The last few football seasons haven’t been kind to Plainfield East .

The Bengals have not qualified for the playoffs since 2021, and finished last season with a 2-7 record.

With Friday night’s 55-6 win over Joliet Central , Plainfield East has already exceeded last year’s win total and is one of the 108 teams in Illinois that haven’t lost a game yet.

It has been a change in attitude that has the Bengals flying high under first-year coach Dan Stekala.

“We worked a lot harder in the weight room and summer workouts than we did before,” East running back David Croom III said after racking up 113 yards and three TDs on 11 carries Friday night. “There’s a lot of talent here.”

Stekala came to Plainfield East after spending last season as a graduate assistant at University of St. Francis.

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