New QB leads Central into week one conference test
· Yahoo Sports
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) - Champaign Central football is in search of its first winning season since 2018.
The Maroons waste no time getting into the thick of Big 12 play, hosting Danville in week one. It will be an early litmus test for Luke Harding, who moved from wide receiver to quarterback during the offseason and is expected to start.
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"He's always had a decent arm," Central head coach Matthew Leskis said of Harding. "He played quarterback a lot when he was younger. So it's just getting him used to the offense… Trying to get him comfortable is that is a challenge but he's a senior, so he's mature and he has played Friday nights so that's going to help a lot."
The Maroons return four offensive lineman who played a heavy dose of snaps in 2025. Leskis hopes that, plus a strong bond with the wide receiver room, can help Harding have an easy path to success.
"We've played since the youth league and we've always known each other," senior wide receiver Talin Baker said, of his relationship with Harding. "We have a bond that's pretty unbreakable and the connection is pretty well."
Harding and Baker both say they've tried to step things up from a leadership perspective during early practices.
It will make a pair of Harding quarterbacks at Central, as Luke's sister, Eden, starts for the girls' flag football team.
Central's schedule is interesting in that it will not leave Champaign-Urbana until week six. The Maroons open with three home games, then visit Urbana, then return home for week five. Factor in the week nine matchup against Centennial, and one more home game, and it's just twice that the Maroons make a Friday night road trip all year.
As Leskis' team prepares for the Vikings, he knows trying to contain D'Mario Jackson will need to be a priority. Jackson won the 100, 200 and 400 at the 2026 IHSA state track meet in class 2A.
"That's quite an accomplishment... You can be born with some speed but he obviously puts the work in," Leskis said of Jackson. "He's a dedicated kid, that's difficult to do at any level, so my hats off to him. But it's something we got to think about it. We got to know when he's on the field and where he's at at all times."
Central vs Danville will be one of several games featured on WCIA 3 News at 10 p.m. on Friday as part of the first Friday Football Fever show of 2026.
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