Week Five of the high school football season has arrived, and with it comes a celebration of homecoming for the Washington Demons. But that’s not the only special occasion waiting for Washington, as they’ll face conference and district rival Keokuk on the field tonight in a game you can hear on KCII.

Washington’s 3-0 start came to an end with a 31-0 loss at Grinnell last week, but the Demons were missing four starters, including three on offense. It’s already been a successful season for Washington, outpacing last year’s total of two wins.

The Demons have gotten it done with defense, allowing just over 19 points per game, thanks in part to players like linebacker Jude Carter, who leads the team with 34 tackles, and fellow senior Summit Keith, who has over 24 total stops.

Washington’s defensive line has been dominant, with senior Keider Gomez-Valdez posting eight tackles for loss and three sacks and sophomore Brady Krantz putting up six tackles for loss and three-and-a-half sacks.

On offense, the Demons are hoping to get their run game going again, as junior Kael Williams had most of his rushing yards this season come in a 234-yard outburst against Fairfield the last time Washington was at home.

Head coach Kelly Williams tells KCII Sports he’s hoping for a charged atmosphere at Case Field, but one that his team will be able to handle, even with the extra activities.

“I’m excited for homecoming,” Williams says. “Hopefully we get some alumni back in town and get them to the game. Our kids had practice for around an hour and a half [each day this week, and we] just [are] making sure that they’re focused.”

The Demons are looking at one of their tougher opponents of the season in Keokuk. The Chiefs have bounced back from an 0-2 start to the season with back-to-back wins where they scored more than 40 points.

Senior quarterback Brenton Hoard has been one of the best players in the Southeast Conference, passing for almost 770 yards and eight touchdowns while rushing for nearly 390 yards and another eight TDs. Washington is looking for redemption from a 47-0 loss to the Chiefs last season, their first defeat in the series since 2016.

You can catch the 2024 homecoming edition of Demon football on KCII this evening, starting with the HOMEgirl Realty Pregame Show at a special time of 6:30 on 106.1 FM, as well as streaming on KCIIradio.com and the KCII1 app.