It may be only an abbreviated six-game season but for the state of Illinois' thousands of high school football players excitement reigns supreme.

Tonight, all across Illinois, the 534 football playing schools will kick-off the 2020 season.

For the Bugle/Enterprise Newspapers football playing schools joy also reigns supreme.

"It is just so awesome to be playing football again," Joliet Catholic junior quarterback Aidan Voss said.

Joliet Catholic returns 15 starters from their 2019 IHSA Class 5A quarterfinalist. With an Illinois-best 14 state football championships, the Hilltoppers, with all the talent returning from last season were looking to claim state title No.15 in 2020.

The world wide virus abbreviated six-game season and has taken that opportunity away from the Hilltoppers.

"We have a six-game season," Joliet Catholic head coach Jake Jaworski said. "It's great to be back working again and have an opponent to play tonight. Anytime we compete we want to win the game but that is not the ultimate goal. We want the kids to learn the lessons of life, along the way. This season the kids learned how easily in life something one loves doing can be instantly taken away from you. It really put their priorities in order.

"If we are fortunate to finish 6-0, we will raise a banner to honor the 2020 Undefeated CCL/ESCC White Champion Hilltoppers."

At 7:30 p.m. the Hilltoppers will kick-off their season at St. Laurence.

BUGLE/ENTERPRISE NEWSPAPERS WEEK ONE FOOTBALL MATCH-UPS

FRIDAY MARCH 19

CCL.ESCC GREEN

MARIST AT NOTRE DAME 7

CCL/ESCC ORANGE

BENET ACADEMY AT ST.IGNATIUS 7

CCL/ESCC WHITE

JOLIET CATHOLIC AT ST. LAURENCE 7:30

CENTRAL SUBURBAN SOUTH

NILES WEST AT MAINE SOUTH 7

ILLINOIS CENTRAL 8

LISLE AT WILMINGTON 7

METRO SUBURBAN

CHICAGO CHRISTIAN AT WESTMONT 7

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE

MINOOKA AT PLAINFIELD EAST 7

OSWEGO AT PLAINFIELD SOUTH 7

OSWEGO EAST AT JOLIET WEST 6

Plainfield Central AT YORKVILLE 7

Plainfield North AT ROMEOVILLE 7

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN

BOLINGBROOK AT L-W EAST 7

LOCKPORT AT HOMEWOOD-FLOSSMOOR 7

WEST SUBURBAN

DOWNERS GROVE SOUTH AT PROVISO EAST 7

PROVISO WEST AT DOWNERS GROVE NORTH 7

SATURDAY MARCH 20

CENTRAL SUBURBAN NORTH

MAINE EAST AT HIGHLAND PARK 2:30

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE

WEST AURORA AT JOLIET CENTRAL 12:30