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HIGHLAND, Ill. — There was no "Gloria" moment for the Highland football team.

When the Bulldogs began last season in unfamiliar territory at 1-3, they had no rallying cry.

But there was some choice food that helped spur a turnaround.

"Every Wednesday, we'd go to Flanagan's for wings," Highland senior linebacker said.

After rebounding from its worst start since 2011, Highland rattled off six consecutive wins and made its eighth successive playoff appearance.

The Bulldogs still attribute some of their mid-season about-face to those team-building get-togethers. The players took it upon themselves to jump start the turnaround and ended up at E.L Flanagans in downtown Highland every week to build camaraderie.

"We'd go out to eat together, hanging out with each other more and trying to build each other up," Gallagher said. "We had a lot of talks together, just the players without coaches and got the leaders together. We just got together as much as possible and made it a priority just to win. It didn't matter how we won, close or a blowout, at least we won."

The Bulldogs are looking to build upon that success, no matter when the season starts.

The No. 6 small school in the rankings, Highland will have to wait to get things rolling again. In late July, the Illinois High School Association announced it was moving football, along with boys soccer and girls volleyball, into the spring of 2021 in an effort to avoid potential disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

"At the beginning, we were a little down thinking we weren't going to play football (at all)," Gallagher said. "Once we found out that we were going to play in February, we all decided that we have seven months to get better because seven months can change a person."

It's not what the Bulldogs wanted, but it isn't stopping them from preparing for football in the spring.

"We've turned to getting out on the track as much as we can and build up that explosiveness, speed and agility," Highland coach Jim Warnecke said. "We're getting after it there and then hitting the weight room hard."

Riding a punishing rushing attack, Highland captured a share of its fourth consecutive Mississippi Valley Conference championship.

The Bulldogs will rely on it again with senior leading the charge. He rushed for 1,530 yards and scored 19 touchdowns last season. It was the third successive season Highland had a 1,000-yard rusher.

"There were more running (plays called) last year than previous years, but we did have one of the best lines we've had in many years," Chandler said. "That definitely helped me out."

Sophomore quarterback also returns after throwing for 1,164 yards and 17 touchdowns as a freshman. He added 665 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground.

"Coming back this year, he's just that confidence, that's what I've seen," Warnecke said. "Everything else stems from there. He's one of the hardest workers on the team, if not the hardest. I don't know if we have someone in the program that football means more to."

Senior , a four-year starter, will anchor the offensive line alongside senior . They are the only returning starters in the trenches for the Bulldogs.

"He saw how things got done as a freshman," Warnecke said of Buck. "Having him there as a verbal leader to show what the standard is. To bring that physicality he does, it's huge. He made everyone else on the line more physical."

Gallagher led the Bulldogs with 89 tackles last season and will play next to junior , who recorded 88 tackles. The Bulldog's defense was stout during their six-game winning streak, allowing just 17 points per game.

The Bulldogs still aren't sure if they'll be able to keep their playoff streak alive this season. The IHSA has not announced if postseasons and state series will be played in any fall sports.

But expectations remain high for Highland, even if they have to wait a little longer to hit the field.

"We don't know if we will have a playoff, but we have high hopes this year," Gallagher said.