SALT FORK, Ill. (WCIA) – Salt Fork football is gearing up for game one of the Les Siefert era.

Siefert enters his first year as the Storm’s head coach, but has been on the staff for nearly 20 years.

“Everything has transformed here,” stated Salt Fork senior running back Ian Church. “Things have improved significantly, and there’s a lot more discipline now.”

“Our kids are just hard workers, are excited about the season,” Siefert said. “We’re ready to hit somebody else. We’re tired of hitting each other.”

Conditioning within the program has taken a step up ahead of the 2025 season.

“In previous years, we really didn’t focus much on the weight room,” Church mentioned. “However, this year, it’s become a major priority, ranking highly on our list.”

Siefert says his players are excited and the energy is contagious.

The Storm takes on Westville in its season opener on Friday. It’s the WCIA 3 Spotlight Game of the Week.

“The Tigers have considerable talent and many seniors,” Church remarked. “But I believe we have a real chance and I’m confident we can win that match.”

WCIA will have live coverage leading up the kickoff in Salt Fork on Friday night, and highlights from the game on Friday Football Fever at 10 p.m.