SEASON PREVIEW: Sullivan's consistency highlighted in 2026 season prep

SULLIVAN, Ill. (WAND) - Sullivan High School football dates back to the Fall of 1908, according to IHSA records. Since the start of the state football playoffs, the program has yet to qualify for the postseason in 4-straight years.

This year, Sullivan could reach that benchmark.

Head Coach John Bertetto took over the program during the shortened 2021 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In his 5-years with the team, he's led them to a 30-16 overall record. His goal for this Fall is to maintain that level of success.

"That's the big goal we have going into every year," Bertetto says. "That's always our first goal and we try not to go beyond that. We're gonna take it one thing at a time."

The Sullivan lineup returns a number of returning starters on both sides of the ball. Still, talented underclassmen are likely to enter the rotation, bolstering the depth at various positions. Experienced players say they're eager to approach a new season with more authority.

"I think last year we had some opportunities to put some teams away that we didn't really take advantage of," says senior Gavin Wade, a Sullivan lineman. "We can't overlook anyone this year. There's a lot of teams that are some question marks. You don't know what they're going to bring, so we've got to bring it every week."

Offseason attendance kept every participant engaged, whether that was through weight room conditioning or community involvement. The team plays a vital role in providing assistance to businesses and organizations around Sullivan, and in turn, locals show up on game days to support their hometown program.

"Our coaches always tell us, like, 'The kindness you put out always comes back to you,' and I'm also a big believer in that," says Addison Hullum, a senior wide receiver and defensive back.

The veterans who will be making their final run in the Sullivan uniform this Fall shared the importance of learning from the past and applying that knowledge toward what's to come.

"Every year we build off of what we've learned from the previous years," Wade adds. "Playing with the same guys year in and year out, it lets you build a kind of connection with those guys. It makes you want to play harder and you want to play hard for your friends and your teammates."

Sullivan opens their season on Saturday against Argenta-Oreana.