Repping the classic white-on-white combination to start off their 2024 campaign, the Minooka varsity football team will take on Rock Island on Friday.

This game happens to be the 125th anniversary of Rock Island football. 

Rock Island will have many alumni back for the game, and the team will be using throwback uniforms. So of course, Rock Island wants to win this game badly. 

Minooka’s job on Friday night is to walk into Rock Island, spoil their 125th-anniversary game, and make the four hours of driving worth it. 

Rock Island had an underwhelming season last year going 3-6, but finished 3-3 in conference play.

Minooka last season finished 8-3 overall and 4-1 in conference play.  Minooka started last year with a win against Rock Island at home, defeating them 41-7. This year they want to do it again.

“The game plan is to start the game strong and fast, and to give minimal points to Rock Island,”  junior Brady Kozlowski said.

Minooka wants to deter Rock Island as early in the game as possible since this game has historic fingerprints on it. If Minooka can quiet the crowd and establish the offense, the defense will mesh together and equal a win. 

“Their running back and wide receiver room have some speed to them,” junior Brady Kozlowski said. “They might not have the biggest frame to them but, they definitely have the speed to crease one of the edges if we let them.”

The running back trio that Minooka has is junior Chase Nurczyk, junior Paris Spears, and junior Hayden Bowman.  

“We want to run the ball a lot and keep our foot on the gas pedal all game until the final whistle,” Nurczyk said. 

Junior Zane Caves gets the start at quarterback for Minooka.

Caves is looking for the win, despite the fact that Rock Island “is very athletic.”

Minooka has spent a lot of time game-planning.

“They are a fast team, but they aren’t the most physical and they don’t have much size, which doesn’t mean they’re not good, but we are going to use that and take advantage of that and outplay them,” Nurczyk said.

Winning is all about executing the game plan that has been worked on since the summer practices with a week 1 game being a pivotal game to open the year.

“The biggest thing is we need to focus on ourselves and follow the game plan, and the game will take care of itself,” Minooka head coach Matt Harding said.