MOWEQUA, ILL. (WCIA) — For the first time since opening in 1992, the Raider football team will have a few more letters in its name.

It was announced in April that Central A&M and Okaw Valley would join forces for the 2025 season, and the task of combining two teams while getting game-ready began immediately.

“We really clicked from the start,” said defensive end Parker Odell, a junior at Okaw Valley. “That’s the big thing. It was it was a good combination. We all get along, they welcomed us really well.”

Even with a good sense of teamwork and camaraderie heading into the season, moving up from 1A to 2A was something the Okaw Valley players had to adjust to, and that remains true in the Raiders’ Week 7 matchup against St. Teresa.

“We have to play four quarters, we have to be physical and the people in the area know how  big of a rivalry it is,” said head coach Brent Weakly. “We’re trying to do the best we can to  prepare our kids for the rivalry itself.”

The Raiders host St. Teresa on Friday, October 10 at 7 p.m.