Illiana Christian to start football program
HANOVER TOWNSHIP - Head of School Lance Davids and Athletic Director Darren DeBoer announced today that the school is starting a football program. The search for a head football coach is underway, and the program will begin this Fall. A preliminary contest schedule is yet to be determined. The program will begin with a junior varsity team, followed by a varsity team.
The home football games will be played on the current soccer field, and to ensure the durability of the playing surface for both sports, an artificial turf field will be installed this coming Spring. ICHS thanks an anonymous donor for providing the funds to pay for the field upgrade.
“We've had a strong interest in starting a program for a long time,” said Athletic Director, Darren DeBoer. “Our facilities in Lansing had always been a hindering factor. It's just been a matter of having facilities, enrollment, and financial capability align, and we believe we're there.”
This is the first time in the school’s eighty-year history that they will have a sanctioned boys’ football team. Illiana started a girls’ flag football team last fall, which will continue. In the school year 2026 - 2027, Illiana will join the Northwest Crossroads Conference, and the school’s football team will eventually compete with those schools.
“There's a number of challenges whenever you start a program, especially one as massive as football,” said DeBoer. “I think the biggest one, with any program, is finding the right leader, someone passionate with the right vision for the program. After that, things tend to work themselves out.”
“I'm excited about what it is going to do for our young men,” DeBoer added. “I have a strong appreciation about what a football program with a strong leader can do to shape the character of athletes. I'm also excited about what this can be for our community.“
Interviews with Athletic Director, Darren DeBoer or other school officials are available upon request.
Illiana Christian High School is a private, Christian school based on Reformed theology located in Dyer, Indiana. The school currently has an enrollment of 610 students.