You can feel it in the air; it's almost football season, and with that being said, Illinois high school football practices started today, officially kicking off the 2026 season. Only one team in the Rockford area ranked in the MaxPreps preseason Top 25, Byron High School, coming in at #11. In case you were wondering, Mount Carmel has won 18 state titles, the most in IHSA history. The first games are scheduled for August 20, playoff pairings are announced on October 17, and the IHSA state championship games follow on November 27 and 28. CHECK IT OUT: 100 sports records and the stories behind them