Week 7 of the Illinois high school football season is playing out on Friday, Oct. 2, around the Peoria-area.
A lot of teams in the area are playing on the road this week. Some are still trying to lock down an IHSA playoff spot. Others are playing rivalry games, or celebrating homecoming.
Peoria Notre Dame, Richwoods and Peoria High are all on the road Friday in the Big 12. Metamora is at Washington in a Mid-Illini Conference rivalry game. Farmington has a tough matchup on the road at LincolnLand Conference-West leader Illini West (5-1).
There was a full slate of games from teams in the Peoria area.
Here is the Journal Star preps experience for Week 7, your one-stop shop as we look around the Peoria-area football landscape in the seventh week of the 2026 high school season:
Watch IHSA football games on NFHS Network all season
Here’s where to find the Week 7 schedule, standings
The Week 6 schedule for Peoria area teams can be found by tapping here.
Here are the live scores for Week 7
Check out the live-updated scores for Week 7 right here.
Pushing for the playoffs
Four is the magic number for football teams in the IHSA in 2026.
Under the state’s new playoff system, four victories will earn a team a trip to the postseason.
Peoria-area teams with IHSA playoff spots already clinched heading into Week 7 are: Morton, Dunlap, Metamora, Pekin, El Paso-Gridley, Macomb, Abingdon-Avon, Illini West, Stark County, Eureka, Annawan/Wethersfield and St. Bede.
East Peoria (3-3, 1-3) is still trying to join the postseason party for the first time in 14 years. The Raiders have not been to the IHSA postseason since the 2012-13 season, when they were 7-3 under head coach Doug Martin.
East Peoria, Farmington, Elmwood/Brimfield and Peoria High are all sitting on three wins and the brink of clinching a playoff spot as Week 7 kickoffs loom.
IHSA football picks and predictions for Week 7
Who’s gonna win? Check out Adam Duvall‘s picks for Week 6, all in one place by tapping right here.
Who are the best of the best? State rankings
Check out the Illinois state rankings heading into Week 6 action by tapping here.
Peoria-area football power rankings
Tap right here to see how the Peoria-area teams stack up in Week 6.
Looking back: Takeaways from Week 6 Peoria-area football
The Journal Star’s Adam Duvall delivers his four takeaways from Week 6 of the 2026 prep football season in the Peoria area. Just tap here to see them.
Can’t go to the game? How to watch right here
We have gathered links to the live streaming Peoria-area high school football games right here. Just tap and find your game. (Some of these require a subscription)
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Illinois high school football: Live updates, highlights from Peoria-area games in IHSA Week 7
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