This is a developing article; it will be updated as additional photos and interviews come in.
Homecoming 2024 was an exciting night for the many alumni and fans who joined the stands as the Wildcats won, 41-10, in their matchup against the Riverside-Brookfield Bulldogs, making them playoff eligible once again.
West Chicago jumped to an early lead with a touchdown, followed by a successful PAT, making it 7-0. Riverside-Brookfield responded with a touchdown of their own, but the Wildcats answered quickly with another score, building a 14-7 lead.
The defense then held the Bulldogs to a field goal, narrowing the gap to 14-10. Not to be deterred, the Wildcats surged ahead, adding two more touchdowns before halftime. Although the extra point was missed, the team extended their lead to 27-10 by the break.
West Chicago Community High School’s marching band took to the field for a half-time show that showcased several months of hard work. Likewise, the cheer and dance teams performed high energy halftime shows that rallied the crowd as they looked toward the second half.
With the Wildcats dominating on both sides of the ball, they look poised for a Homecoming victory. Stay tuned for final game results and highlights.
Coming out of the break, the Wildcats defense made a key stop, and four plays later, they found the end zone again. With a successful PAT, the Wildcats extended their lead to 34-10, inching closer to a Homecoming victory.
As the third quarter closed, they added another touchdown, bringing the score to 41-10.
Today also marked the 50th anniversary of West Chicago’s state-winning football team, and many of the athletes came from all over the nation – including Texas and Florida – to see the Homecoming game.
“There’s a lot of love and respect left from our years and memories of our schoolwork and our team in football in the championship games, that game that we played in,” Henry Antes said.
The opportunity to watch the Wildcats play on their home turf was “very special,” according to former player Randy Hill.
“It’s also really it’s awesome for me to be able to see my teammates and I haven’t seen in a while, and get together with them, talk about life, and then the thing that’s really, really kind of cool is the just the community around, you know? The support for [the] football program, and acknowledging us. And it just pride – the school pride. I think it’s really, really special that we what we had as a team, and then hopefully we can bring that forward for this season,” Hill said.