Danville vs. Bloomington
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Fred Carlton Field
Last year's records: Danville 0-9, 0-9 Big 12
Conference; BHS 12-2, 8-1
FYI: Danville was the last team to beat BHS in a
season opener in 1996. The Purple Raiders, ranked No. 4
in the Class 6A state poll, have won the last six
meetings in the series, including a 29-6 victory last
season ... BHS coach Rigo Schmelzer has missed practice
the last two days while taking his daughter, Emma, to
Penn State for her freshman year. Schmelzer will return
this afternoon ... B.J. Luke, who coached at Heyworth
from 1977 to 1980, returns to his alma mater as Danville
coach after being at Waubonsie Valley in Aurora.
Quoting: "Generally for the first game you pull out
film from last year and it's easy to determine what
you'll see. He (Luke) comes from a Class 8A conference
(Upstate Eight) we're not familiar with. We found out he
was a run-first option-oriented attack until the last
two years and changed to a passing scheme with a
quarterback who is now at Illinois (Paul Blalock).
Danville has speed and big kids." -- BHS assistant coach
Rich Baldwin
Champaign Central vs. Normal West
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Normal West High School
Last year's records: Champaign Central 4-5, 4-5 Big
12 Conference; West 9-2, 8-1
FYI: West blanked the Maroons 28-0 in last year's
opener at Champaign, setting in motion an eight-game
winning streak to start the season that resulted in a
Big 12 Conference co-championship with Bloomington ....
West, ranked No. 9 in the Class 6A state poll, will be
without starting right guard Nick Schulke because of an
ankle sprain ... Champaign Central is playing its first
game under Coach Dave Jacobs, who came from Rochester
and brings a spread formation shotgun offense.
Quoting: "We definitely need to see someone else and
get a gauge of where we're at. From Coach Jacobs being
at Rochester, they're going to be a pretty balanced
attack and use a variety of formations. They run and
throw and that makes it tougher to defend. They return a
lot of seniors." -- West coach Darren Hess
Normal Community vs. Urbana
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Urbana High School
Last year's records: NCHS 6-4, 6-3 Big 12 Conference;
Urbana 5-5, 5-4.
FYI: NCHS is out to avenge a 29-28 loss to Urbana in
last year's opener, which snapped a six-game winning
streak in season openers. The Ironmen are 8-3 in openers
under Coach Hud Venerable ... Urbana has a new
quarterback in Adam Kirby. He replaces Preston Williams,
who is now at Northern Illinois. The Tigers also lost
their top receiver in Antonio Adams, now at Illinois
State ... Quarterback Craig Lutes and lineman Darren
Dierkes are NCHS' only returning starters on offense.
The Ironmen will be without wide receiver Sheldon
Harper, who suffered a knee injury in practice on
Monday.
Quoting: "When we looked at the start of this season
and what has to happen for us to be a conference
contender, you've got to have that first game. It makes
it even more important when we look back to last year.
We were behind the eight-ball after week one ... We know
they have speed and good backs. We're expecting a real
challenge on defense." -- NCHS coach Hud Venerable
Central Catholic vs. Eureka
Time: 7:45 p.m.
Place: Eureka High School
Last year's records: Central Catholic 5-5, 5-4 Corn
Belt Conference; Eureka 0-9, 0-9
FYI: The Saints have won 26 straight season openers,
which includes a 35-18 victory last year against Eureka.
Central Catholic will be without center Tyler Johnson
(separated shoulder) and defensive tackle Drew Krominga
(knee injury) ... The Hornets, who are getting ready for
their second season back in the Corn Belt, are looking
to snap a 12-game losing streak. This will be Eureka's
first game under new coach Kurt Barth, a former
Fieldcrest High School and Eureka College standout who
was the Red Devils' offensive coordinator the past two
seasons. Quarterback Nick Eeten is Eureka's all-time
leader in passing attempts (269) and completions (106).
Quoting: "We've had our share of good and bad
practices. We've seemed to pick it up a little bit.
Early on we weren't seeing what we wanted to accomplish,
but that's from having young kids in there. We've got an
idea what we think they're going to run, but we have no
film on them. Going in you're a little blind." --
Central Catholic coach Bobby Moews
"Their big tight end (Michael Hoomanawanui) is a
tremendous talent and the type of kid who if you let can
take a game over. But I know Coach Moews does a
tremendous job getting all his players involved. Me
being new might give us a little advantage, but I'm sure
they've seen us and me in college. I told their freshman
coach, Jake Hoeniges, who is a good friend of mine,
we're going to run the Wishbone, but he didn't bite." --
Eureka coach Kurt Barth
University High vs. Olympia
Time: 7:45 p.m.
Place: Olympia High School, Stanford
Last year's records: U High 4-5, 4-5 Corn Belt
Conference; Olympia 2-7, 2-7
FYI: The Pioneers beat Olympia 30-14 to open the 2004
season as U High quarterback Josh Cox threw for 282
yards. Cox and wide receiver Josh Huff are the Pioneers'
only returning starters on offense. Tight end Jacob
Shepard is doubtful because of a groin injury .... Darin
Stappenbeck, who played fullback last season, will make
his first start at quarterback for Olympia. The Spartans
will play without tackle Addison Dailey, who is out with
a hip flexor.
Quoting: "Being so young and having so much
inexperience, with hitting each other and doing so many
drills, this will be a good test for us to see how we
are against varsity competition. Typically, they've been
a running attack in the past. We've heard rumblings
about them maybe going to a spread attack. We'll game
plan for everything." -- U High coach Kurt Olson
"Stappenbeck is a good runner and we hope to complete
some passes. You don't know where you're at until you
play a game. They're young up front, too. Cox is
probably, if not the best quarterback in the Corn Belt,
one of the top two or three. He throws so well and Huff
is such a good athlete they have to be a focal point."
-- Olympia coach Mike Goodwin
From Pantagraph staff
