Football game marks 25th anniversary of 9/11

Two high school football teams played their regular season game on a date that held deep personal weight for their athletic directors.

McHenry and Cary-Grove faced off on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, at McCracken Field in McHenry, Illinois. The match was scheduled for Week 4 of the season. It coincided with the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States.

Chris Madson, the athletic director at McHenry, and Ryan Ludwig, the athletic director at Cary-Grove, planned the event during the summer. They noticed the game date aligned with the anniversary. Both schools emphasize military careers in their programs. Madson said the partnership felt natural. He described Ludwig as a great partner.

Before the varsity kickoff, the schools sold commemorative T-shirts. They raised approximately $7,000. The funds will go to a charitable organization that supports veterans. More than two dozen active-duty military members, veterans, and first responders attended. They stood on the sidelines with their hands on their hearts or raised in salute.

Active duty personnel, veterans, and first responders were invited to the coin toss. They remained on the field for the national anthem. The McHenry marching band performed the fight songs for the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines. A moment of silence followed. The public address announcer asked the crowd to remember the lives lost and the families changed.

Madson has a personal connection to the date. He was 10 years old in 2001. He attended Chauncey H. Duker Elementary School, which is across the street from the football field. He learned about the attacks during morning recess. His father, Dave, worked as a United Airlines executive at Chicago O'Hare International Airport. His mother, Patty, is a nurse. His grandfather served in the Air Force.

Ludwig was a sophomore at Prairie Ridge High School in 2001. He was in a speech class when he heard the news. His teacher, Mr. Gott, turned on a television. The class watched the coverage together. Ludwig said the uncertainty of that day shaped his current perspective.

Madson said the current high school students were not alive in 2001. He believes teaching them about the event is part of the high school experience. He said the students were curious because they had not lived through the attacks. The schools held educational sessions during the week of Sept. 11.

Madson said it feels strange that 25 years have passed. He noted the event was terrible but also unified the country. The two schools worked together to honor the memory of the day through the football game.