2026 Football Preview: Peoria Heights ‘re-establishing our identity’ in Smith’s first season

PEORIA HEIGHTS — The Peoria Heights football team is under new leadership. 

After running the Patriots offense for the last four seasons, Jake Smith is stepping into the role of head coach, something he calls a “dream job” for the first time in his career.

He’s been around football for nearly his entire life, dating back to when his father coached Peoria Heights when he was growing up.

“I've been a part of the community for basically my entire life,” Smith said. “My father coached here for about 30 years. I was a ball boy and a water boy and all that as a kid. So I've been a part of the community for a long time.”

Now getting a chance to lead the team he grew up around, Smith is looking to re-write the narrative of Patriots football, an eight-man program that has struggled in recent years.