Week 3 of the Illinois high school football season is mostly wrapped up, with one big game set for Saturday between Morris and Peoria High.
The week was highlighted the dramatic start of Mid-Illini Conference play — plus a couple of important small-school matchups that ended in blowouts and another that snapped a long losing streak.
Here is the Journal Star preps experience for Week 3, your one-stop shop as we look around the Peoria-area football landscape the third week of the 2025 high school season:
Watch IHSA football games on NFHS Network all season
Round 1 of the Mid-Illini season is done
The Mid-Illini Conference season began with some dramatic games on Friday night. Dunlap edged Pekin 28-27 in overtime, while Washington shocked Metamora with a 24-0 shutout at Malone Field.
East Peoria and Morton each remained unbeaten with blowout victories over Limestone and Canton. Here is a look at the standings after one week of league play, plus next week’s schedule:
FINAL: Dunlap 28, Pekin 27 | OT
Dunlap kicker Landon Grant knocked in the extra point to send the Eagles to past host Pekin in the Mid-Illini Conference opener at Memorial Stadium.
Pekin opened overtime with a creative hook-and-lateral play. QB Brogan Benassi hit Bray Kormah, who immediately lateraled to Ty Jackson, who scored from about 10 yards out to put Pekin ahead. The Dragons missed the extra point.
Dunlap responded with two run plays from Jayden Schmick, who tied the game with a 1-yard run on second down. Grant ended the game with the PAT.
Dunlap and Pekin headed to overtime
Dunlap 21, Pekin 21. Both teams had deep drives in the final minutes, but neither could score. And we go to extra time.
Washington shuts out Metamora in rivalry game
Washington defeated Metamora 24-0 in a big Mid-Illini Conference game at Malone Field. Will Freeman and Noah Garcia has rush TDs for the Panthers, while Garcia added a TD pass to Owen Klein.
It is Washington’s first shutout of Metamora since a 38-0 win in 2019.
Pekin answers with big quarterback run
Pekin QB Brogan Benassi scores from 4 yards out to pull the Dragons to a 21-21 tie with Dunlap with 5:24 remaining in the big Mid-Illini Conference matchup in Pekin.
Dunlap takes lead over Pekin
Dunlap’s Jayden Schmick scored his second touchdown of the game to put the Eagles ahead 21-14 late in the third quarter.
Tremont snaps long losing streak
Tremont ended a 20-game losing streak with a 42-14 victory over Fieldcrest. The win also was the first for first-year coach Joe Hageman.
The Turks (1-2) led 21-14 in the fourth quarter before taking control. Eli Bohm scored on a 31-yard run for Tremont, which then recovered an onside kick and scored on the next play — on a TD pass from Brett Bane to Josh Papenhouse.
“The look on the kids’ faces after they got the opportunity to experience that first varsity win, you know, nothing can replace it,” Hageman said after the game to J.T. Pedelty of Shaw Media.
Tremont’s last victory came in Week 9 of the 2022 season.
Washington dominates first half vs. Metamora
Washington leads Metamora 17-0 at halftime, outgaining the Redbirds 194-31 using its dominant run game. Will Freeman leads the way with 137 yards on 13 carries and a score.
Pekin answers with a big drive
Pekin answers Dunlap with a score in with 5:58 to go in the third quarter. Ty Jackson scored from a couple yards out on a wildcat formation. The game is tied 14-14.
Dunlap strikes early in second half
Dunlap needed only three plays to jump ahead of Pekin, capping a 78-yard drive with a 3-yard run from Jayden Schmick. They lead 14-7 just 88 seconds into the third quarter.
Mid-Illini showdown tied at the half
Two of the preseason Mid-Illini Conference favorites are locked in a 7-7 tie at halftime at Memorial Stadium in Pekin.
Running back Blake Dietz has a rushing TD for the Eagles (2-0), while quarterback Brogan Benassi has a 30-yard rush TD for the Dragons (1-1).
Washington takes early lead in rivalry game
Washington fullback Will Freeman scores on a ctback run from 27 yards out to stake the Panthers to a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter of a game at rival Metamora.
Devin Miller started the scoring with a 42-yard field goal.
WATCH: Stark County scores at the buzzer
Stark County leads Havana 21-7 at halftime — and the final score came right at the buzzer of the second quarter.
Video of the play was caught by Stark County principal Brett Elliott, a former coach at administrator at Richwoods. He shared the video of Connor Daum’s TD catch on his feed at X.com, captioned with “Wait for it, coming into your living room … at the halftime buzzer.”
Princeton football earns forfeit victory
Princeton’s game with Sherrard was canceled because of a lack of players caused by an “outbreak of illness” with the Sherrard football team, according to a story posted at shawmedia.com.
“Sherrard has forfeited the varsity and sophomore games on Friday, Sept. 12, and Monday, Sept. 15, due to an outbreak of illness among players on their team,” Princeton athletics director Jeff Ohlson told the news site. “We are disappointed to lose the games, but do appreciate (Sherrard) for thinking of the health and well-being of our athletes.”
Princeton (1-2) is scheduled to face Kewanee next Friday. Sherrard (0-3) is at Hall/Putnam County.
It’s Mid-Illini season!
The Mid-Illini Conference has four unbeaten teams headed into this week’s league-opening slate: East Peoria, Dunlap, Metamora and Morton all are 2-0 after victories on Friday. Pekin and Washington are one game behind after coming out of tough noncon slates at 1-1. Canton and Limestone are sitting at 0-2.
Here is a look at the Week 3 league schedule. All games scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tonight
Does Peoria High play tonight?
The Class 5A No. 3-ranked Peoria High Lions don’t play on Friday night. They play their Week 3 game at 4:30 p.m. Saturday against Class 4A No. 3 Morris at Peoria Stadium.
The game is a rematch of a 2022 state semifinal won by Peoria High, 76-56. The programs also met last season in a game won by the Lions, 58-52.
IHSA football picks and predictions for Week 3
Who’s gonna win? Check out Adam Duvall’s picks for Week 3, all in one place by tapping right here.
Illinois high school football schedule today
The Mid-Illini Conference opens up league play tonight, led by the big rivalry between Metamora and Washington. The biggest small-school games of the night are between Eureka and Farmington and Deer Creek-Mackinaw and El Paso-Gridley. The full Week 3 schedule is here.
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IHSA football scores: Week 3
The full schedule is here. Once scores start coming in, you can find them all right here.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois high school football recap: Peoria-area highlights from IHSA Week 3
Reporting by Wes Huett, Adam Duvall and Dave Eminian, Peoria Journal Star / Journal Star
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