Football Hall of Fame

Led by head coach John Helmick, the 1976 and 1977 Metamora football teams extended the program's Heart of Illinois Conference winning streak to 25 games, culminating with a third straight league title in 1977.

Metamora saw its 30-game win streak snapped in the 1976 state championship game and the 1977 Redbirds also advanced to the state championship game, losing to Geneseo for the second consecutive year to complete a second straight 12-1 campaign. Ranked #1 in the state, the 1976 Redbirds overcame a 21-0 deficit by rallying for a 22-21 win against Momence to kick off its state tournament run, while the 1977 Metamora squad rolled through the first three rounds by a combined 91-6 score against Lisle Senior HS (29-0), Taylorville (44-0) and Charleston (18-6).