Week 9 IHSA Football Preview

Image courtesy of  Normal Community Athletics

NORMAL, Ill. — Bloomington-Normal high school football teams went a combined 3-2 with a few blowout games, combined with a few one score games. Eyes now turn toward the final week of the IHSA regular season.

Normal Community is now 8-0 after defeating Centennial 55-13. The Ironmen now look to finish the regular season undefeated for the first time since 2023. This week, the Ironmen host rival Normal West. Normal Community is ranked 63rd in the state, driven by their dynamic offense.

Normal West will travel to Normal Community after beating Richwoods 68-19. The Wildcats will go for the same goal as the Ironmen, setting up a high-stakes rivalry matchup. Normal West is ranked 71st in the state, just behind Normal Community, setting up an exciting week nine showdown.

Normal University High School will look to end the season on a high note after a campaign that has fallen short of expectations. The Pioneers will travel to Springfield for a non-conference matchup against the 2-6 Senators.

Bloomington Central Catholic now sits at 6-2 after narrowly defeating Pontiac 31-28. The Saints will look to improve their playoff positioning Friday night as they travel to Prairie Central for their final conference matchup. The Saints can finish as high as second in the Illini Prairie conference.

Bloomington High School has an important matchup Friday night with 8-0 Mahomet-Seymour. The Purple Raiders are 4-4 and face a win-or-go-home scenario, with a fifth victory being needed to qualify for the playoffs. However, it will be a tall task for Bloomington against a strong Bulldog team.

For all things IHSA football, be sure to stay tuned to wznd.com.