The 2026 high school football season officially kicked off Wednesday across the Peoria area, and the hustle started immediately. From early morning weightlifting to battling the rain, teams are already grinding, with some massive questions hanging in the air from Day One.
Small Rosters, Big Talent?
Peoria Notre Dame is leaning hard on quality over quantity this year. Their roster is down to just 30 players from 43 last season, but head coach Pat Armstrong isn’t sweating it one bit. He knows he’s got absolute playmakers leading the charge in Dallas Harder, Noah Tockes, and Thomas Baker. Harder, a 6-foot-1, 220-pound running back and free safety, is an absolute force on both sides of the ball. Tockes, at 6-4, 285 pounds, is a monster in the trenches, locking down both defensive line and offensive guard. And then you have Baker, a 6-3, 230-pound Mike linebacker who will anchor that defense. Armstrong’s quote, “Our numbers are down, but we’re good. We have guys who can really play. We got after them,” tells you everything about their confidence. You love to hear that from a coach when numbers are low, relying on pure talent.
Over in Farmington, head coach Toby Vallas is navigating a seriously young lineup. They’ve only got five seniors total: two offensive linemen, a receiver, a middle linebacker, and a defensive lineman. There might be one or two more seniors fighting for starting spots, but that’s it. Man, that is *young*. Vallas himself said, “Day One is all about getting dialed in. It’s the first time you have all your guys together with you, after a summer of jobs and vacations and baseball. It’s building toward success.” Can a roster this young make another playoff push? Remember, these guys went 10-8 in a Class 2A playoff game last year, so the foundation is definitely there.
Grinding Through the Elements, Eyeing Elite Status
Metamora’s head coach Nick Delinski had to get creative, moving their practice to 7 p.m. to dodge those afternoon and evening storms that rolled through the area. His focus is clear as day: “Day One is about starting the process of making sure we get better. Every day we have to get better. Our guys have some very big expectations.” And those expectations are absolutely real, especially with a defense that “looks like on paper” to be elite. That’s a bold claim, and we’re here for it! They put up 43 points in a win last year, so they know how to score too.
Dee-Mack knows all about battling the elements. Talk about a gut-punch ending to last season, losing in the rain in the second round of the IHSA Class 1A playoffs. So what do Dee-Mack and head coach Cody Myers do? They start this season exactly the same way: in the rain! That’s grit, right there. Myers summed it up perfectly: “It was a perfect opportunity thinking about how we ended in the second round. We were just thrilled to be back out there to have a chance to represent all these people in the community who have supported us the last 40 years. You can’t replace that.” Having 58 kids on the roster is a *huge* jump, showing everyone wants a piece of this team. That kind of community support, for 40 years, is something special.
The first day of practice is in the books, but this is just the beginning of the grind. Every team is looking for answers, pushing to get better every single day. The work has begun, and the excitement for the season ahead is palpable. We can’t wait to see how these stories unfold!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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