Season Preview: Aquin Bulldogs

Last season saw the Dawgs return to the playoffs, and they exceeded expectations in the process. They took down defending champ Forreston and won the conference outright with an undefeated regular season. The run ended in the quarterfinals to eventual state champion Lena-Winslow, but it also allowed us to see a true conference championship as both division winners squared off.

Aquin will return the majority of the same players this season. With over 8,000 career yards returning, this is one of the most dynamic teams we have seen return the following season. They feature last year's conference MVP, along with a plethora of all-conference players. The key area for the Bulldogs to be successful will be revamping their offensive line, where they did lose some key players from last season. Due to COVID we won't get to see the true potential this team could have had, but we are looking to see what they can still accomplish with a lot of talent on both sides of the ball. The Bulldogs will feature a highly explosive offense, and the Coaches have ranked Aquin #3 in state in Class 1A. The MaxPreps power ratings have Aquin ranked #2 in state in Class 1A. Aquin will be moving to 8-man football this fall, joining 6 other NUIC teams in the league.

Aquin is 39-24 all-time in the playoffs and are coming off their 3rd quarterfinal appearance over the past 4 seasons. The Bulldogs will kickoff the season on the road at Du-Pec. This game will be played on Saturday morning at Auburn High School in Rockford and will be featured as the NUIC Game of the Week.

Aquin Playoff History

1974 0-1

1980 2-1

1981 4-0 Class 1A State Champion

1983 0-1

1986 5-0 Class 1A State Champion

1987 3-1

1988 1-1

1989 1-1

1990 0-1

1998 0-1

1999 2-1

2000 2-1

2001 2-1

2002 2-1

2003 0-1

2004 0-1

2005 5-0 Class 1A State Champion

2008 0-1

2009 0-1

2010 0-1

2011 3-1

2012 0-1

2013 1-1

2014 0-1

2016 2-1

2017 2-1

2019 2-1