Week 3 Preview: Galesburg Opens Western Big 6 Play — at 4:30 in the Afternoon
Conference season starts, and Galesburg’s begins at an hour that will catch people out.
The Week 3 slate — Friday, September 4
| Game | Site | Time | Opponent 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galesburg at United Township | East Moline | 4:30 | 5-5 |
| Monmouth-Roseville at Mercer County | Aledo | 7:00 | 2-7 |
| Hamilton/Warsaw at Knoxville | Knoxville | 7:00 | 6-4 |
| Stark County at United | Monmouth | 7:00 | 5-5 |
| Abingdon-Avon at Bureau Valley | Manlius | 7:00 | 1-8 |
| ROWVA/Williamsfield at Illini West | Carthage | 7:00 | 5-5 |
| Galva at West Central | Biggsville | 7:00 | 5-5 |
Note the time on that first one
Galesburg’s Western Big 6 opener at United Township kicks off at 4:30 p.m., not 7:00. That is not a typo and it is not unusual for UT — they play four home games at 4:30 this season.
If you are driving to East Moline, leave work early.
Knoxville hosts the team A-Town already beat
The most interesting crossover of the week. Hamilton/Warsaw — the co-op that appears on some schedules as West Hancock — went 6-4 last season and made the playoffs, then opened 2026 by losing 41-12 at Abingdon-Avon.
Knoxville, meanwhile, opened by losing 42-14 at Macomb. Both teams need this. And the comparison is unavoidable: A-Town handled Hamilton/Warsaw by 29, which sets a bar Knoxville will be measured against whether that is fair or not.
Abingdon-Avon gets the one everyone wants
Bureau Valley went 1-8 last season. Bureau Valley also just beat United 36-27 in a game that finished at 11:55 p.m. after a lightning delay.
A-Town is 1-0 and will be favoured. This is the sort of fixture that decides whether a fast start becomes a season.
United gets a step up
Stark County went 5-5 and finished mid-table in the Small division. After Kellen Boone’s 369-yard opener, the question for United is not whether the offense travels — it is whether the defense can hold anyone under 30.
Monmouth-Roseville should be favoured, and will not relax
Mercer County went 2-7 and 0-6 in the Three Rivers Rock Division, though the Golden Eagles opened 2026 by beating Hall 46-44 in overtime. The Titans, by then, will have played Rockridge. This is a get-well fixture if they need one.
ROWVA/Williamsfield’s real test
Illini West went 5-5, made the playoffs and has a new head coach in Michael Lafferty, the Carthage native who quarterbacked the Chargers to the 2008 state title.
The Cougars have beaten a winless team by 48. This is the game that tells us whether 54-6 meant anything.
West Central hosts a familiar opponent
Galva went 5-5 in eight-man play last season. The Heat should be 2-0 by then and this is a home date.
Times and sites via IHSA and MaxPreps, subject to change. Live scoreboard Friday night, recaps Saturday morning. Spot an error? Tell us and we fix it same day.
