PEORIA HEIGHTS, Ill. (WMBD/WYZZ) — The Peoria Heights football program is in Jake Smith’s blood.
So, taking over the program is special.
The Metamora High School grad is the new coach of the Patriots but he is not new to the program. His father John coached Peoria Heights for 30 years and Jake was a ball boy for some of those teams.
Now he takes over a program for which he was an assistant the past six years. Most recently, he was the team’s offensive coordinator.
Peoria Heights has a new co-op agreement with Lowpoint-Washburn allowing students from that high school to play for the Patriots this season. Smith, who replaced Kendal Parker, hopes he can regularly have 30 plyers in uniform on game nights.
And he hopes to bring winning football back to the Heights.
“I’ve been around the Heights community and I’m ready,” said Smith. “It’s been 23 years since we’ve had a winning season. That’s a curse I’m trying to break.”
His father’s 2003 team went 6-4 that season, the last time the Patriots made the playoffs. Peoria Heights, which plays 8-man football, will rely on returning lineman Crew Shaver, Eathan Brooks and Maddix Callister, to anchor the team.
“I would say we are a pretty young team. We had eights seniors last year, seven of them started on both sides (of the ball),” said Shaver. “We are a fairly new team. I’m just excited to see how it turns out this year.”
Peoria Heights opens the season at Champaign St. Thomas More on Saturday.
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