Here are Rockford's top five smaller school high school football games to watch in 2024

The IHSA officially released the 2024 Illinois high school football schedule this past week as the season is closing in quickly.

After taking a look at five of our favorite big-school football games coming up, let's zero in on five of our top smaller-school football games to watch for this fall.

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The season kicks off on Aug. 30 for all of the Friday starters, and Aug. 31 for a couple of teams kicking things off on Saturday. Then the nine-week regular season, followed by the max five-round postseason. Last year, the Rockford area produced one state champion (Byron in Class 3A), one state runner-up (Lena-Winslow in 1A) and a slew of others that gave it a deep run.

Who will it be this year?

First, they have to work it all out on the gridiron during the regular season.

Here's what to watch for in Class 1A, 2A and 3A:

Week 1, Aug. 30: Oregon at North Boone

Two teams that were headed in the right direction last year will get nice tests right out of the gates. And if it's anything like last year's season opener for both teams, it will be one to remember again.

Last year Oregon pulled out the 6-0 upset of North Boone in double-overtime in a game that was billed as the battle of the two best passing attacks in the Big Northern Conference. The game was scoreless until the second possession of the second overtime.

But both teams turned it up offensively from there on out. Oregon won three of its last four to squeak into the playoffs while North Boone's stretch of six wins in seven weeks clinched the Vikings' playoff bid as well.

Neither made it past the first round, and both will be looking to make strides this year.

"You can feel a different energy with this team this year," Oregon head coach Broc Kundert said. "This senior group is ready to win."

Oregon has 22 seniors this season. North Boone will be replacing its starting quarterback and star receiver.

Week 2, Sept. 6: Lutheran at Byron

Last year in Week 2, Byron stormed onto Lutheran's home turf and power-rolled right through the Crusaders' defense, winning 64-0. The Tigers wound up winning it all in Class 3A, strolling to a 14-0 record after outscoring their foes 823-94. Lutheran won three of its last four to make the postseason but was swallowed up by Lena-Winslow 50-13 in the first round of the 1A playoffs.

This year, Lutheran should be better, but, well, Byron could be better as well. Better than last year's record-setting state champion? Yes, better. The Tigers leaned heavily on a sophomore running back (Caden Considine) and a freshman quarterback (Andrew Talbert) down the stretch last season, and they were young throughout.

"The Big Northern, year in and year out, is a proven conference, and there are a lot of good teams in this league," Byron head coach Jeff Boyer said when asked about the Week 2 matchup. "And Lutheran had a great run at the end of last year. I'm sure they're really looking forward to this one."

Week 6: Durand/Pecatonica at Lena-Winslow

Du/Pec QB Cooper Hoffman will now be a senior. Could this be the first year that he leads Du/Pec past Le-Win?

During the 2021 season, it was senior quarterback Hunter Hoffman who was running the Rivermen spread offense for his dad and head coach Tyler Hoffman. He led the Rivermen past Le-Win 30-24 in the regular season, but the Panthers went on to win the state title anyway.

It's been Hunter's brother (and Tyler's other son) Cooper taking the snaps ever since, but they haven't been able to defeat Le-Win since. It hasn't been Cooper's fault — practically nobody has been able to beat Le-Win since. The Panthers appeared on their way to another 14-0 record last year until losing 14-0 in the Class 1A state title game.

"Cooper (Hoffman) is a real dynamic player, and he can run it and he can throw it, and he can hurt you," Le-Win head coach Ric Arand said this week. "He's a once-in-a-generation kind of player, and they know how to use him... And anytime Du/Pec comes up, it's a fun game."

Week 9: Forreston at Lena-Winslow

The Panthers of Lena-Winslow had won six of the last 12 Class 1A state titles before they were upset and took second at state last year.

The Cardinals of Forreston won three state championships between 2014-18 and have turned into a threat once again the past two postseasons.

And they both play in the NUIC

Forreston has lost to Le-Win in both the regular season and in the postseason in each of the past two seasons. But Forreston handed Le-Win a 24-18 defeat in Week 9 of the 2021 season, and the Cardinals still have that 34-28 win over Le-Win in their pocket from the 2018 state quarterfinals.

"I mean, sometimes playing these guys is like playing against ourselves," Boyer said of Stillman Valley. "It's the same looks, the same schemes. Sometimes it's like looking in a mirror. And they just always seem to have very good skilled kids."

Week 9: Stillman Valley at Byron

The big matchup between these two rivals fell on Week 1 or 2 for six years in a row until last season, when it went back to Week 9, where it belongs. This is clearly the two best teams in the Big Northern Conference — tradition-wise, and of late. It could be that way again this year.

"Byron and Stillman Valley are both great towns that love their football, so these are always big games, and fun ones for the fans to watch," Boyer said. "It's really become a fun game to play, too."

This matchup is not only back to Week 9, but it's back to where it needs to be. Stillman Valley has five state championships and a runner-up finish, all in 2013 or earlier. Byron has three state titles and a pair of runner-up finishes, all but one coming in the past six years.

These have been two of the teams that have been battling for the BNC title down the stretch of four out of the past five seasons. It could happen again this year.

Byron beat up on Stillman Valley 43-7 last year but lost 15-7 in overtime the year before.

Jay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @JayTaft . Sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com . Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star .

This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Here are Rockford's top five smaller school high school football games to watch in 2024