The News-Gazette's Preseason Top 10: Maroons look to take the next step
· Yahoo Sports
Jun. 19—CHAMPAIGN — Matt Leskis is looking toward the experienced areas of the Champaign Central football roster early in his team's summer program.
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The Maroons' coach is fond of his offensive and defensive lines, which return plenty of players from a 4-5 campaign in 2025. And that experience could prove especially important this summer, after sweeping changes to the IHSA football calendar were announced in late 2025.
"I think we're going to be a lot better than we were last year," Leskis said, "and I think we've got the experience to really push us through."
Optimism abounds within the Maroons' locker room that Central can take a step forward from last season's four-win campaign, which itself was an improvement after a 3-6 record in 2024 and a 2-7 record in 2023. The 2025 Maroons were a win shy of the program's first playoff appearance since 2018.
Two-way senior linemen Jack Pulsfort and Ben McDaniel stand out on a roster that has grabbed the No. 10 spot in The News-Gazette's preseason top 10 rankings.
"This year, we have probably the most size and skill so far out of any year I've played," Pulsfort said. "This is the strongest we've ever been, especially on the line where it's the most important, and a lot of kids are coming back that have got the basics down."
Weightlifting has been a big part of McDaniel's offseason, which also included a key role on a Central baseball team that just finished its season this spring with a 32-7 record and a sixth straight Class 3A regional title.
"The weight room this offseason was huge, and a ton of us already got stronger from last year," McDaniel said. "Instead of starting over, like we have in years past, we kind of built off of last year, and we've gotten better. We should be able to run the ball way better than last year."
Leskis and his coaching staff are eyeing a few options to replace quarterback Mark Johnson, who threw for 1,152 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior in 2025. Whoever emerges from the summer battle will have reliable targets in Wyatt Christensen and Talin Baker, both of whom combined for 1,199 receiving yards as juniors last season.
"Mostly leadership," Baker said of his role on the team. "I've been here before in the past two years, and showing mostly these other receivers and (running backs) what it's like, and giving them something to look up to. ... Then also mostly speed, which I have. I can mostly use that with the passing game we have, and using that to our advantage will probably help a lot."
Central's running back room was also junior-led in 2025 as Ziyer Aker collected 1,018 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on 162 carries. Aker carries plenty of excitement into his senior season.
Senior linebacker Malachi Hutchinson is among the players to watch on Central's defense, while sophomore Tate Yoder stands out among several younger players at that position. Leskis also expects an array of veterans to leave their mark in the secondary.
"I'm excited to see what seniors can do to lead, because in years past, I mean, it hasn't been great," Leskis said, "but I'm very excited to see what this group can do to lead."
Breaking playoff droughts is nothing new to Leskis, who in 2021 coached Hoopeston Area/Armstrong-Potomac to its first postseason appearance since 1993. He coached the Cornjerkers for four seasons before becoming the Maroons' coach in 2024.
But Central is hoping it won't need the help of an expanded postseason to get back there. The IHSA announced on Dec. 16, 2025, that 384 teams will qualify for the 2026 playoffs, an increase from the field of 256 teams that had been in place since 2001. Each class will have 48 teams under the new format, with 16 of them receiving first-round byes.
"If it looks like you might be out of the five wins, like it used to be, the motivation kind of will diminish a little bit," Leskis said. "To keep players motivated, the coaches motivated throughout the entire season, being able to get in at three wins, four wins, that keeps people motivated."
Pulsfort, McDaniel, Baker and the rest of the Maroons' seniors will get three early tests in pursuit of their first trip to the playoffs. They'll open the season against Danville on Aug. 21 at Tommy Stewart Field in Champaign — the first game after a shortened summer — before hosting Normal West on Aug. 28 and nonconference opponent Mahomet-Seymour on Sept. 4.
"Our schedule is tougher than it was last year, and I've talked to the players about that," Leskis said. "Mahomet is always extremely tough. I've coached with several of those coaches, and they're a well-coached, disciplined team. We will have to be sharp come Week 3."
Central and Danville will open the season after 20 contact days in the summer, down from 25 in previous years.
"Just had to move some things around, that's all," Leskis said. "I do like the fact that the dead week is over the Fourth of July weekend, because that usually caused some scheduling issues with some players ... and then we don't have to have that dead week right before the season, so we can just lead right back into the start of (practices on Aug. 5."
Tommy Stewart Field will host the 55th meeting between Central and Centennial to close the regular season on Oct. 16, a departure from that game recently being held during the second week of the season.
"I'm glad about that, because that in itself will keep the kids motivated to make sure they perform throughout the whole season, so that they can win that game," Leskis said. "I'm excited we've got them last, and I think just like most rivalries, you play them in the last game of the season."
The Maroons believe they'll be firmly in the postseason hunt by that point in the season. With a possible playoff berth already secured.
"I haven't seen this team make the playoffs yet," Pulsfort said, "and it'd be great to have that be my senior season for my class to be the ones who led the team into the playoffs."