Ramblers still need a Week 2 opponent, and other takeaways from New Trier, Loyola, Highland Park football schedules

JUMP TO SCHEDULE: New Trier | Loyola Academy | Highland Park

The 2025 high school football schedules are out — but Loyola Academy is still waiting.

The Ramblers — who have won three straight state championships in IHSA’s largest division (Class 8A) — are still trying to fill their schedule, seeking a Week 2 opponent.

Loyola head coach Beau Desherow told The Record that his team is awaiting a response from one in-state school is also looking outside of Illinois to fill the scheduling hole.

“Ideally, we get it filled and it’s a nonissue,” he said. “If we’re open that weekend, then you can look at it as a week of recovery and that we have two weeks to prepare for our first Catholic League game. There are some positives with that but hopefully it doesn’t come to that.”

It’s not the first time the Ramblers have struggled to find a nonconference foe, and the Ramblers aren’t the only team to be affected by the problem.

To qualify for the IHSA football postseason, teams must win at least five games. (though, occasionally four-win teams are added when there are not enough five-win programs to fill a class’s bracket.) So many teams want to optimize their opportunities to win at least five games, and the potent Ramblers do not often fulfill that agenda, said Desherow.

“I think teams are afraid of getting to five wins to get playoff eligible. That fear is what makes it difficult for us to schedule games,” he said.

The scenario often leads Loyola to look outside of Chicagoland and even the state. The Ramblers have played at least one non-Chicagoland team in each of the past five years, including East St. Louis in 2024, Central Catholic of Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 2023; St. Xavier of Cincinnati in 2022; Marquette University High of Wisconsin in 2021; and St. Ignatius of Cleveland in 2019.

And that trend continues in 2025, as Loyola will open with a road test against Merrillville (Indiana), which a year ago was 11-2 and a state finalist in Indiana’s Class 5A.

After Week 2, Loyola’s opponents are identical to a year ago. The Ramblers get league opponents in Weeks 4 (Brother Rice, away), 6 (St. Ignatius, home) and 9 (Mount Carmel, home), while 2024 playoff teams St. Francis (Week 2, Sept. 12, away) and DePaul College Prep (Week 5, Sept. 26, home) highlight their nonconference slate.

Desherow and company will take on the always-rugged schedule with plenty of new faces on the field, as the reigning champs bring back just four starters. They will have newcomers at several key positions, including quarterback, running back, receiver and all four spots in the defensive backfield.

Desherow hopes the tough opponents aid in the young team’s development.

“We’re going to be young and there’s going to be some growing pains along the way, but by end of the season, we should be a team that is poised to make some noise in the playoffs,” he said.

New Trier and Highland Park

The Trevians of New Trier and Giants of Highland Park will run through familiar schedules, but each one has some twists.

Coming off a 2-7 campaign, New Trier will play five of their nine games at home while looking to right the ship. But it won’t be easy.

All four of the Trevians’ nonconference opponents — Naperville North (away), Waubonsie Valley (home), Hoffman Estates (away) and Fremd (home)(the latter three are schedule newcomers) — made the postseason in 2024.

New Trier’s conference slate begins Week 5 at home against Deerfield on Sept. 26, and then the Trevs host Maine South (Oct. 3) and Glenbrook North (Oct. 17) and visit Evanston (Saturday, Oct. 11) and Glenbrook South (Oct. 24).

The Giants ended 2024 on a high note, winning their final three contests on the heels of an 0-6 start.

They will look to build off that finish with five home games in 2025, including three straight in the Central Suburban North: Maine West on Oct. 4, Niles North on Oct. 10 and Niles West on Oct. 17.

Highland Park also welcomes to this year’s slate nonconference opponents Schaumburg (Sept. 12) and Conant (Sept. 19). For the third straight season, the Giants begin the season against Leyden (Aug. 29) before hosting Deerfield Sept. 5 in the annual rivalry showdown.

NEW TRIER 2025 SCHEDULE (2024: 2-7)

LOYOLA ACADEMY 2025 SCHEDULE (2024: 12-2; IHSA Class 8A champions)

HIGHLAND PARK 2023 SCHEDULE (2024: 3-6)