Football: ‘Back into the routine’ — Palatine, Grant among teams with high hopes as 2025 season nears
Sunny. Hot. Steamy.
Not exactly the type of weather that comes to mind regarding football.
But it is they type of weather that high school players across the state were familiar with as they begin their first official day of practice.
“This is the way to start,” said Evan Downer, who is a three-year starter on the offensive line at Palatine and committed to Ball State.
“This is my favorite time of the year. Get used to the hot and once it gets dark out it’s ‘Friday Night Lights’ and all cold.”
The Pirates had to wait until the after Monday to begin practice as Palatine and the rest of District 211 began school on Monday.
“It is time to get back into the routine,” Palatine coach Corey Olson said. “Kids thrive on that. Being as hot as it is and the fact that we have later start times this week, we will utilize some morning practices too.”
Palatine quarterback Will Santiago, who recently committed to St. Thomas in Minnesota, said being back in school and playing football at the same time is perfect for him.
“I miss this,” Santiago said. “A lot of people hate school. I missed being in the hallways and seeing all my teachers and teammates and coaches. And getting back here out in the field tops the day.”
Palatine is coming off winning the MSL West title last year. The Pirates are hoping they can repeat as champions and get back to the playoffs for the fifth season in a row.
“We are focused on the process,” Olson said. “Focus on becoming the best team we possibly can be. Focus on being a group of guys that put the team first and work real hard.”
Tony Balanganayi, who is committed to play at Illinois, said this is his last opportunity to start a season at Palatine.
“Being a senior, this is my last ride here,” Balanganayi said. “This is the first day of fall camp. We can’t wait to get back on the varsity field after a tough summer camp. We are just getting ready for the season.”
According to IHSA rules, players need five practices without full equipment to accumulate to the game and the weather. Players who meet those conditions will be in full pads as early as Saturday.
And although teams have had their summer practice camps, things will heat up even quicker.
The regular season is scheduled to begin Friday, Aug. 29 culminating Oct. 25. Later that day, pairings will be announced for the 256 qualifying playoff teams. The state finals will be held Nov. 28-29 at Illinois State University in Bloomington.
It is fair to say that the weather for the state finals will not match Monday’s first day of practice. And that is where Palatine or Grant and all the teams in Illinois have their sights set on as the first day practices began.
Grant does not begin school until Wednesday. But the teachers were in Monday and will be on Tuesday, forcing a later afternoon practice.
Grant coach Tim Norwood was excited to be back with his team after the summer session ended two weeks ago.
“We had some inside team meetings for an hour,” Norwood said. “Then it was great to get back out here. We are doing some walk-through stuff now and then we will warm up and be ready to go.”
Grant has 10 seniors, who were starters as sophomores, looking to lead the Bulldogs to their third consecutive playoff spot.
“We had a good summer,” Norwood said. “We are excited with the number of guys we have back. There is game time experience that should pay off for us.”
Quarterback Matthew Gipson is one of those 10 players. Gipson, who has offers from Wisconsin-Whitewater, Judson and Lake Forest, has been at the helm for the Bulldogs all three years.
“I am really excited to work with these guys,” Gipson said. “We have been working hard all summer and in the off-season. We have teams in our conference who have grass fields, so it was good to practice on that today. It was also a little cooler and get our ankles right.”
Max Hembry will be a three-year starter for Grant this season. He is coming off of a junior year where had 996 yards and 11 touchdowns. That has helped him in receiving offers from St. Thomas and Division III power Wisconsin- Whitewater.
“There were obviously no jitters,” Hembry said. “I was excited to be out here. There were a couple of new faces, so that is good because we can always use more depth.”
Running back Tyler Zdon also is a three-year starter and has verbally committed to North Dakota.
“It feels great to be back with these guys,” Zdon said. “I have known most of these guys my whole life. I can’t think of anywhere else I would want to be.”