Experienced Warriors hungry for more: 'Our kids are winners'

Jul. 28—TUSCOLA — A slew of facility upgrades are in progress at Memorial Field just behind Tuscola High School.

It's just hard to see them right now.

The old press box and bleachers on the home sideline have been torn down, and the replacement set hadn't yet arrived as the Warriors and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley scrimmaged on Wednesday night.

Thus, a handful of fans gathered in the newly installed visiting bleachers to watch the teams practice. That section of seating was in place of the old scoreboard, with its replacement also yet to be installed.

"The lights are all brand-new, locker rooms are completely brand new," Tuscola ninth-year coach Andy Romine said. "Our practice field and game fields are in great shape. We've a good area now for our visitors, which we've never had. It's exciting."

Once built, the new home sideline will feature seating from one 25-yard-line to the other.

It will offer a more conventional arrangement for the third-winningest program in state history that enters the 2023 campaign ranked fourth in The News-Gazette's preseason Top 10.

"We've had a few 7-on-7s and practices with other teams, and I think we've looked pretty good," Tuscola senior quarterback Jordan Quinn said. "But the important thing is we've gotten better every single time we've played one. We're obviously looking to make it back to the same spot and go even further than we did last year, and I think we're capable."

Tuscola can be characterized as being a younger team. It can also be considered experienced; three freshmen started in the Class 1A playoffs last season when Tuscola finished 9-3 and advanced to the Class 1A state quarterfinals.

"We've got a pretty talented sophomore class," Romine said. "Some of those guys are going to have to step up, especially if some injury stuff takes place. But we've got a senior-heavy offensive line for the first time in a few years."

Plenty of recognizable names are back in the fold, as well.

Quinn is expected to take a step forward this fall after throwing for 1,316 yards and 11 touchdowns while rushing for 700 yards and nine touchdowns a season ago. The multi-sport standout also helped lead the Warriors' boys' basketball program to a third-place finish at the Class 1A state tournament.

"Jordan's arm is going to be our key to success for most of our games," senior tight end Brady Cain said. "He's looking phenomenal, especially during our 7-on-7s and in the games against the other teams during the summer."

Quinn's presence will help the Warriors overcome the losses of five All-Central Illinois Conference selections from last season: Chris Boyd, Hunter Branca, John Claxon, Ben Hornaday and Jordan Sanchez. Boyd and Branca were recognized as first-team selections on both sides of the ball.

Quinn earned All-CIC honorable mention in his first season as a starter and offers a mobile skill set that should keep plenty of options available for the Warriors' offense.

"Last year, I kind of just learned that if I put more trust in my teammates, they'll make plays," Quinn said. "If I get them the ball, they'll make plays. And that's kind of what I'm doing this summer."

Among the options he'll have at his disposal are Cain and senior Austin Cummings, with Cummings one of the Warriors' top wide receivers last fall.

Romine expects the Warriors to employ a balanced attack this year.

"If we were a wrestling school, we could wrestle and play at that leverage," Romine said. "We're going to play with a tight end a lot, but we're going to be able to throw the football, and that's what we're actually out here working on (against GCMS)."

Cain and Cummings will be key on the defensive side, as well.

"I think our defensive box has great depth on the line, (but we're) really thin at linebacker," Romine said. "So we've got to have some kids come along at linebacker."

Tuscola's schedule once again drops the "Cola Wars" rivalry game against Arcola. That doesn't necessarily mean it gets easier, though.

Tuscola's opener against St. Bede at 7 p.m. on Aug. 25 will take place at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Coincidentally, the state's two winningest programs in East St. Louis and Chicago Mt. Carmel will play concurrently at Hancock Stadium on the Illinois State University campus in Normal, just a few miles away. Nonconference home games with Carlyle (Sept. 1) and Farmington (Sept. 8) lead into a highly anticipated road test at Shelbyville on Sept. 15. The Rams notched a 40-6 win at Memorial Field last September.

"If we can stay healthy through the middle part of the year, last year, some of our key games, we didn't have some dudes, some really good players," Romine said. "That's always a big key at this level, is staying healthy."

Home games against Central A&M (Sept. 22), Meridian (Oct. 6) and Oblong/Hutsonville/Palestine (Oct. 20) rotate with away games against Clinton (Sept. 29) and Warrensburg-Latham (Oct. 14) to close the season.

Tuscola's success in the 2022 regular season was the launching pad for a school year that saw the boys' basketball team conclude its season at State Farm Center, girls' basketball win its first 29 games, the girls' track and field team place third in state and recent graduate Ella Boyer capture The News-Gazette's female athlete of the year award.

"We used to be known as kind of a football town, but it's been great, especially since I've been in high school, to see that all the sports are really rising up," Quinn said. "It's great to be a part of the school and see all the athletics doing great."

It's a winning tradition that seems likely to continue throughout the fall.

"It's as simple as this: Our kids are winners," Romine said. "I'm not sure you would find a school in the area that has, I think we've got 16 boys out for cross-country, 62 kids out for football, got five or six kids golfing. You're inching up on 100 kids of 135 boys that are doing a fall sport here. And to me, that says that Tuscola is winning regardless of records."