Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks
URBANA - Ladies and gentlemen, football fans of Illini Prairie—brace yourselves! The Sentinel is kicking off the very first season of the Friday Night Forecast, and the stakes are higher than ever. We welcome four brave challengers—Alan, J, Denise, and Sara—ready to test their prediction skills and claim glory! But standing in their way is none other than Clark Brooks, Champaign-Urbana’s very own oracle of the gridiron, a titan of pigskin prophecy whose foresight has baffled, amazed, and humbled even the boldest fans. Grab your umbrellas, grab your popcorn, and get ready for a clash of football wits! Here are the picks from the Sentinel’s inaugural Friday Night Forecast. P.S. Best of luck to all IPC football programs this season—may your dedication, off-season training, and pursuit of excellence shine on the field!
Week 1 predictions
Illini Prairie Game of the Week
Paxton-Buckley-Loda vs Central Catholic
Alan: Central Catholic .::. 28-7Denise: Central Catholic .::. 14-7
J: Central Catholic .::. 21-6
Sara: Paxton-Buckley-Loda .::. 27-26 Brooks Look: Last fall, Paxton-Buckley-Loda (7-4) shocked BCC (5-5), winning in overtime, 22-21. The Panthers will be without quarterback Conner Vaughn and Robert Boyd-Meents, who piled up 186 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries in the IPC thriller. Considering that the Saints haven’t posted a win in their last two visits to Paxton, and both programs are 2-2 since the dark days of COVID, PBL - with home-field advantage - takes this one, no overtime needed, with a second-half comeback. Paxton-Buckley-Loda 28, Central Catholic 21
Pontiac @ Coal City
Alan: Pontiac .::. 14-12Denise: Pontiac .::. 28-14
J: Coal City .::. 35-6
Sara: Coal City .::. 40-14
Brooks Look: Pontiac returns just three starters on both sides of the ball from last year’s one-win season. The Indians, who have won four games in as many years, are rebuilding under former Unity star - and now Athletic Director and head coach - Zach Gadbury. Coal City, stocked with 17 seniors, finished 2024 with a respectable 10-3 record. Bench depth and experience should give them the edge here. Coal City 42, Pontiac 14
Unity vs Rantoul
Alan: Unity .::. 28-14Denise: Unity .::. 32-7
J: Unity .::. 49-0
Sara: Unity .::. 39-6
Brooks Look: Improving from an 0-9 season in 2023 to 1-8 last year with a win over Pontiac, Rantoul faces a team hungry for a trip to the Class 3A state title game after a heartbreaking semifinal loss to Monticello last November. Unity’s tradition and culture of winning won’t be tested in their home season opener. Look for Rocket quarterback Dane Eisenmenger to put up big numbers early. Unity 49, Rantoul 13
Prairie Central vs St. Joseph-Ogden
Alan: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 28-7Denise: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 28-21
J: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 35-7
Sara: St. Joseph-Ogden .::. 48-21 Brooks Look: This game has the markings of a shootout, with Prairie Central’s Dalton Steidinger on one side of the ball and St. Joseph-Ogden’s Kodey McKinney on the other. Even with Steidinger passing for 992 yards last fall, the Hawks finished 5-5 overall and 4-4 in conference play. McKinney, on the other hand, hoarded 2,351 yards, resulting in 29 touchdowns, and led SJO to an undefeated conference run. If Prairie Central can’t contain SJO’s passing game and stop Wyatt Wertz on the ground, this could easily turn into a lopsided affair. St. Joseph-Ogden 35, Prairie Central 16
IVC vs Monticello
Alan: Illinois Valley Central .::. 35-32Denise: Monticello .::. 21-14
J: Monticello .::. 21-14
Sara: Monticello .::. 32-27 Brooks Look:Illinois Valley Central (3-6) won three of its last four games at the end of the 2024 season and will give the Sages a run for their money early in the home opener. However, the Class 3A runner-up will shake off first-quarter jitters as last year’s juniors and sophomores adjust to their new roles before picking up where the team left off in November. Monticello 42, IVC 21
Get ready to weather the storm of predictions! Next week, the Friday Night Forecast rolls on, and it’s your chance to bring the sunshine—or stir up a little gridiron thunder. Will you be a clear-sky champion or get caught in a hailstorm of wrong picks? Drop back by to enter your picks for the Week 2 Illini Prairie football games.
St. Joseph-Ogden Athletics | Unity Athletics | Illini Prairie Sports
