Maroa-Forsyth knows New Berlin can make things uncomfortable.
The Trojans entered last year’s regular-season finale with 10 wins and championship aspirations. New Berlin entered needing a victory to keep its playoff hopes alive. The Pretzels hung around before Maroa-Forsyth eventually secured a 44-34 victory.
The teams won’t have to wait nearly as long for the rematch.
Maroa-Forsyth hosts New Berlin at 7 p.m. Friday to open the 2026 season, giving a new-look Trojans offense an immediate test against a familiar Sangamo Conference opponent.
Maroa-Forsyth is coming off its second consecutive appearance in the Class 2A state championship game, but two of the most productive offensive players in program history have graduated.
Quarterback Ryne Sheppard threw for 3,380 yards, 42 touchdowns and just three interceptions last season. His top target, Zach Smith, caught 71 passes for 1,339 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Senior Aiden Williams takes over at quarterback, but he won’t be starting from scratch around him.
All five starting offensive linemen return. Seniors PJ Woodward, Landon Purdeu and Cam Trendler and juniors Kayson Strode and Graham Blackwell give Williams an experienced group up front while Maroa works new players into its skill positions.
Senior Jerrin Taylor and sophomore Braeden Lee are expected to lead the rushing attack. Junior Kaden Blunck is the leading returning receiver after catching 15 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns, while 6-foot-4 Caebrin Lee adds another target.
Blackwell headlines an experienced group on the other side of the ball after recording 90 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, four sacks, three forced fumbles and an interception last season.
New Berlin has more to replace.
The Pretzels graduated their top two rushers, including quarterback Brady Crews, as well as their five leading tacklers from a team that finished 4-5 and narrowly missed the playoffs. Senior running back Conner Stinson enters the season as New Berlin’s top returner.
There will also be a new face leading the program.
Robert Dunn makes his head coaching debut Friday after being promoted from New Berlin’s staff in April. Dunn coached the Pretzels’ running backs last season under Trent Quarton and has previous coaching stops at Jerseyville and Taylorville.
That means Dunn was already on the New Berlin sideline when the Pretzels put 34 points on Maroa last fall. Now he’ll try to reproduce that success with a much different roster.
Maroa-Forsyth has plenty of new faces in prominent roles of its own, but expectations haven’t changed.
Josh Jostes enters his 27th season with a 247-68 record and 10 state championship game appearances. Maroa has won at least 10 games in four consecutive seasons and has finished as the Class 2A runner-up in each of the last two.
Twenty years after winning its first state championship, the Trojans’ pursuit of title No. 3 starts Friday night.
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