Redskins face tough test against perennial Class A powerhouse Camp Point Central
•November 4, 2026•
by E. Scott England
Camp Point, Illinois is a tiny village about 160 miles west and a little north from Sullivan. With a population of just over eleven hundred, this community loves football. Three years ago they had a perfect season capped off with a 14-0 win over another Class A powerhouse, Lena-Winslow for the state championship trophy. The following year they just missed the state championship game, losing in the quarterfinals to Althoff Catholic, the eventual champions of that year.
They haven’t missed the playoffs for as long as MaxPreps goes back with records. They’ve appeared in the state game the day after Thanksgiving three times in that span. This year, they are looking to return to Bloomington, but they must get past the Sullivan Redskins first. So, on Saturday, November 7, Camp Point Central will make the near three hour journey to Sullivan to take on the Redskins at Victory Field.
The Camp Point Central Panthers are currently 9-1. Their only loss of the season came from a thrilling game against Brown County, the number one seed in the south bracket of the Class A playoffs. The Panthers also bring with them a younger team, the majority of the starters being juniors or below. This does not mean they do not bring talent though.
Like Havana, Camp Point has a quarterback, Kale Niekamp, that wreaks havoc on both sides of the ball. He also does the punting for the Panthers so watching for a potential fake is always an option. Niekamp does not run a lot, but he is able if needed. He averages around 50 yards per game in rushing.
The majority of the rushing for Camp Point is shared between juniors Luke Ippensen, Grant Hamilton, and Kolin Bockhold. Each of those running backs average over 60 yards per game. Also getting some touches is also Jackson Fowler. He averages a little over 40 yards per game.