By Greg Halbleib
BLOOMINGTON – The Friday night lights switch on for the first time in 2016 as high school football returns this evening.
The featured match-up on the WJBC Friday Night Extravaganza is at Bill Hundman Memorial Field as defending 2A champion Tri-Valley visits Central Catholic. Host Saints coach Mike Moews looks forward to the meeting of two storied local programs.
“Nothing like getting tested right out of the gate,” said Moews. “We’re excited about it. For the last few years we’ve played a good team starting off Week 1 and really get a test early.”
A young Normal West squad under coach Darren Hess hosts Peoria High.
“Because we have so many new guys stepping up and given that opportunity, I just want us to be consistent,” said Hess. “I want us to limit our turnovers, and I want to see us be a physical football team.”
New coaches debut at U-High where Trevor Von Bruenchenhein takes his Pioneers to Washington and at Bloomington where Joe Walters guides his Purple Raiders to Peoria Stadium to face Manual.
Von Bruenchenhein likes the opening week challenge.
“I wouldn’t want to open up against any other team,” the new Pioneers coach said about Washington. “I think it’s a great measuring stick going into my first season and going into the first game of this season.”
Walters said there are quite a few variables for the Purple Raiders’ season opener at Manual.
“You just don’t know what a team is until you see them,” said Walters. “The first week is scary because you have no film on the team, you don’t know who they picked up, you don’t know who developed.”
Normal Community hosts Urbana and faces the Tigers for the first time in two years.
“We’re approaching it as let’s worry about us,” said NCHS coach Wes Temples. “Let’s worry about the things we’re supposed to be doing the right way. Whatever they come out in, as long as we keep things simple and play to our abilities, hopefully things will take care of themselves.”
The WJBC Friday Night High School Football Extravaganza pre-game is at 6 p.m. on WJBC-AM 1230 and WJBC.com with updates every quarter hour and on Twitter (@WJBCHSFootball) as well as the WJBC Facebook page. Post-game coverage continues until 11 p.m. with scores at the bottom of each hour overnight.
The Normal CornBelters will open their final road series of the season at River City. The Rascals lead Normal by 1.5 games for the final Frontier League playoff berth. Listen live at 6:20 on WJBC.com.
The Illinois State volleyball team opens its 2016 season at the Loyola-Marymount Invitational against the host Lions who are ranked No. 21 in the country. WJBC.com has the action at 8:30 p.m.
Greg Halbleib can be reached at [email protected].
