The Aledo/Mercer County High School football program was named the 24th best program in state history by the IHSA Tuesday.
Aledo won three state championships (1998, 2001, 2002) and finished state runner-up three times (1988, 2005, 2006). Mercer County claimed its only state title as the consolidated school district with Westmer in 2012.
Overall, the program has qualified for the playoffs 31 times, including a 27-season postseason streak from 1996-2023. Aledo/Mercer County sports a 56-27 all-time playoff record.
The IHSA will conduct the 50th edition of its Football Playoff State Series in 2024, culminating with the 50th State Championship games at Hancock Stadium in Normal on Friday & Saturday, November 29-30. To help commemorate the milestone, the IHSA compiled a committee of current and former high school football coaches, administrators, and media members to select the Top 50 Football Programs during the playoff era (1974 to 2024).