After a long offseason, the wait is finally over. Week 1 of the Illinois high school football season is here, and the Carmi-White County Bulldogs are ready to get back on the field.
If it feels like football is getting started a little earlier than usual this year, that’s because it is. The IHSA voted to expand the football playoffs in 2026, adding another round to the postseason. With an extra week of playoff football on the schedule, the regular season was moved up a week, meaning teams across the state are kicking things off earlier than they have in the past.
For the Bulldogs, Friday night will mark the beginning of a new season and another opportunity to put last year’s struggles behind them.
Carmi is coming off a difficult 2025 campaign that ended with a winless record, the program’s first 0-9 season since 1967. Between injuries, tough breaks and some bad luck throughout the season, the Bulldogs simply couldn’t catch a break. But with a new season comes a clean slate, and the Bulldogs are ready to turn the page.
Clinton Wolff’s first year as head coach certainly didn’t go the way he had hoped, and he’ll be the first to admit that. But with a year under his belt, a young team that now has a season of varsity football experience and a full offseason to prepare, there is plenty of optimism heading into 2026.
“Obviously, last year didn’t go the way we wanted it to go. We were a young football team, and we also had several injuries throughout the season. We were in several football games that we were very competitive, and one of the positives that we were able to take from last year was the amount of snaps that our younger kids were able to get,” said Wolff.
The 2025 Bulldogs were one of the youngest teams in school history, with freshmen and sophomores being thrown into the fire on both sides of the football. Those players had to learn on the fly, and while there were certainly some growing pains, that experience could pay off in a big way. Those freshmen and sophomores are a year older, stronger and more experienced. That gives Carmi one of the more experienced groups in the Black Diamond Conference heading into 2026.
One of those returning players will also be taking on a brand-new role.
Dakota Brown is moving from the backfield to quarterback this season, replacing Madden Anderson who graduated in May. Brown brings plenty of athleticism to the position and gives the Bulldogs a quarterback who can make plays with both his arm and his legs.
Brown battled injuries during his sophomore season and finished the year with 28 carries for 139 yards and a touchdown. Now healthy and taking over the offense, he’ll have the opportunity to become one of the more dynamic quarterbacks Carmi has had in recent years.
“We felt like Dakota is probably one of our best athletes. You watch him throw the ball around a little bit, and the throws the ball pretty well. Coach (Kevin) Wolff has done a good job helping him with his technique and understanding how to play the quarterback position,” said Wolff. “We’re hoping to utilize his athleticism in some different formations offensively that allows us to help spread the field out.”
Brown’s ability to run the football means defenses will have to account for him on every play, while his development as a passer throughout summer camp and fall practices gives Carmi another way to attack opposing defenses.
And Brown certainly won’t be lacking for guys to hand the football to.
Cooper Hill returns after leading the Bulldogs in rushing as a sophomore last season. Despite dealing with injuries of his own, Hill put together a solid year, finishing with 617 yards and four touchdowns on 125 carries. His biggest game came in Week 9 against Eldorado, when Hill broke loose for 198 yards and two touchdowns.
Kyzen Edwards and Branson Burnett also saw action in the backfield as sophomores last season. Edwards finished with 259 yards and three touchdowns, while Burnett added 115 yards on the ground. Both players will still see carries this season, but their size and strength will also allow them to move around the formation and contribute at fullback, wingback and tight end. Having multiple players who can line up in different spots should give the Bulldogs some flexibility when it comes to their offensive formations.
Jazz Duckworth is another player Carmi hopes can have a big year.
Duckworth is one of just four seniors on the Bulldog roster, and last season was a frustrating one for him. He entered the year expected to be one of Carmi’s primary offensive weapons, but an ankle injury suffered in Week 2 kept him from ever really getting back to full strength. He finished the season with 100 rushing yards on 36 carries and two touchdowns.
Now healthy and entering his senior season, Duckworth will be looking to make up for lost time and provide another weapon for the Bulldogs.
Sophomores Reece Jamison and Caleb King could also see time in the backfield as Carmi looks to spread the carries around.
“Having our entire backfield back being a year bigger, stronger, faster, I really think that bodes well for us to be able to be a little bit more explosive offensively,” said Wolff.
Of course, having a talented group of running backs only gets you so far, but perhaps the biggest question surrounding the Bulldog offense will be what happens up front.
Ian Goemaat saw time at guard last season but will enter 2026 as the team’s left tackle. Cole Evans is moving from the backfield to left guard, while Christian Fields, who was forced into some starts at center last year because of injuries, will take over the center position and snap the football to Brown for the next two seasons.
James Hutchcraft and Laeden Vargas are expected to split time at right guard, while Josh Mendenhall, who also saw a few starts along the offensive line last season, will take over at right tackle.
There’s no question Carmi has some talented athletes in the backfield and players who are capable of making big plays with the football. But for that group to be successful, the offensive line will have to do its job.
“Up front is where we’ve got a lot of new faces. All of those guys got an opportunity to not only play but start last year because of injuries. Although they weren’t full-time starters last year, I do feel like we’re going to be a little bit better than anticipated because of the experience that those guys were able to get last year as sophomores,” said Wolff.”
Carmi won’t get an easy start to the season.
For the second straight year, the Bulldogs are scheduled to face two of the top teams in the Black Diamond Conference in the first two weeks of the season. It starts Friday night with a trip to Johnston City to take on the Indians.
Johnston City has been the most dominant program in the BDC over the last half decade, winning the conference championship in five of the last six seasons. The Indians finished 10-1 last year, but they also saw several key players graduate in May, including their top two rushers and starting quarterback.
Still, Johnston City has plenty coming back.
Senior Marcus Leitzen returns after rushing for 639 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Hayden Burton and Aiden Sims also saw time in the backfield as juniors, combining for 341 yards and three touchdowns. Jace Hampton carried the ball 15 times as a sophomore last season, picking up 125 yards and two touchdowns.
Exactly how Johnston City will distribute the carries in Week 1 remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the Indians aren’t going to suddenly change what has made them successful. Johnston City will once again rely heavily on its foot-to-foot double-wing offense.
The offense that helped turn Fairfield into a powerhouse during the 2010s has done much of the same for Johnston City in the 2020s. The Indians line up tight, use quick handoffs and tosses, and rely on a big offensive line to create just enough room for their backs to get through.
It’s an offense that can be frustrating to defend because it doesn’t give you much time to react, and Wolff knows his defense will have to be ready from the opening kickoff.
“I do think our guys up front will be able to control the line of scrimmage to a certain degree. It’s very, very difficult against that offense to do that, but I think the guys we have will be able to do that,” said Wolff.
Ultimately, the key to Friday night’s game could come down to the battle up front.
If Carmi’s offensive line can create holes and give its talented group of backs room to run, the Bulldogs should have opportunities to put points on the board. On the other side of the ball, the defensive line will have to do its job against Johnston City’s double wing by plugging up the running lanes and keeping the Indians from getting downhill. If the Bulldogs can win that battle, it will give their linebackers and defensive backs opportunities to make plays.
The Bulldogs are looking for their first win over the Indians since 2019 and their first victory in Johnston City since 2016.
Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. Friday night.
Fans who can’t make the trip to Johnston City can listen to the game on 97.3 FM WRUL and watch the game live on the WRUL Sports YouTube Channel.