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Zach Allen has been waiting almost three years.

Ditto for his ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ University High senior teammates Keenan Harris and Jordan Taylor. And most likely the other 23 seniors on the Junior Bills upcoming roster too.

This is the season this multi-talented group has been dreaming about for a long time.

"We're in a position now where we feel like we're capable of beating anybody," Allen said.

Added Harris, "We'll be ready for whatever comes at us."

SLUH, which plays host to Chicago St. Ignatius at 6 p.m. Aug. 29 to open the season, is the No. 8 large school in the preseason football rankings.

Thanks in part to a host of future NCAA Division I players and a senior-heavy roster, the Junior Billikens feel prepared to make some noise in the Metro Catholic Conference.

SLUH has spent more than a decade in the shadows of CBC, De Smet and Vianney, which have combined for seven state championships since 2013, the last season an MCC team did not reach the state championship game in any class.

Now, SLUH is ready for a serious run at a league crown — and maybe more.

The Junior Bills have lost their last 23 games against CBC since beating the Cadets 26-7 on Oct. 14, 2005.

SLUH has dropped its last nine to De Smet. The school in the shadow of the ×îÐÂÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ Science Center last downed the Spartans 28-24 on Sept. 8, 2017.

But as Taylor likes to say, times might be changing.

"I think we're going to be a pretty confident team," Taylor noted.

They swept through conference play 4-0 and outscored their opponents 132-39 including a 25-point win over CBC and 20-8 triumph over De Smet.

SLUH coach Adam Cruz, in his fourth season at the helm, believes his team has the talent to run with the MCC big dogs.

"We like to tell our guys if we have lofty goals, like getting to state, it all starts with winning the district," Cruz said. "And winning the district starts by winning the conference. We have to play our best in our biggest games."

The Junior Bills return 14 starters including four of the top seniors in the area.

Harris, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker and wide receiver, is heading to Mizzou. He chose the Tigers over 38 other schools. Harris caught 23 passes for 328 yards and three TDs. He was even stronger on the defensive side with a team-best 108 tackles including 26 for losses.

Taylor, a running back, rushed for 1,244 yards and nine scores. He is bound for Sacramento State University.

Allen leads an impressive receiving corps and is coming off a strong season with 61 catches for 883 yards. He has given a verbal commitment to attend Northern Iowa University, a strong FCS school.

Linebacker Kendall McNutt anchors a strong defense. He had 93 tackles and four sacks last season.

That quartet has Junior Billikens fans buzzing.

Senior Kyren Eleby returns at quarterback. He threw for 2,092 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2024.

The offensive line is also experienced led by junior Kaiden Eleby, Kyren's brother. Kaiden started as a freshman, a rare feat at SLUH. Senior Albert Reinberg, a three-year starter committed to Cornell of the Ivy League, adds more muscle up front.

"Our running backs and our guards are spots we feel really good about," Cruz said.

The defense will be led by a super-strong linebacking corps with Harris, McNutt and Anthony Busby. 

SLUH's defensive line is in good shape thanks to returning veterans Sebastian Tate and Tim Kelly. Tate had six sacks last season.

Safety Ben Yust and corner Quincy Jones are back to take control in the secondary. Yust had 56 tackles and three interceptions last season.

Cruz feels as though his lineup is solid across the board with no gaping holes to be found.

"I like both our o-line and our d-line," Cruz said. "If you're winning in the trenches, then you're winning football games."

SLUH, which won seven games each of the last two seasons after posting a 3-7 mark in 2022, faces a tough nonleague schedule of Rockhurst, Lift for Life, Hillsboro and Chicago St. Ignatius, which beat SLUH 56-21 on opening night in Chicago last year.