LeRoy edges Heyworth in grit-fueled rivalry

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In a classic Heart of Illinois matchup, Le Roy narrowly defeated Heyworth 14-12. The game featured punishing line play, clock control and relentless inside runs.

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Photo: Alan Look Photography

LeRoy running back Stephon Williams takes the ball up the gut in old-fashion power football in his team's home game against Heyworth. The Panthers prevailed with a 14-12 conference victory on Friday.

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by Alan Look
Best Look Magazine

LE ROY - For nearly a decade, the Le Roy Panthers have held a firm grip on their rivalry with the Heyworth Hornets, a series defined less by flashy plays and more by the relentless grind of Midwestern football. Each meeting between these Heart of Illinois foes has been a collision of tradition, pride and punishing ground attacks that echo the region’s roots.

On Oct. 10, 2025, that legacy continued in a bruising 14-12 slugfest that felt more like trench warfare than a modern football game. From the opening whistle, both teams leaned into their identities - no frills, no finesse, just a steady diet of inside runs, clock control and defensive resolve. The turf bore the scars of a night spent hammering the line of scrimmage as backs churned through contact and linemen battled for inches.

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Photo: Alan Look Photography

One of 42 game photos from the Hornets' road football game against the Panthers. See the exclusive photo gallery from the game from photographer Alan Look in the here.

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Heyworth, hungry to break a long losing streak against Le Roy, brought an edge that kept the Panthers from ever pulling away. But Le Roy, true to form, matched every blow with one of its own, grinding out drives that chewed up time and wore down resistance. The final score, 14-12, wasn’t just a number. It was a testament to the kind of football that defines this rivalry - hard-earned, deeply felt and rooted in history.

As the final whistle blew, the scoreboard told a familiar story. Le Roy had once again found a way - not through flash, but through force. Not through air, but through earth.

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TAGS: Le Roy Panthers vs Heyworth Hornets 2025, Heart of Illinois high school football, Friday night football Illinois, Le Roy Panthers football rivalry, Heyworth Hornets close game, Midwestern run-heavy football, Illinois high school football scores, traditional football rivalry, Le Roy Panthers home game, Heyworth Hornets 2025 season

Week 7 IHSA football scores from around the state

Photo: Sentinel/Clark Brooks

BLOOMINGTON - St. Joseph-Ogden's Wyatt Wertz runs the ball in his first game back after a injury in SJO's Week 2 home game last month. Wertz had 11 carries for 54 yards against Central Catholic (7-0) on Friday. The Spartans (4-3) fell 67-28 on the road to the Saints, who became this year's conference champions with the victory.

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Illini Prairie Conference scores

Central Catholic 67, St Joseph-Ogden 28
Illinois Valley Central 28, Rock Falls 0
Monticello 27, Pontiac 6
Prairie Central 40, Rantoul 6
Unity 47, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 0

Big Twelve Conference scores

Peoria Notre Dame 53, Bloomington 19
Normal Community 41, Danville 0
Normal West 48, Manual 0
Peoria 64, Champaign Central 27
Richwoods 0, Urbana 0
Champaign Centennial 40, Thornridge 17

Scores from around the state

Abingdon-Avon 31, Havana 26
Amboy 62, Ridgewood 12
Annawan-Wethersfield 17, Princeville 14
Antioch 49, Grayslake North 8
Arlington Heights Hersey 52, Buffalo Grove 2
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond 43, Nokomis 20
Aurora. Christian) 49, Chicago Christian 7
Aurora Waubonsie Valley 51, Stagg 0
BHRA 49, Momence 0
Barrington 23, Fremd 7
Batavia 28, Wheaton North 7
Bensenville Fenton 33, Aurora (East) 6
Bishop McNamara 29, Wheaton Academy 14
Bradley-Bourbonnais 48, DeKalb 19
Brown County 66, Beardstown 0
Carbondale 52, Herrin 14
Carmel 54, DePaul 14
Cary-Grove 56, Crystal Lake South 13
Casey-Westfield 21, Mt. Carmel 20, OT
Central 18, Le Roy 8
Central 20, Huntley 7
Central 46, Routt 3
Central 54, Hoopeston 0
Christopher 48, Carmi-White County 14
Coal City 49, Peotone 7
Deer Creek-Mackinaw 46, Warrensburg-Latham 13
Dixon 50, Winnebago 15
Downers Grove North 41, York 28
Du Quoin 48, Anna-Jonesboro 13
Durand-Pecatonica 34, Forreston 20
El Paso-Gridley 40, Eureka 0
Elgin 25, Streamwood 6
Elk Grove 57, Wheeling 13
Erie-Prophetstown 40, Orion 14
Fenwick 48, Benet 7
Flora 28, Fairfield 20
Fulton 56, Southwestern, Wis. 40
Galva 38, Peoria Heights 12
Geneseo 31, Sterling 10
Glenbard East 41, West Chicago 6
Glenbard North 16, Geneva 13
Glenbard South 42, Ridgewood 7
Glenbard West 44, Hinsdale Central 20
Glenbrook South 42, Deerfield 0
Glenwood 56, Lincoln 0
Grant 65, Round Lake 17
Hampshire 19, McHenry 17
Herscher 19, Reed-Custer 13, OT
Highland Park 38, Niles North 13
Hoffman Estates Conant 43, Schaumburg 28
ICCP 57, Aurora Marmion Academy 14
Illini West 28, Bureau Valley 20
Johnston City 44, Hamilton County 6
Kankakee 48, Bloom 0
Lake Park 41, St Charles East 35
Lake Zurich 35, Mundelein 0
Lakes 46, North Chicago 7
Le Roy 14, Heyworth 12
Lena-Winslow 46, Galena 0
Libertyville 35, Zion Benton 20
Lincoln-Way East 42, Homewood-Flossmoor 14
Lockport 28, Sandburg 7
Macomb 42, Knoxville 19
Maine South 56, Glenbrook North 0
Maine West 49, Maine East 0
Manteno 35, Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 13
Marion 48, Collinsville 35
Marshall 34, Lawrenceville 7
Metamora 49, Bartonville (Limestone) 13
Milledgeville 56, Orangeville 16
Minooka 10, Oswego 3
Monmouth-Roseville 57, Hall 14
Montini Catholic 49, Arlington Heights (St. Viator) 3
Morris 42, Ottawa 0
Morrison 48, Dakota 16
Morton 66, East Peoria 32
Mt Carmel 35, Joliet Catholic 7
Mt Prospect Prospect 35, Rolling Meadows 32
Mt Zion 31, Effingham 7
Naperville Central 28, Aurora Metea Valley 21, OT
Naperville North 29, Neuqua Valley 23
Nashville 55, Pinckneyville 7
Newman 24, Riverdale 14
Newton 24, Robinson 21
Oakwood 48, Iroquois West 0
Olney 41, Paris 22
Olympia 50, Maroa-Forsyth 36
Oregon 34, Winnebago 21
Ottawa Marquette 51, Elmwood 6
PORTA 22, Athens 18
Pekin 30, Canton 20
Plainfield East 27, Joliet West 7
Pleasant Plains 27, Pittsfield 14
Polo 50, River Ridge 8
Prairie Ridge 35, Crystal Lake Central 14
Quincy 44, Galesburg 22
Richmond-Burton 21, Woodstock North 0
Riverton 36, Auburn 33
Rochelle 21, Kaneland 20
Rochester 51, MacArthur 14
Rockridge 61, Aledo (Mercer County) 24
Springfield SHG 56, Springfield 33
Salt Fork 48, Georgetown-Ridge Farm 20
Seneca 48, St Bede 16
Shelbyville 42, Clinton 6
South Beloit 38, Abundant Life-St. Ambrose, Wis. 8
South Elgin 55, Bartlett 19
St. Francis 42, Marian Catholic 20
Stillman Valley 21, Oregon 15
Sycamore 34, La Salle-Peru 28
Tri-Valley 21, Tremont 13
United 54, Astoria South Fulton 18
University 55, Eisenhower 12
Villa Grove/Heritage 25, Sangamon Valley 24
Warren 28, Stevenson 13
Washington 23, Dunlap 15
Wauconda 53, Grayslake Central 27
West Carroll 70, Ashton (A.-Franklin Center) 8
West Hancock 62, LCSRV 6
West Prairie 46, Bushnell-Prairie City 8
Westville 55, Watseka 0
Wheaton Warrenville South 33, St Charles North 7
Wilmington 45, Streator 0
Woodstock 42, Sandwich 26

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TAGS: Illinois high school football scores, Seneca beats St. Bede by 36 points, Oakwood blanks Iroquois West footballt team,St. Joseph-Ogden falls in flag fest, IHSA football scores