CSM Pick 'Em: Week 1, 2026
- Clutch Sports Staff
- 2 hours ago
- 3 min read
The day that every high school football fan in Illinois has been waiting for is finally here as Week 1 of the 2026 season kicks off.
Clutch Sports Media’s Pick ‘Em is back for another year as six CSM staff members make their picks for 10 of the best games in Central Illinois each week.
This week’s slate is highlighted by Mid-Illini teams facing familiar non-conference foes, such as Morton taking on Mahomet-Seymour and Dunlap facing Galesburg.
Elsewhere, Normal Community and Bloomington will battle for early crosstown bragging rights and Normal West, Peoria Notre Dame and El Paso-Gridley all face teams that went on runs deep into the postseason last fall.
Clutch Sports Media will have free live broadcasts of Washington vs. Wheaton North and Galesburg vs. Dunlap in our WMBD Games of the Week. Washington's game kicks off at 7 p.m. while Dunlap kicks off at 7:30. Watch each game on centralillinoisproud.com/games/ or on your big screen on the WMBD+ app.
Broadcasters for those games are ineligible to pick a winner for the game they are broadcasting and will pick the winner of an 11th game instead.
Want to read more?
Subscribe to clutchsportsil.com to keep reading this exclusive post.
