Butterflies, first wins and more: Opening night memories from Peoria-area football coaches

Talking about the opening week of high school football season can elicit specific emotions.

Goosebumps. Butterflies. Nervousness.

Those Week 1 feelings often are a great reminder of a standout game or special moment. This is the first of a multi-part series where the Journal Star talks with coaches and players about superlative topics ranging from the most memorable moments, toughest players they've faced, favorite pre-game meal, and program traditions.

Here is what some of the Peoria-area coaches had to say about their favorite memory from coaching or playing on opening night of the football season.

All the stories in one place: Ultimate guide to Peoria-area high school football for 2023

'Nothing more real'

Many coaches spoke about that unique feeling that only comes on opening night — a mix of excitement and anticipation for answers to follow an offseason of questions.

• Todd Hollis, Elmwood/Brimfield: "I think the best part about opening night is the anxious energy in the air from the start of the day. I have it. Players have it. The Spirit Squad. The band and band director are getting ready for their first performance. The Booster Club. Administrators. It's a bit all-consuming that first day. Right up to kickoff. And it is wonderful. And then we play football."

• Jon Caruthers, Princeville: "The butterflies, the unknown ... how first-time starters are going to play, how the team will come together when they face adversity."

• Kendal Parker, Peoria Heights: "My most memorable moment of opening night is just seeing the fans. Seeing the fans coming up and seeing everybody packing the stands. I love the smell of grilled pork chops ... getting ready for the game to start."

• Jason Bachman, Eureka: "Obviously, the thing we love about opening night is that you spend really from that last game in November to the last week in August is preparing for that night. Just the anticipation and the energy that comes from that is what makes opening night so special for me."

• Jim Ulrich, Richwoods: "Opening night, it's that feeling of just running out on the football field. Takes me back to my playing days (Class of '90). My motivation is to restore Richwoods football to what it used to be."

• Doug Nutter, Pekin: "(My) favorite part of opening night is seeing the excitement from fans and players. Also, great seeing all the former players.

• Cody Myers, Deer Creek-Mackinaw: "There is nothing more real than seeing the opening kickoff of the season in the air and as a coach you know just how quickly those next nine weeks are going to go for a group of seniors who waited their entire lives to be in that moment. It really makes you realize how little time you actually have left with a group when you experience that."

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You'll always remember your first

Some coaches harkened back to their first seasons on the sidelines.

• Nick Wright, Canton: "Game one is special. Growing up, my dad was a high school football coach, and I was a ballboy on the sideline. I played for my dad. And I'm still on that sideline. The expectations that come with opening night are always promising and heavy. That's really the great part of it, the expectations that you are going to do well. I'll tell you this, things get answered quickly about your team on opening night. My first year at Canton was the COVID season. We won that opening game, and that whole night is my biggest memory for sure. To be a Canton kid, and getting that win on my first game on that sideline, it was everything to me."

• Darrell Crouch, Washington: "My very first year at Washington, we opened up as a new head coach at the school with Richwoods who was ranked. For our kids to come away at that game with a win was like super huge. Plus, it kind of kick off to your career. I'd definitely say that's one of the most memorable ones ever for opening week."

• Dustin Jefferson, East Peoria: "I remember my family was here (for my coaching debut), and I remember leaning so much on my dad, Ira. He was a coach for 20 years. I was so nervous, I could hardly talk in the headset. But I got more comfortable as the season went on. And it gets better with each passing year."

• Jared Grebner, Metamora: "My most memorable opening night was my first year as an assistant coach.  There was a lot of excitement as two great programs, Metamora and Geneseo, took the field in an anticipated match-up.  It was a great game that we ended up winning in overtime."

• Brett Cazalet, Dunlap: "The first year I was at Dunlap would have been (2009). We played Galesburg. It was one of those back-and-forth games. We took the lead late. They had about a 70-yard run with about 50 seconds left to win the game, so it didn't start out the way we wanted it to. I think that was kind of a good lesson for me of I had to get better and do a little bit better job coaching."

• Tim Heinz, IVC: "They're all special with different groups all the time. It might have been the first year at IVC. We went to Princeton and won in (double) overtime."

• Toby Vallas, Farmington: "I think probably the first time I ever was a head coach was probably my most memorable just because of the nerves. And then I think probably my first opening night at Farmington just because the nerves, you don't know what you're getting into and you're trying something new. Ironically, we lost both those (games)."

When they wore the jersey

A few of the area's coaches are young enough to remember when they donned the uniform, picking memories from when they played on Fridays.

• Dustin Jefferson, East Peoria: "My freshman year in high school at Kankakee, I was the backup quarterback. Our starter went down with an injury, and I had to fill in for a lot of that game. It was against Bradley Bourbonnais. I ended up with turf toe. I'll never forget that night, though."

• Mauriece Coates, Peoria Quest: "I played at Peoria High (in 2012 under Tim Thornton). Coming out of that tunnel and up that ramp to the field at Peoria Stadium, your heart was racing. Getting to wear your jersey to school on Friday."

• Benny Prather, Tremont: "In 2012 I was the only freshman playing varsity. I was a cornerback, and I remember this pass coming right at me in the end zone. I froze, watching it come at me. I was scared out of my mind, and then a senior, Colin Honan, swooped in and stole the interception. I remember afterward, I actually thanked him for that.

Traditions never fade

Two of our coaches spoke about traditions both personal and within the program.

• Adam O'Neill, Morton: "Opening night — everything is exciting at that point. For me, it's a little like unwrapping presents on Christmas day. My son, William, who is 12, we have a tradition before every game. We work our way down the entire field, with me throwing passes to him until he scores a touchdown. We play catch like that before every game. It's how I relax and prepare for kickoff."

• Nick Meyer, Fieldcrest: "At Fieldcrest, we have a unique homefield set up. Our fans can drive their cars onto the gravel track and park about 10 yards from the endzone end line — there's no fence separating the fans from the field, so they're right there with you. My favorite memory as a player and now as a coach is walking from where we do our pregame through the cars and onto the field. There are people lined up waiting to give you high-fives, words of encouragement and wish you luck. You truly feel that every Knight fan at that field is right there fighting with you. Not to mention, Fieldcrest has some of the best pork chops and caramel apples in Illinois, so those smells mixed with the fresh-cut grass are hard to beat!"

Under those 'Friday Night Lights'

Other coaches cited that iconic phrase when speaking of excitement on opening night, popularized by the 1990 book "Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream" and later made into a film and television series of the same name.

• Jeff Schmider, Limestone: "Friday night lights. The stands are packed. Cheerleaders. The band. So much involvement from the community and the schools involved. High school football is the ultimate test athletically. A football team combines the best from all the other sports in the school into one team."

• Tim Thornton, Peoria High: "Seeing the off-season come together under the lights. First chance for the kids to go up against someone else."

• Dennis Bailey, Manual: "Opening night is always special. We haven't had one in two years, during COVID-19 we played early evening games and last year we played at 2 p.m. So, this year is going to special to hear the buzz of the crowd and looking into the Friday night lights."

• Pat Armstrong, Peoria Notre Dame: "My favorite memory is how I always feel on opening night when stepping back on the field. The feeling of excitement, adrenaline and the butterflies that come with getting back on the field and under the lights for the first time each year."

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall. Dave Eminian contributed to this report. Dave Eminian contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: IHSA football: Peoria-area coaches share opening night memories