Believe it or not, the 2024 high school football season is just around the corner.

The Illinois High School Association on Thursday released the regular season schedules for all schools, including Waterloo, Columbia and Dupo high schools. 

The nine-week regular season will determine the 256 teams who qualify for the IHSA state playoffs.

Waterloo, which finished 4-5 last season under longtime head coach Dan Rose, will open its season Aug. 30 at Mt. Vernon. That will be followed by the annual Route 3 rivalry showdown with Columbia on the road the evening of Sept. 6. 

The first home game for the Bulldogs will be Sept. 13 against Centralia. The Mississippi Valley Conference portion of the schedule includes Sept. 20 at Triad, Sept. 27 at home against Highland, Oct. 4 at home against Jerseyville, Oct. 11 at Civic Memorial and Oct. 18 at home against Mascoutah. 

Waterloo concludes its regular season Oct. 26 at Chester.

Among the top returning players for the Bulldogs this fall are juniors-to-be Derez Sayles (1,020 total yards of offense and nine touchdowns) and Conrad Lindhorst (654 yards passing, six TDs, six interceptions), as well as other key contributors from last year such as Chris Pete, Patrick O’Donnell, Justin Manning and Steven Tercero-Lopez.

Waterloo’s IHSA classification enrollment is 831.

Columbia, which finished 2-7 last season under longtime head coach Scott Horner, opens its 2024 campaign Aug. 30 at Mater Dei. Following the Sept. 6 rivalry game at home against Waterloo, the Eagles play Sept. 13 at Taylorville. 

Columbia has back-to-back home games against Roxana on Sept. 20 and Freeburg on Sept. 27, followed by an Oct. 4 contest at Wood River. Columbia returns home Oct. 11 to face Salem. 

The final two weeks see Columbia at Breese Central on Oct. 18 and then back at home Oct. 25 to face Jerseyville. 

Those returning for the Eagles include senior-to-be signal caller Mason Voegele (950 yards passing with 10 TDs, eight interceptions to go along with 353 rushing yards and five TDs), as well as Jase Nelson, Cameron Janik, Logan Hicks and Keegan Thompson.

Columbia’s IHSA classification enrollment is 618.50.

Dupo, which finished 4-5 last season under head coach Zach Klaustermeier, will open its season at home Aug. 30 against Bayless. 

The Tigers travel across the river to face Principia on Sept. 6, then play at Madison on Sept. 13. On Sept. 20, Dupo hosts Wesclin. The Tigers play Sept. 27 at Carlyle, then host two straight home games against Red Bud on Oct. 4 and Chester on Oct. 11. 

The Tigers conclude the regular season with consecutive road games Oct. 18 at Sparta and Oct. 25 at Nashville.

Returning for the Tigers in 2024 is junior-to-be quarterback/defensive back Deegan Prater (1,406 yards passing with 13 TDs, 15 interceptions plus 309 rushing yards and eight TDs), plus seniors-to-be Thinh Staggs, Carter McMannis, Teegan Hargrove and Cole Putnam.

Dupo’s IHSA classification enrollment is 258.