By JEFF LAMPE
For The Weekly Post
While the local football scene has seen huge changes, one thing remains very much the same heading into this season. Farmington and Annawan-Wethersfield are LincolnLand conference favorites.
Joining them as preseason picks in our annual poll of coaches (who did not vote for their own teams) is Havana. Yes, in case you were not aware, there are now three LincolnLand divisions, loosely based on enrollment: Larger schools like Farmington compete in the West, mid-sized schools such as A-W play in the North and smaller schools the likes of Havana will fight it out in the South.
The tightest races look like the West, where Farmington and Macomb are neck and neck, and the South, where Havana has a one-point edge in the poll over Abingdon-Avon and Monmouth United.
Of course, thanks to another major offseason change that added 16 more teams to the playoffs in each class, conference titles mean less for postseason play. The IHSA’s decision to expand the field means 3-6 teams will earn an extra game, as will about half the 2-7 finishers. Why not just let everybody in? Then again, why make the change? What 2-7 squad wants to get pummeled yet again?
The best teams will, however, earn first-round byes. One that figures to be in that group is Farmington, though the Farmers face a battle with Macomb. The Bombers return 18 starters from a 9-2 season, including quarterback Kaden Knupp (1,503 passing yards, 344 rushing yards, 23 touchdowns) and running back Drake May (1,138 yards, 15 TDs).
The Farmers travel to Macomb on Sept. 25. Circle that one.
Another likely bye winner is A-W. The Titans have five starters back on offense and six on defense but lost eight first-team all-conference picks and two all-staters from an 11-1 Class 1A quarterfinalist that lost to state champion Lena-Winslow. The key on offense will be replacing all-state quarterback Maddux Heitzler. Whoever emerges has the luxury of three returning wideouts.
The LincolnLand South is a toss-up, as everyone but LVC and Rushville-Industry earned first-place votes. The poll favors Havana, which returns seven starters on offense and nine on defense from a 4-5 finisher. Almost guaranteed is a first playoff berth since 2019. Among those back are junior QB Jack Turner (1,034 yards passing, 10 TDs), junior tailback Carson Tyler and senior wideout Caleb McDaniel (276 yards).
Coaching Carousel
Other changes involve head coaches. At Illini West, former standout QB Michael Lafferty steps up after years as an assistant to take over for Jacob Calvin, who will be defensive coordinator after a 5-5 season and playoff berth last year.
Lafferty was an all-state quarterback for Illini West’s unbeaten 2008 Class 3A state champion team under legendary coach Jim Unruh. He even tossed the game-winning TD pass in the title game. Also on his coaching staff is another Hall of Famer, his father, Tim Lafferty, who will head up the special teams.
Another Lafferty, Michael’s brother Brian, stepped down as head coach at Rushville-Industry despite a 7-3 record last year and 46 wins and five playoff berths in nine seasons.
Taking over at R-I is Elliott Craig, who is expected to shift from a wing-T offense to the spread. Craig was forced out as Beardstown coach after going 15-23 from 2021-24 with two Class 3A playoff berths. Prior to that, he spent 14 years as head coach at North Fulton, winning 63 games and making the playoffs five times.
LVC hired assistant Jason Coulter to replace David Roddis, who resigned after winning one game in four seasons and ending last season with a forfeit due to low numbers. Coulter is optimistic his team can snap a 20-game losing streak. LVC graduated one senior, has 40 players out overall and has an incoming class of 23 freshmen.
A 1995 Canton graduate, Coulter has made his team aware of the tradition of Lewistown and North Fulton, where teams made 29 playoff appearances prior to their 2022 merger.
Looking Back
Coaches did a good job predicting last year’s champs, as both the Farmers and Flying Geese lived up to expectations. Both went unbeaten in the league and regular season – something that won’t happen this season since they meet in Farmington on Sept. 4.
Pollsters fared better in the LincolnLand Small last year, though they did sell short on Stark County and Havana – both of whom moved up two spots from preseason rankings.
Also faring better than expected were Knoxville and West Hancock, who moved into the top half of the Large division while E-B finished three spots below its second-place preseason slotting.
