Countdown to prep football: Four area teams facing out-of-state competition

Sometimes you must span the country to fill a high school football schedule.

The bulk of teams are able to find local competition, but it’s not always a guarantee. When the IHSA shifted the calendar a week earlier to account for the expanded playoffs starting this season, it forced schools into scramble mode to bridge schedule gaps.

Some had to get creative by looking outside Illinois.

The Daily Herald’s countdown to prep football continues this week as we bring you insight related to the 2026 football campaign for teams, players and coaches throughout our coverage area. We’ll reach No. 1 on Aug. 21 — opening night for the bulk of the state.

So far we’ve listed 10 of the area’s top senior recruits, nine juniors to watch, eight quarterbacks on our radar, seven new head coaches, six stellar season openers and five of the toughest schedules.

Now we’ll dig into another aspect of tough schedules by looking at four area teams playing out-of-state opponents.

Glenbard North at Brookfield East, Wisconnsin

After playing Bartlett and Benet during nonconference play last season, the Panthers found a new season opener after swapping out Bartlett.

In steps Brookfield East, a school northwest of Milwaukee that went 8-3 last season and earned a conference title. A perennial playoff team, the Spartans won state titles in 2016 and 2019.

The last time Glenbard North played an out-of-state team was in 2014 for a season-opening trip against Centerville, Ohio, which started that campaign 10-0.

IC Catholic Prep at St. Mary’s South Side, Missouri

The Knights opened last season with a 33-7 victory over the Dragons in Elmhurst, but don’t let that fool you. This is a St. Louis-based program that won back-to-back state titles in 2021 and 2022.

St. Mary’s senior running back Kingston Miles committed last month to Missouri, pushing aside more than 20 other FBS offers. Rivals ranks Miles as the nation’s 17th-best Class of 2027 running back.

Also keep an eye on junior two-way lineman Darrius Smiley, a 6-foot-6, 296-pound talent with seven Power 4 offers.

Of course, IC Catholic Prep has its own top college recruit in athlete Grant Bowen, a junior with more than two dozen Power 4 offers.

Naperville Central at Cardinal Ritter, Missouri

Another team headed to St. Louis, this one in Week 6, the Redhawks are also familiar with playing beyond the border. That was life in the DuPage Valley Conference after several schools left to form the DuKane in 2018.

Cardinal Ritter is a two-time state champion, having won in 2022 and 2023. Last season was another strong run for the Lions, who advanced to the state semifinals.

South Elgin at Oak Ridge, Florida

I’ll volunteer to cover this season opener, complete with accommodations at a Disney resort.

The Storm will get an early start on the campaign, playing Thursday, Aug. 20 in Orlando. It’s hoping for a successful trip to face the Pioneers, who went 4-6 last season and lost four games while allowing at least 40 points.

But Florida in August? The heat could be brutal.