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CLASS 8A
No. 25 Niles West (6-3) at No. 8 Huntley (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Wolves: West is making its first playoff appearance since 2014. The Wolves’ only playoff win in school history came in 1991 in Class 5A. … RB Aidan Delisi leads West with 765 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. … Jayden Fowler leads the Wolves’ defense with 62 tackles, six tackles for losses and an interception. … QB John Bae has thrown for 660 yards and is completing 55.3% of his passes. … West’s losses came against Hoffman Estates in Week 3 (47-17) and to Highland Park (21-17) and Maine West (14-3) in Weeks 7 and 8. … “Every day that we get to play this game together has been an absolutely gift,” Wolves coach Nick Torresso said. “These guys put themselves in position to do something special. I am excited to watch them compete and break through on Friday. Regardless of the outcome, these guys have built something that will last longer than any season.”
About the Red Raiders: Huntley finished with its second straight 8-1 regualar season under coach Mike Naymola to grab the No. 8 seed. … The Red Raiders’ only loss came against Prairie Ridge in Week 4 (27-14). … RB Haiden Janke is third in area rushing with 1,073, his second consecutive 1,000-yard season, and leads the area with 19 rushing touchdowns. He has scored a rushing TD in every game. … QB Braylon Bower has completed 75.9% of his passes for 1,185 yards and 14 touchdowns. … WR Jake Witt has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last four games. … The Raiders are in the playoffs for the eighth time in the last nine seasons. They have lost three of their last four first-round games. … Huntley is No. 7 in The Associated Press Class 8A poll.
FND pick: Huntley
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 24 St. Ignatius (6-3) at No. 9 Joliet West (8-1).
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CLASS 7A
No. 23 Jacobs (6-3) at No. 10 Lincoln-Way Central (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Golden Eagles: Jacobs coach Brian Zimmerman took over before the 2021 spring COVID-19 season, which had no postseason. The Golden Eagles have been to the Class 7A playoffs in each of their three seasons under Zimmerman. … Jacobs went to the playoffs in seven of the eight seasons under former coach Bill Mitz, then missed in 2018 and 2019. … Zimmerman’s 2021 team advanced to the quarterfinals, equaling the 2016 team as the best playoff performance in school history. … Sophomore Caden DuMelle started the season at running back and has performed even better as fullback. He set the school record with 302 yards against Crystal Lake Central in Week 7 and leads the area with 1,151 yards. … Jacobs started 1-3 and has won five games in a row.
About the Knights: Central beat Bradley-Bourbonnais 42-41 in Week 9 to finish second in the Southwest Suburban Conference Red Division behind Lincoln-Way West. West handed Central its lone loss, 28-21, in Week 4. … The Knights have allowed 136 points for the season and only given up more than 16 in one of their last five games. … Central won the 1997 Class 6A state championship as Lincoln-Way before the district split into other schools. … Zimmerman played high school football at Lincoln-Way before the split. … Central is No. 7 in the Class 7A poll.
FND pick: Lincoln-Way Central
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 26 Brother Rice (5-4) at No. 7 Batavia (8-1).
CLASS 6A
No. 14 Libertyville (5-4) at No. 3 Cary-Grove (7-2)
When: 6:30 p.m. Friday
About the Wildcats: Libertyville is 31-26 in its playoff history and is in for the seventh consecutive season. … Libertyville won its only state title in 2004, beating C-G 13-3 for the Class 7A championship. … The Wildcats lost to Glenbard West in the 2015 7A title game and have not made it out of the first round since. … QB Quinn Schambow has thrown for 2,355 yards with 30 touchdowns and five interceptions. … WRs Blaise Lavista (45 receptions, 1,055 yards, 14 TDs) and Stevan Gavric (30, 457, seven) are Schambow’s top targets. … No Wildcats’ rusher has more than 202 yards. … “We have been a resilient team,” Libertyville coach Mike Jones said. “We have lost in triple overtime, overtime and in the last minute of the game, but our players always seem to bounce back for a young team.” … Libertyville’s losses came against Warren, Lake Zurich, Lake Forest and Stevenson.
About the Trojans: C-G is thrilled to be back in the playoffs after missing last season for the first time in 18 years. … The Trojans returned a lot of experienced players from last year’s 3-6 team and have been ranked all season in The Associated Press Class 6A poll. … Sophomore FB Logan Abrams is fourth in area rushing with 1,050 yards and 12 touchdowns. … RB Andrew Prio is a big-play threat whenever he touches the ball. He has 658 yards on 50 carries, an average of 13.2 yards a carry, with eight touchdowns. … The Trojans do not throw often, but they make it count when they do. Seven of QB Peyton Seaburg’s nine completions have gone for touchdowns. … C-G is No. 5 in Class 6A.
FND pick: Cary-Grove
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 11 Highland Park (6-3) at No. 6 Chicago Mather (7-2)
No. 16 Crystal Lake Central (5-4) at No. 1 Lake Zurich (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Tigers: Central beat Hampshire in overtime 27-24 to make the playoffs for the fourth time in six years. The Tigers tied their best run in school history in the 2021 playoffs, reaching the quarterfinals. … QB Jason Penza suffered a shoulder injury in Week 9 and missed last week’s game. WR George Dimopoulos played quarterback and is expected to be back there this week. … RB Griffin Buehler scored the game-winner last week on a 5-yard run in overtime. He has 791 yards rushing and eight TDs.
About the Bears: Lake Zurich is in the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season and has not lost a first-round game in that stretch. … The Bears have made their share of deep playoff runs with six state championship game appearances and one state title (Class 7A in 2007). … The Bears’ lone loss came against Warren in Week 5 (21-17). They won close games against Libertyville (29-28) and Stevenson (21-16). … Lake Zurich lost to Batavia 24-7 last season in the Class 7A semifinals. … This is the Bears’ first time playing in a class other than 7A since the move to eight classes in 2001. … Lake Zurich is No. 4 in Class 6A.
FND pick: Lake Zurich
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 9 Kaneland (6-3) at No. 8 Riverside-Brookfield (7-2).
CLASS 5A
No. 15 Nazareth (4-5) at No. 2 Prairie Ridge (9-0)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
About the Roadrunners: The Roadrunners started 2-4 last season and ended up as Class 5A state champions. They started 0-4 this season and made their way into the Class 5A field as a 4-5 team. … QB Logan Malachuk, who quarterbacked Nazareth last season, has completed 60.6% of his passes for 2,108 yards and 22 touchdowns with only two interceptions. … WRs James Penley (50 receptions, 804 yards, 11 touchdowns) and Jake Cestone (30, 535, nine) are the leading receivers. … Nazareth’s five losses were to playoff teams: Kankakee (9-0), York (8-1), Montini (6-3), IC Catholic (7-2) and St. Francis (7-2).
About the Wolves: Prairie Ridge spent most of its playoff history in Class 6A, other than its first two playoff teams (1999 and 2000), which were 5A in the six-class system. This is the Wolves’ first time in Class 5A since then. … The Wolves were Class 6A state runners-up to East St. Louis last year. … QB Tyler Vasey set the IHSA rushing record at 3,878 yards last season and Prairie Ridge is a much different team this season. The Wolves thrive on not making mistakes like penalties and turnovers, and grind out long drives to consume the clock. … FB Jack Finn (913), QB Joey Vanderwiel (526), RB Dom Creatore (507) and RB Luke Vanderwiel (431) give the Wolves a varied rushing attack out of the triple-option. … Prairie Ridge’s defense has been outstanding, allowing 81 points and it has given up less than 10 points in five games this season, including two shutouts. … Prairie Ridge is No. 1 in Class 5A.
FND pick: Prairie Ridge
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 10 Chicago Noble/UIC (7-2) at No. 7 Glenbard South (7-2).
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CLASS 4A
No. 12 St. Viator (5-4) at No. 5 Richmond-Burton (7-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About St. Viator: The Lions beat Marmion 49-27 to return to the playoffs for a second straight season. They had to win two of their last three games to make it. … QB Cooper Kmet is the youngest brother of Bears TE Cole Kmet. Their father Frank Kmet played DE at Purdue and in the NFL. … Three of the Lions’ four losses came against playoff teams – Brother Rice, Carmel and St. Ignatius. They finished second in the CCL-ESCC Purple Division to Carmel. … “We’ve grown a lot,” St. Viator coach Dave Archibald said. “We lost 25 seniors last year and we’ve been through a gauntlet in our schedule. With our schedule we don’t circle two or three teams, we circle the whole schedule. We pound on each other all season long and when you get to this point in the season, we’ve seen it all.”
About the Rockets: R-B is in the playoffs for the 16th consecutive season, the longest current streak among area teams. They won the 2019 Class 4A state championship, made the semifinals in 2018 and 2021 and the quarterfinals in 2022. … R-B lost to Rochelle 30-20 on Friday, marking the first time in five seasons it did not win a conference title. … FB Braxtin Nellessen has rushed for 1,007 yards and RB Jack Martens has 440 yards, with a 13.8-yards per carry average. … The Rockets are No. 5 in Class 4A.
FND pick: Richmond-Burton
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 13 Chicago Phoenix (5-4) at No. 4 Wheaton Academy (8-1).