.; Gary Rutherford, LB, Sr.; TQ Webb, WR, Soph.; Jaquarius Green, OL, Soph.

• Key conference game: Week 8 vs. Normal West

• Peoria High can compete in the Big 12 if: the Lions continue to do what they've been doing for the last decade and a half — 'Fast. Hard. Finish.'

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Peoria Notre Dame

• Coach: Pat Armstrong, sixth season

• Last year: 3-6 overall, 2-6 in Big 12 play

• Players to watch: Jack Hanley, RB, Jr.; Ben Mullens, LB, Jr.; Mike McLaughlin, OL/DL, Sr.; Liam O'Neill, QB, Sr.

• Key conference game: Week 4 vs. Richwoods

• PND can compete in the Big 12 if: the Irish can win close games after playing in four single-digit games last season, losing three of them.

Richwoods

• Coach: Jim Ulrich, third season

• Last year: 1-8 overall, 1-7 in Big 12 play

• Players to watch: Mason Hawkins, WR, Sr.; Zion Franklin, OL/DL, Sr.; Darrin Dussett, DB, Sr.; TJ Smith, LB, Sr.

• Key conference game: Week 1 vs. Bloomington

• Richwoods can compete in the Big 12 if: the Knights can get through a really tough stretch in weeks 4-6 against PND, Normal West and Peoria High.

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Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

Big 12 Conference

Here is the predicted finish for the conference in 2023.

1. Peoria High (9-0, 8-0)

2. Normal West (8-1, 7-1)

3. Champaign Centennial (7-2, 6-2)

4. Peoria Notre Dame (7-2, 6-2)

5. Richwoods (6-3, 5-3)

6. Normal Community (5-4, 4-4)

7. Bloomington (3-6, 2-6)

8. Manual (3-6, 2-6)

9. Danville (2-7, 2-6)

10. Champaign Central (2-7, 1-6)

11. Urbana (0-9, 0-8)

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Big 12 Conference predictions, outlook, preview: Peoria HS football