By Jack Hart | ILSportsWire
The Rochester Rockets enter the 2026 football season with plenty of experience, high expectations, and one major source of motivation.
For the first time under head coach Derek Leonard, Rochester walked away from a state championship game without the trophy. After falling to Montini Catholic in last year’s state championship, the Rockets are using that disappointment as fuel heading into a new season.
“We were the team to lose, so we are going to come back and we’re not going to lose,” senior defensive leader Cash Peters said.
That mentality has been evident throughout the first week of practice.
Peters said the Rockets have been emphasizing physicality, with the goal of setting the tone against every opponent.
“We are really working to be the hammer and bring it to the opponent,” Peters said.
A Defense Ready to Make Its Mark
Rochester has become known for its high-powered offense, but the Rockets believe their defense can be just as impactful in 2026.
Peters believes the biggest difference this season will be experience.
Last year’s defense featured a number of young players who were forced to grow up quickly. This year, those players return with another year under their belts, while a strong senior class provides additional leadership.
For defensive standout Parker Seifert, that experience could be critical.
“We’ve changed some things up, and I think it’s going to be good for us,” Seifert said.
Seifert also pointed to the difficult opening portion of Rochester’s schedule as something that could benefit the Rockets when the postseason arrives.
Rochester opens the season on the road against Moline before facing Batavia and then beginning its Central State 8 schedule.
Rather than avoiding a difficult schedule, Seifert believes the challenge is exactly what Rochester needs.
“If we play two teams that aren’t as good as they are, it won’t prepare us as well as playing them,” Seifert said.
Depth Could Be a Difference-Maker
Leonard enters his 22nd season at Rochester with a roster that he believes has developed significantly.
Last year’s team had plenty of depth, but much of that depth was young.
Now, those players have another year of experience.
“We do have depth,” Leonard said. “Last year we had a lot of depth. It was just young depth. And so, man, those young kids have gotten older.”
Leonard said he feels especially good about the team’s starting 22, while also stressing the importance of developing backups and special teams contributors.
That depth could become increasingly important as Rochester navigates what Leonard described as potentially the toughest nine-game schedule he has faced during his 22 years with the program.
Nine Championships — And Still Chasing More
Leonard has already accomplished something almost impossible at the high school level: nine state championships.
But as the Rockets enter 2026, the chase for No. 10 isn’t about reaching a personal milestone.
Leonard said the first championship will always be the most special.
Rochester went just 3-6 during his first season, making the program’s eventual rise even more remarkable.
“I would have never dreamed we’d be where we’re at,” Leonard said.
Now, after nine championships, the expectations haven’t changed.
“Now, hey, you get greedy and you want another one,” Leonard said. “That’s what everyone here knows. That’s our goal.”
For Leonard, the number doesn’t matter as much as maintaining the standard.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 10, five, one, 15,” he said. “That’s always going to be the goal here every year.”
So, Why Rochester?
For years, the question surrounding Rochester has been simple: How does a public school consistently find this level of success?
Leonard doesn’t believe there is one secret answer.
Instead, he points to a combination of factors that have come together over more than two decades.
The coaching staff has remained remarkably consistent, with several coaches having been with Leonard for more than 10 or 15 years. Leonard also credits the players who have bought into the program, the parents, administration, and the Rochester community.
“There’s just so many things have to go right,” Leonard said.
That support has helped create a culture where success is expected but never taken for granted.
And perhaps most importantly, Rochester has continued to produce players and coaches who believe in the same standard.
The Road Back Starts With the Schedule
The Rockets won’t have an easy path back to the state championship.
The Central State 8 features plenty of challenges, including Glenwood, Springfield High, MacArthur, University High, and Chatham. Rochester will also face Quincy Notre Dame late in the season.
Leonard expects the competition to test his team throughout the year.
But that’s exactly what the Rockets want.
The goal isn’t simply to win games in August and September.
It’s to be prepared when November arrives.
One Goal
For Peters, Seifert, Leonard, and the rest of the Rochester program, the message entering 2026 is clear.
The Rockets want to get back to the state championship.
And this time, they want a different ending.
Peters said the Rochester community can play a major role simply by showing up.
“Show up to the games and be loud,” Peters said.
Seifert echoed that message, asking the community to come out and cheer for the team.
Leonard isn’t asking for anything different from what Rochester has done for years.
“Just do what they usually do,” Leonard said.
With more than 100 players in the program, experienced starters, improved depth, a veteran coaching staff, and the motivation of last year’s championship loss, Rochester enters 2026 with expectations that remain as high as ever.
Nine championships have established the standard.
Now, the Rockets are chasing No. 10.
