2025 Football Preview: Bielema re-energizing Limestone with commitment, consistency 

BARTONVILLE — Cory Bielema couldn’t resist the pull of coaching high school football much longer. 

The two-time state champion, who led Morrison to Class 2A titles in 2009 and 2011, had been away from coaching since 2017. He hung up the headset, worked in administration at Morrison’s elementary and high schools and sent his kids off to college at Bradley. 

Through the unofficial fraternity of high school football coaches, Bielema heard about an opening at Limestone, a program on the polar opposite side from his state championship teams, following the resignation of Jeff Schmider in the winter. 

A former coach at his alma mater Sterling, Rock Falls and then Morrison, Bielema accepted the challenge, giving Limestone new life and a proven winner as the Rockets build from the ground up.