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ROXANA – Roxana head football coach Wade DeVries is enthusiastic about the upcoming season with the Shells, following a scrimmage against Staunton this past Friday, Aug. 23.
This event was significant as it marked the first year the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) has permitted high schools to engage in scrimmages under a new format.
The new IHSA guidelines allow teams to participate in a maximum of four separate 12-play segments, including two offensive and two defensive segments, with a cap of 48 total plays per level. Special teams plays, such as kickoffs, punts, and field goals, are not permitted. After touchdowns, teams may execute extra point attempts against air, with no defense on the field, and these attempts do not count toward the play limit.
Roxana opens the 2024 season at Jersey at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024.
The Shells had an impressive 12-1 record in 2023, advancing to the IHSA Class 3A state semifinals and winning the Cahokia Conference Championship. They are expected to be strong contenders again in 2024.
“We had a really good summer,” Coach DeVries said. “We lost several kids but our goal is to continue to replace them and build the program. We have a good group of players this year.”
Leading the group is Andruw Ellis, who recently signed with Northern Illinois University. The 6-foot, 185-pounder topped 1,000 yards on the ground in 2023 and was a key to the Shells' success.
