​With the high school sports season behind us, it’s time to look back. This is the fifth poll in a series the Journal Star is rolling out this summer, inviting readers to choose various season superlatives for 2025-26—honoring top teams, coaches, and standout male and female athletes. It’s time to name the Peoria-area high school Boys Coach of the Year, and you can vote now at pjstar.com/sports. The poll closes at noon on Thursday. Details about the nominees are listed below. If you have a candidate for next week’s Girls Coach of the Year, please email sports@pjstar.com or tag us on X @pjstarsports. Last week, Morton two-sport star Claire Ceresa was selected as the fans’ choice for the 2026 Journal Star Girls Athlete of the Year.
The Titans (12-1) made program history in 2025 under head coach Benedict, including EP-G’s first-ever state semifinal as a consolidated team and its first undefeated regular season, topping the Heart of Illinois Conference—Large Division with a 5-0 record. Although they fell to eventual state champion Wilmington in the November semifinals, El Paso-Gridley posted an average of 36.8 points per game, scoring 35 or more in eight games. The Titans’ defense was stellar, surrendering just 11 points per contest, recording four shutouts and allowing 15 or fewer points on ten occasions. Sophomore Cha’von Maxon (wide receiver) and junior Owen Adams (linebacker) were named Journal Star All-Area selections.
El Paso-Gridley’s head coach Tanner Benedict oversaw the Titans as they faced Tremont in a midseason tilt. Tremont (39-2) captured the Class 1A state championship in dominant fashion, extending their winning streak to 25 games by run-ruling Putnam County in the title game. Tremont’s depth was highlighted by dominant pitching from Valparaiso signee Andrew Dawson and Kansas signee Chase Rhodes, alongside a potent lineup featuring Dawson, Griffin Meeker, and Josh Papenhause, who together averaged close to 10 runs per game. Across seven games on their path to the state crown, Tremont outscored opponents 61-11, including multiple games with double-digit run margins. Tremont’s head coach Eddie Betson greeted his players after the championship victory over Putnam County at Illinois Field in Champaign.
The Panthers also enjoyed a standout season on the mound and in the field, culminating in Washington finishing as the Class 2A state runner-up after a dramatic penalty-kick defeat to Chicago De La Salle in November. It marked Washington’s first state finals appearance for the boys soccer program. Clift’s squad posted a 29-2-1 record, coming within one win of tying the state single-season wins mark. A memorable moment in the title match came when John Clift’s first-half goal evened the score at 1-1. Before the final loss, Washington had rattled off 14 consecutive victories and had outscored opponents 55-4. Isaac Retz was named Journal Star Player of the Year, adding to a season that combined impressive team success with standout individual performances and a compelling storyline across the Peoria-area sports landscape.