The 2023 high school football season has arrived in Illinois. Games kicked off Friday, Aug. 25 across the Peoria area.

The Journal Star's preseason coverage of the high school season includes complete schedules, lists of the top players at multiple positions, new coaches and so much more.

Here's a compilation of our coverage for 2023:

Which teams are the best?

We are predicting and previewing the Peoria teams in the Big 12 Conference, along with all eight teams the Mid-Illini Conference. We're also ranking each team and picking the programs with the best shot at a state title.

• Pigskin in Peoria: Predicting how the city's 4 teams will finish in the Big 12 Conference

• Team-by-team look: Predicting the Mid-Illini Conference

• Power rankings: We rank every team in the Big 12 and Mid-Illini

• Title hunting:These Peoria-area football teams have the best shot at raising a state championship trophy

• State ranks: Here are the eight classes of state ranking from The Associated Press

• Predictions: We pick every game around Peoria for Week 1

Practice makes perfect

The first day of high school football practice in Illinois was Monday, Aug. 7. Dave Eminian took a spin around central Illinois to talk to players and coaches at Washington, Metamora, Peoria High, Manual and Elmwood. Here are questions ahead of the 2023 season and our coverage of the first day.

• 23 questions for 2023: Answering burning questions for the 2023 high school football season

• Yoga, a farewell and a title hunt: Football practice begins with stories to tell

• Moms tackling sons: How Washington's traditional Mom's Night became a viral sensation.

The best of the best

Journal Star reporter Adam Duvall selected the top players in the Peoria area in five positional categories: Linemen, defenders, receivers, running backs and quarterbacks. Here are links to each of the lists, for subscribers only.

• From March 2023: Our way-too-early list of football players to watch

• From August 2023: Here are 130 players to watch for 2023

• Line it up: Here are the linemen who'll man the trenches

• Doing it with defense: Here are the defensive players to know

• They're a catch: Here are the wide receivers to know

• Can't stop the run: Here are the top running backs to know

• Behind center: Here are the top quarterbacks to know

Who's playing in Peoria?

We have every game for you, plus a few highlights we spotlighted for you. Week 1 was Aug. 25, with playoff pairings set on Oct. 21 — and the first postseason games on the weekend of Oct. 27. When it comes to filling your Friday night calendar, we have you covered.

• All the games: Here are the Peoria area's high school football schedules for the fall 2023 season

• Opening night: 5 Peoria-area Week 1 high school football games that caught our attention

• Coaching memories: Peoria and Mid-Illini coaches share their fondest memories of opening night.

• Best of the games: The 9 games we circled on the Peoria high school football schedule

New coaches and offseason news

There are at least six new coaches taking over across the Peoria area, including one in the Mid-Illini Conference. Plus, a look at other news and notes from the football offseason.

• Peoria's new faces: Here are the new head coaches in Peoria-area high school football

• Peoria's new team: Peoria Quest joins the growing 8-player game

• Summer 7-on-7s: Washington hosted a summer football event, and we were there

• Practices: 4 takeaways from Morton and Peoria High's joint practice

• Coach-in-waiting: Washington's coach has one more season. The school already found his successor

• Public vs. private: Why the IHSA launched a dialogue on this decades-long debate

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 2023 Peoria high school football preview coverage: Every story