Defending Illinois High School Football State Champion Unveals 2026 Schedule

A defending Illinois high school football state champion has released its schedule for the upcoming 2026 season.

St. Francis, who claimed the Class 5A Illinois High School Association State Football Championship in 2025, will open action this fall with a game against Clemente.

From there, the Spartans will take on several fellow title contenders - all from within the state of Illinois.

Back-to-back road games to start September will see St. Francis head to Brother Rice and St. Rita, with the St. Rita contest marking the start of the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference Green Conference play.

The month closes out with a pair of home dates vs. Fenwick and Nazareth Academy. October kicks off on the road at Saint Viator, followed by Niles Notre Dame and Montini Catholic to close out the regular season.

Nearly Brand-New Schedule Awaits Defending Class 5A Illinois State Champions

Many of the teams set to square off against the Spartans this coming fall will be new faces, as just St. Rita and Nazareth Academy return on the schedule. Both of those games represent conference battles.

Last year, St. Francis opened the season with wins over Kenwood and Mt. Zion Prep Academy before falling to Loyola Academy. They rebounded with wins over St. Rita and Providence Catholic on the road before a 35-28 setback to IC Catholic Prep.

Wins over Marian Catholic and DePaul College Prep got them back on track before a loss to Nazareth Academy in the regular season finale.

From there, the Spartans were unstoppable, besting Morgan Park, Prairie Ridge, King, Belvidere North and Providence Catholic to claim the state championship. They topped Providence Catholic in a thrilling finale, 39-35.

Leading Rusher Tivias Caldwell Leads The Spartans

Senior-to-be Tivias Caldwell is back to anchor the offense after rushing 123 times for 838 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games. Caldwell had four games of over 100 yards on the ground, averaging nearly seven per carry.

Iggy Amorrortu has the most experience back under center, as he played in eight games as a sophomore this past fall. Amorrortu completed 12 of 23 for 300 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. The Spartans will need to replace Brock Phillip, as he threw for almost 2,600 yards and 30 TDs last year.

On defense, Peyton Shipley, James McGrath, Tyler Dunlap and Caldwell all return with experience under their belts.

2026 St. Francis Football Schedule

Aug. 28 - Clemente

Sept. 4 - at Brother Rice

Sept. 11 - at St. Rita

Sept. 18 - Fenwick

Sept. 25 - Nazareth Academy

Oct. 2 - at Saint Viator

Oct. 9 - Niles Notre Dame

Oct. 16 - at Montini Catholic

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