Willowbrook's football program will open the 2026 season against a familiar and dangerous opponent, facing Glenbard East on Friday, August 21, in a Week 1 Class 7A matchup. The Warriors enter the game in transition after longtime coach Vic Wisner retired. The Rams return a roster stacked with proven playmakers from a team that reached the second round of last year's state playoffs.

It's a steep test for a Villa Park program still finding its footing. District 88 confirmed Wisner's retirement in a year-end report published in June 2026. The district has not announced his replacement, leaving Willowbrook's offensive and defensive schemes an open question heading into the opener.

Glenbard East, meanwhile, has no such uncertainty at the top. Head coach John Walters told Shaw Local on Wednesday, July 23, that senior wide receiver Malachi Miller will be "the focal point of the offense" and called him "an electric player." Senior wideout Mason Wright rounds out a receiving corps Walters praised for speed and reliable hands.

On defense, senior safety Montii Perry anchors the secondary. Perry spent the offseason in the weight room and told Shaw Local he views the opener as the start of unfinished business after the Rams' 2025 season ended with a 42-21 second-round playoff loss to Batavia, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

"It's my last year, so I'm going to make sure it's a good year," Perry said in the July 23 interview. "I'm pumped up and ready to roll, especially since we lost in round two of the playoffs last season. Glenbard East football has something to prove."

Willowbrook's 2025 season ended a round earlier. The Warriors fell 63-21 to second-seeded Glenbard West as the 31st seed in the Class 7A first round on Friday, October 31, 2025, according to Sun-Times playoff scores.

The two programs met in last year's opener as well. Glenbard East won 28-21 on Friday, August 29, 2025, extending its winning streak in the series to three consecutive games, according to MaxPreps.

Walters acknowledged his 2026 roster skews younger. He promoted five sophomores to varsity, an unusually high number for a program that typically elevates one or two. Still, he expressed confidence in the defense, telling Shaw Local the Rams will be "strong up the middle" with returning experience.

Willowbrook has lost three straight to the Rams. The August 21 game kicks off the Week 1 slate for both programs.