Central Illinois football players & coaches prepare for 52nd annual Shrine Game

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WAND) - Saturday morning, players from 23 different schools across central Illinois will represent their programs at the 52nd annual Illinois Shrine Game.

The game will be played at Tucci Stadium on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan, with kickoff expected around 11 a.m. on Saturday.

The yearly exhibition contest concludes the 2025-26 IHSA athletics season and brings together decorated players and coaches from around Illinois.

In addition to the many players on both participating teams, recently retired Glenwood head coach David Hay will serve as the lead man for the Red Team. He spent 10-years of his coaching career with the Titans, where he led them to the playoffs in every eligible season, including 2 undefeated regular seasons.

"It's cool to be here," Hay says. "I've been in the state and coach football for 34 years in the state. I've heard a lot of these schools and I haven't met a lot of kids from there. [Meeting them] has already been a great thing to have happen."

Hay is joined by Tolono Unity head coach Tony Reetz, who led the Rockets to a state runner-up finish in the 3A state title game last Fall. Reetz served as an assistant under former Unity head coach Scott Hamilton, who led the program for 31 years before retiring. Reetz coached in the Shrine Game more than a decade ago and returns to serve as Hay's assistant and lead the offensive line.

"It's a lot of fun," Reetz says. "This is always a fun experience because you've got guys from all over the state representing their communities. They're all great kids, otherwise they wouldn't have been nominated. Getting together for a fun cause, seeing good coaches, good players. It's a lot of fun."

Ticket, merchandise, concession sales, and donations, go toward the benefit of Shriner's Hospitals for Children, one of the largest pediatric sub-specialty care health systems in the world. The Shriner's system is a dedicated healthcare provider with goals of providing specialized care for children. Patients often require care for orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, and more.

Below are the local coaches and athletes picked for the 2026 Illinois Shrine Game:

Red Team

David Hay - Head Coach - Glenwood

Tony Reetz - Assistant Coach - Unity

Conner Broughton - DE - Rochester

Nolan Buehnerkemper - DB - Monticello

Ian Church - DB - Salt Fork

Cannon Creviston - C - Routt Catholic

Drew Czajkowski - OLB - Warrensburg-Latham

Carter Eastham - T - Paris

Dexter Fulton - WR - Newton

Aidan Henry - DB - Villa Grove