Last year, Little Illini Conference football teams finished 5-11 against non-conference opponents in the first two weeks of the regular season. This year, lots of new faces dot team schedules as the league looks to better that mark.
However, a glance back at 2024 showed LIC teams were more than willing to schedule larger, playoff-caliber opposition. Of the 10 Illinois teams which played non-conference games against LIC schools, seven went on to the post-season. Throw in the two Indiana opponents played, and the aggregate win-loss record was an impressive 83-72 (.535). Plus, 12 of the 16 non-conference games played were against schools with larger enrollments.
This season, 10 of those 16 non-conference games feature new opponents. Only Paris is standing pat, with games against North Vermillion, Ind. and Charleston again leading off the schedule.
Three schools – Casey-Westfield, Newton, and Robinson – have new opponents in each of the first two weeks of the season. Casey-Westfield, 10-2 last year and runner-up to LIC champion Olney, opens at home on Aug. 29 against Fisher (2-7 last year) before heading to Tuscola (5-5). Newton, which won three of its last four games after an 0-5 start a year ago, opens at home against Bethalto Civic Memorial (2-7), then goes to Trenton Wesclin (3-6) in Week Two. Robinson, 4-5 last year, faces old Apollo Conference rival Charleston (3-6) to kick off the season before playing at River-to-River Conference toughie Benton (8-4) on Sept. 5.
Four other LIC schools play one new non-conference opponent. Lawrenceville, 0-9 one year ago, added Carlyle (3-6) at home in Week Two. Marshall, 2-7 last year, will host Sparta/Steeleville (0-9) on Saturday, Sept. 6. Mt. Carmel, 5-5 a year ago, heads to Du Quoin (6-4) on opening night in a battle of southern Illinois bluebloods. Olney, the darling of the LIC in 2024 after a worst-to-first jump in the standings (finishing 10-1 overall), renews an ancient North Egypt Conference and Apollo Conference rivalry at Salem (2-7) in the season’s second week.
Conference play begins in Week Three and continues for seven weeks until the end of the regular season.
