Aaron Jackson takes the reins as new head coach of Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland co-op

Former assistant coach/defensive coordinator Aaron Jackson will lead the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland football co-op as the eight-man Falcons begin official summer workouts next week.

When Todd Reed announced he’d be hanging up his whistle and handing the reins of the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland eight-man football program to someone else, assistant coach Aaron Jackson seemed a likely candidate to take that handoff. FCW’s defensive coordinator didn’t require much convincing. “I just wanted to stay with the program,” said Jackson, who’s coached the game for the past decade including the last handful of years as an assistant for the Falcons under Reed.

“That was the big thing, because I just love FCW football. Both Todd and [Flanagan-Cornell athletic director Brian] Yoder approached me and asked me to put in for it.

“[They didn’t have to twist my arm], not at all.” Reed over his seven years – most of them with Jackson alongside him – ushered FCW into the emerging Illinois 8-Man Football Association after three consecutive winless seasons from 2016-18 in the Falcons’ final three years playing the 11-man game. Since moving to eight-man football under Reed in 2019, Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland has posted five winning seasons with five I8FA playoff appearances, including each of the past three years.

Keeping that streak going is high on Jackson’s lists of goals, though he says he prefers to not look ahead too far when it comes to football. “I’m one of those coaches, I like to take things one game at a time and go from there,” he said. “Getting back to the playoffs, that would be extremely nice, and we’ve got the boys that can make that happen.

They’re all very coachable. Quite a few are very knowledgeable. “We base the team off discipline – discipline within yourself, discipline within your position, discipline within the team – and our boys are really falling in with that.

We have great potential." As the AD of the co-op’s primary host school, Yoder believes Jackson has potential as well. “Coach Jackson has been a staple in the FCW program for many years ... is very familiar with our student athletes and has built great relationships over the years,” Yoder said.

“His dedication to the weight room, organizational skills and knowledge of the game will bring great things to the FCW program.” Jackson is already exceedingly familiar with the three-community aspect of the two-school cooperative, and with both the challenges and opportunities weaving these sometimes loyal teammates, sometimes fierce rivals together present. “Definitely want to continue that [cooperation],” Jackson said.

“I’ve been working with the administration at Woodland. It’s really cool, because the high school principal [Lisa Jackson] is my wife, and a really good friend, Sydnee Plesko, is the new AD. We’re coming up with ideas to bring both schools together ... try to get the communities to be even more activated with the program itself.”

Since the start of the football co-op in 2006, FCW has 14 playoff appearances – nine over 13 years playing 11-man; five over six postseasons playing eight-man. The 2025 Falcons won four of their final five regular-season games and finished with a 6-4 record, falling to Pawnee/Lincolnwood in the opening round of the I8FA postseason. FCW will open its official summer camp next Monday evening in Flanagan, building up to a July 25 5-on-5 (the eight-man equivalent of traditional football’s 7-on-7 passing scrimmages) event at Macon Meridian.