PEORIA — High school football is in the air.
Six weeks from Friday brings the opening night of the 2024 Illinois High School Association football season. Look for the Peoria area to once again be loaded with top individual talent as well as teams looking to make a deep run throughout the state playoffs.
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Here are four takeaways from an intrasquad practice held between Peoria High, Morton and Moline at Peoria Stadium on Tuesday afternoon.
‘Can’t wait, can wait’ for Week 1
Peoria High will open the 2024 season with a new coach for the first time in 14 years.
Aaron Montgomery was hired on Jan. 8 as just the 12th head football coach since 1919, having served as the offensive line coach for the last three seasons. His tenure began following Tim Thornton’s December resignation for a job in Florida.
“It’s been a blur,” said Montgomery, a 2004 Peoria High grad. “We’ve been keeping track of days, and at one point I remember, ‘Hey, we were at 90 days away from Week 1’ and now, I think we’re at 40 (days).”
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Not to get too technical, but Tuesday marked 45 days until the Lions host Champaign Centennial to kick off Week 1.
“I can’t wait, and I can wait,” Montgomery said. “I know I’m asking for something to hurry up and get here, but I want to make sure also we’re fully prepared for it when it gets here. I’m excited and want time to fly, but also want to make sure again by the time we arrive at Week 1, we’re polished and ready to put a great product on the field.”
An overcast afternoon brought Morton, Moline and the Lions together for a contact day. The trio of teams participated in drills, while also working on their respective offensives and defenses.
The day was capped off by having some freshly grilled burgers.
“We just thought it would be a great opportunity to get together,” he said. “Football, camaraderie, have some fun as opposed to some of the traveling we’ve done in past. We kind of brought the camp to us.”
New QB1 at Peoria High
Tino Gist was a staple under center (or in shotgun formation) for Peoria High since 2021. The three-year starting quarterback has graduated, leaving the position open for the next QB1.
Enter Breon Green.
“They’re totally different athletes,” Montgomery said of the 5-foot-9, 165-pound junior. “… He’s explosive and (has a) great arm. Now, it’s time to polish him into a passer as opposed to just a thrower. We’re excited about his tools and what he brings (and) offers.”
Not only is the Peoria High coaching staff looking forward to Green’s game, but his wide receiving corps is as well.
“I feel like this year Breon’s a better threat,” senior receiver TQ Webb said. “He don’t have to depend on us for running the ball or anything. He can run and everything.”
Webb is one of the several weapons Peoria High offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Asa Lewis Jr. will have at his disposal this season. Montgomery says there will be "no real emphasis" on being a pass- or run-heavy team, but the Lions will "never stray too far from running the ball."
So, what can be said about this Lions offense for 2024?
“Dangerous,” Webb said.
Year 2 under new coach at Morton
The Potters went 8-2 last season, winning eight in a row to begin 2023. Back-to-back losses to a pair of eventual state semifinalists in Class 6A Washington and Class 5A New Lenox Providence ended the opening season for new head coach Adam O’Neill .
O’Neill has been around the program more this offseason after not starting his inaugural campaign until late spring 2023.
“You get to spend time with the kids,” he said, “and install some leadership things and be in the weight room. Just be around the community, our boosters and our families. That was a lot of fun.”
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No real surprise that Morton, which allowed 16.9 points a game last season, will once again be built on defense.
“Making sure we understand the scheme,” O’Neill said of what he expects from the players replacing four all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team selections, “but not a whole lot different. We’ll practice real similar and work in the weight room and speed training a lot the same.”
Offensively, the Potters welcome back two of the Mid-Illini’s top talents in running back Seandon Buffington and wide receiver Julian Alexander. The seniors were named all-Mid-Illini second team last season, putting up big numbers. They scored 20 touchdowns between them, while getting the ball a combined 211 times for 1,802 rushing and receiving yards.
“I think they’re both pretty dynamic players,” O’Neill said, “so they’re a threat to score every time they touch it, so we got to make sure that we get them enough touches and get them touches in space and one-on-one scenarios.”
Peoria Stadium is a year removed from the installation of artificial turf as part of the $8 million facility upgrade. New bleachers on the visitors side were put in prior to the 2023 season, while the digital scoreboard debuted in 2022.
More recent upgrades from this summer include a fresh paint job inside the grandstand and bathrooms, as well as a new sound system and speakers.
“It’s a beautiful place,” Montgomery said, “and I’m glad about all the renovations that we’ve seen and what we’ve got.”
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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: New QB, coach and stadium: 4 things we learned at Peoria High's 7-on-7 football scrimmage
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