LCHS football coach Silkowski chosen to help coach at 2025 Illinois High School Shrine Game on June 21

 

[December 17, 2024]  LINCOLN -- Railer head football coach Matt Silkowski has been chosen as a coach for the 2025 Illinois High School Shrine Game, scheduled for Saturday, June 21 at Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington.

Silkowski was one of 12 coaches selected by the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association (IHSFCA) The announcement was made via press release distributed by the Illinois High School Association.

“I got a text November 26 from Dave Jacobs [former Rochester HS football, and current IHSFCA trustee and organizer of the Illinois High School Shrine Game] asking me to give him a call,” Silkowski said. “When I called him, he had some really nice things to say about me and about what we’re doing with the program here in Lincoln and thought I’d be a good addition to the staff for the game.”

Silkowski said that, although he has only seen a basic itinerary, he will be working with the running backs and wide receivers for the red team. Players and coaches will report for the event on June 17 and hold multiple practices each day until game day on June 21.

“I’m really looking forward to it, Silkowski said. “It sounds like it’s going to be a lot of fun and a really good opportunity to connect with other coaches. I think it’s going to be really fun.”

Silkowski added that Jacobs, who compiled a 43-48 record while serving as head football coach at Rochester High School from 1996-97 to 2004-05, was very familiar with the overall history and recent accomplishments of Silkowski’s football teams at Lincoln Community High School.

“He [Jacobs] said some really nice things about how tough it is to be in the conference we’re in,” Silkowski said. “And how Lincoln doesn’t have a really good tradition and we’ve done a really good job of building it to the point we’ve gotten it.

“I thought it was a great honor. I thought it would be a great experience to be a part of it.”

While Silkowski said the accolade caught him off guard, he added that he viewed the opportunity as a byproduct of the recent success of the Railer football program.

“I wanted to get our program to a point where I got to speak at a clinic. I got an opportunity to do that last offseason back in February; I spoke at a clinic up in Chicago. As a young coach, you sit in those things and you’re just like, “Man, I’d love that opportunity someday to have people want to come listen to me talk.

“I think it’s good that people from outside our community are recognizing the great efforts and accomplishments our kids are achieving on the field now.”

According to the IHSA press release: “Silkowski became the head football coach at LCHS in 2016. Since then, he has revitalized the Railsplitters football program, leading them to their first playoff appearance in 39 years during the 2023 season. With the third-most wins in school history, Coach Silkowski has brought pride and energy to the program. Outside of coaching, Matt enjoys grilling and spending time with his family. He is married to his wife, Lauren, and they have two children, Urban (7) and Madison (4). Matt was born and raised in Tinley Park.”

Silkowski has compiled a 27-52 overall record since becoming head coach prior to the 2016-17 season, including a 17-20 overall mark over the past four seasons. Also included in that listing is a playoff game in 2023-24, when the Railers make it to the postseason for the first time since 1984.

Silkowski currently ranks third in career wins on the list of all-time winningest for the Railers. Gene McDonald leads the way with a 90-86-4 record over 20 seasons at Lincoln. Roy Anderson is currently No. 2 on that list with a 55-52-13 career record in coaching LCHS from 1935-36 through the 1948-49 campaign.

[Loyd Kirby]