Two-minute drill: What to know about Villa Grove/Heritage football in 2026

Aug. 15—Villa Grove and Heritage are used to teaming up on the football field The two schools formed a cooperative agreement from 2013-19 and made the playoffs in all but one season during that time. Blue Devils coach Heath Wilson is optimistic that success will continue this fall with a renewed partnership between the schools for the 2026 season. "We've got some kids over there that'll come in and help us right away, and we returned a lot from last year's team on both sides of the ball," Wilson said. "I think we have nine on each side of the ball that's returning, so we bring back a lot of depth and experience." A 5-5 record last fall helped the Blue Devils end a brief playoff drought in 2025, marking the sixth playoff appearance in Wilson's eight seasons with the program. "I think this is the team that a lot of teams and a lot of people in the community have been waiting for to see and see what we can accomplish this year," Wilson said. Wilson, senior quarterback Jackson Gire and senior linebacker Tyler Lisanby stopped by The News-Gazette to chat about their prospects for the 2026 season: ➜ The roster is ... fairly robust, with up to 45 players reporting at times during the Blue Devils' summer program. Even with the co-op, Wilson said he expects the Blue Devils will still be a Class 1A program when the playoffs arrive. Experience will be the name of the game for the Blue Devils, who return nine starters on defense. "I feel like (we've) got the experience to be one of the better teams in the conference," Gire said. "Getting all those seniors is great. You've got a senior line, (and) you've got seniors (at almost every) position. So, it's going to be a fun year for all of us just making memories." Lisanby — a newcomer to the roster — will join junior Max Wilson among Villa Grove's linebackers. "I think we're going to have a strong defensive line," Lisanby said. "I think everybody should be scared." ➜ The offense will be ... led by Gire, who threw for more than 1,089 yards and seven touchdowns in 2025 and will be aided by a capable group around him. "It's going to be a fun year for all of us" Gire said. Gire is especially happy to have four returning starters in front of him on the offensive line. "Them coming to my house and just building chemistry, just all that, it's just so much fun," Gire said. ➜ What might help the Blue Devils is ... the renewal of their cooperative agreement with Heritage, which yielded a fair amount of success before it dissolved seven years ago. Wilson was careful to keep his relationships with Heritage intact in case the timing worked out favorably. "Some of us carpool, but some of us have our license, so we drive," Lisanby said. Lisanby, a Heritage student, played youth football and started his high school football career at Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond, but wouldn't have had the chance to continue with varsity football had the cooperative not been renewed. "It's just another group of brothers going in, playing football," Gire said. "Just bringing them in as a family coming in, commuting, and everything's been good. No bad blood."