(David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney)The Illinois high school football season gets underway Wednesday with the start of preseason practices. Here are some of the top storylines to watch in Kane County this season. The Bulldogs return senior quarterback and Wyoming commit Michael Vander Luitgaren, a starter since the playoffs his sophomore year. Wheaton Warrenville South graduated a large senior class, but its current juniors have not lost a game in high school. The biggest story of the 2026 Illinois high school football season statewide is the expansion of the playoff field from 256 total teams to 384.