Peoria High School

Football season is around the corner! SIX Lions were named to the Journal Star Preseason Watch list! Take a look below! https://peoriahighnews.wordpress.com/2026/08/05/6-phs-football-lions-named-to-j-s-preseason-watch-list/

The Journal Star represented 287 athletes for the fall season. Well, 10 Lions are SOME NAMES YOU SHOULD KNOW! Take a look below! https://peoriahighnews.wordpress.com/2026/08/10/10-lions-named-to-journal-stars-names-to-know-list/

Tryouts for fall sports is underway but sports in general at Peoria High will feature some new faces. At this time, let’s welcome the new head coaches for the Lion teams for the 2026-27 year. Ryan McElmurry (Boys Basketball): Coach Buck led the Lions on an interim basis for part of last season, but will officially be the boys basketball coach. Coach will be joined by Coach Noble, his former coach at Galesburg when he hooped as well. Robert Schroeder (Boys Soccer): The former assistant coach is now the full face of soccer after Coach Heinlein’s departure. Coach Schroeder works in the school as an ESL coordinator and is a familiar face to many returning footballers. Shamar Hill (Girls Basketball): Hill is no stranger to the Peoria area. The former Lion alum coached a successful team at Richwoods last season. Hill takes over for the future Hall of Famer Meechie Edwards, who is on record saying, “that was my guy.”

The Peoria Options Program (POP) was excited to welcome back Peoria Grow to their classroom. Today, students made a peach parfait!

🎒 Start the 2026-27 school year off right! Don't miss these back-to-school physical events to help your student be ready for the 1st day!

In observance of Juneteenth, all Peoria Public Schools offices will be closed.

Juneteenth celebrates the end of slavery in the United States. We encourage our community to take time to learn, reflect, and uplift one another as we honor this important day. ❤️🖤💚

Save the Date!

STATE FINALISTS. School history could be made tomorrow. A Peoria Lion has never medaled at state in Class 3A but that could all change as two Lions have made it to Saturday. Malik Johnson is currently winning the triple jump after preliminaries while Cam Gunn is seeded fifth in high jump. Keep your eyes on those results and a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to our track and field athletes.

The men are READY to compete on the blue track. Thank you to Anita Tutt, the mother of Coach Daubs for feeding our state qualifiers!

The girls track and field season officially came to a close today. Jamiya Jones wrapped up her first ever appearance at state with a 27th overall finish in the triple jump with a mark of 34-feet, 9.75 inches. She also finished 34th in the long jump with a mark of 16-feet. 3.25 inches.

The boys track team had a busy Thursday. Both Cam Gunn and Malik Johnson received a state sendoff, along with Jamiya Jones, who competes tomorrow. In addition, the team held their end of the season awards night. As the team celebrated their success, the following received individual awards: Courage Award: Mark Richmond Hustle Award: Christian Hannah & Charles Barnes Most Improved: Jayleon Williams Most Outstanding Field Event: Cam Gunn & Malik Johnson Most Outstanding Runner: Melvin Jenkins

The boys track team had their final team dinner of the year. They head to Rock Island today for Sectionals and look to qualify for state or set their final PR of the season.

Thank you for being heroes of communication! Your work makes a lasting difference and we are SO grateful for all that you do!

CALLING ALL ART GUILDERS!! Do not miss out on this wonderful opportunity below!

The Peace Plays mural project brought together students from across Peoria Public Schools, giving them the chance to work together on a public piece centered around hope, community, and civic pride. Peoria High School students helped lead the project while mentoring younger artists from Trewyn, Sterling, Lincoln, and Von Steuben throughout the creation of the mural. The project was led by Peoria High School art instructors Joe Orteza and Meredith Popp through the Peace Plays in Peoria initiative, which uses art and collaboration to encourage conversations about community, leadership, and violence prevention. Incoming Peoria Police Chief Brad Dixon accepted the mural on behalf of the Peoria Police Department and shared his appreciation for the students’ work and message. Students will visit Peoria Police Headquarters next week to meet with Chief Dixon, tour the building, and continue conversations about leadership, community involvement, and how art can help bring people together. The mural now stands as a lasting reminder of the impact young people can have on their city through creativity, collaboration, and service.

Band, soccer, and softball have wrapped it up! The Peace Plays in Peoria event celebrates the power of the arts to bring people together through creativity, understanding, and collaboration. On May 14th, more than 500 students from various Peoria Public Schools and Morton Junior High School came together for this incredible event, representing band, orchestra, choir, and visual art. In other news, the Peoria softball and girls soccer team wrapped up their season last week. The soccer team battled Urbana to a 9-0 loss, while ending their season with a 7-0 defeat to Bloomington. The softball team ended their season 0-11. The softball team wrapped up their season with a 17-0 defeat to Bloomington. Their record was 1-12.

Not ranked, no problem. Jamiya Jones jumped her way onto the scene after being ranked in the lower half of her flight. The sophomore bounced past the odds by jumping state-qualifying standards in the long jump, clinching an 18-foot-4.75 inch jump to claim fourth place. However, that’s not all Jones will be doing as her 36-foot-6.50 inch jump in the triple jump will send her to state, and also clinched second place overall. Jones, who was a state qualifier during indoor season, will compete at the 3A State Championships for the first time in her career next Friday. The Lions placed 16th as a team at the Rock Island Sectional. Other performances included Amari Williams with a personal best 7:44.98 in the 1600-meter run and an 11th-place finish by the 4×200-meter relay, which consisted of Jones, Niara Young, Shanavia McGhee, and Cha’Mya Winters.