GRANITE CITY - The Granite City High football team opened its 2025 preseason practice on Aug. 11, and spirits and optimism are at a high level, as the Warriors look to rebound from a 0-9 season in 2024.
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Although Granite didn't win a game last year, the team kept striving and didn't quit all year, which pleased veteran coach Steve Roustio.
"I felt the kids fought hard at times last season," Roustio said, "and demonstrated a ton of heart in week Seven in our 42-18 loss to Mt. Vernon on our Senior Night. What those seniors did for our returning young players was show them that no matter the circumstances, we were able to take the field with fight and determination."
This year, the Warriors are still a young team, with a rosters dominated by sophomores and juniors, and also have the possibility of starting two incoming freshmen. Still, optimism is boundless, and a Wednesday practice session was full of hard work and intensity among the players, who are determined to help turn the program around.
"Assistant coach Sam Fowler dedicated three to four days a week all winter to a weight training program," Roustio said, "and defensive coordinator Kyle Thompson blending in an outstanding agility program."
In addition, a good number of players, between 29 to 53 players, competed in summer drills during the IHSA-approved contact days, where the Granite players spent much time installing offensive, defensive, and special teams plays and formations. Granite split a pair of modified summer games at home this year, losing to Jacksonville 18-16. but defeating Riverview Gardens of north St. Louis County 40-18.
The Warriors will host a week zero scrimmage on Aug. 22 against Alton before their season opener Aug 29 at Memorial Stadium/Kevin Greene Field against Peotone in a 6 p.m. kickoff. The 2025 schedule also includes games against South Seven teams Marion, Cahokia, Centralia, Mt. Vernon, and Carbondale, along with a game at Collinsville, and ends the season with two road games, at Doniphan, Mo., and at Ottawa Township.
The Warriors did find some success last season, by scoring in five of their nine games, and hit double digits in two of those games, as Granite started its recovery under Roustio, who was the seventh head coach of the team in the last 10 seasons. Roustio does have history on his side as he begins in second season at the helm.
In 1996, he was an assistant coach of a Collinsville team that made the IHSA playoffs for the first time ever, and two years later, the Kahoks had a best-ever regular season mark of 8-1 in qualifying for the playoffs, As the special teams coordinator for Petersburg PORTA, his team not only set a school record with 10 wins in a season, a punt returner, Nick Territo, set an IHSA record with five punt returns in a single game.
The Warriors will be ready to compete and play hard when the season starts, and a possible playoff berth may come from Roustio's second season as head coach. In addition, Granite will rejoin the Southwestern Conference in 2026, along with expansion teams Mascoutah and Triad, as well as the return of Collinsville for football.
The Warriors will compete in a division with Alton, Mascoutah, Triad, and Collinsville, while the other division will consist of Edwardsville, East St. Louis, O'Fallon, Belleville East, and Belleville West.
