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Class 6A
No. 1 Lake Zurich (9-1) at No. 9 Kaneland (7-3)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
Last matchup: First meeting
About the Bears: They took to the ground to seal their first-round win, rolling off a 17-play, 72-yard drive that ate more than 9 minutes of the clock in a 21-7 win against Crystal Lake Central. Lucas Lappin threw for 111 yards and ran for 91 and two touchdowns in the win. The Bears’ only loss this year was a 21-17 defeat at the hands of Warren (8-2), which won its first-round game against Oswego. The Bears have two shutouts on the season, both in the past four games. They’ve allowed only 21 points after Week 6. For the season, they allow an average of 10.3 points per game while scoring 27.7 points. With a win, they’ll face either Belvidere North or Wauconda in the quarterfinals.
About the Knights: They picked up an opening-round win for the 10th time in their past 11 trips to the postseason. Now they look to reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 2011 with a win over the Bears. Kaneland opened the playoffs with a 56-20 win at Riverside-Brookfield, keeping the ball on the ground on a wet and windy night. The Knights generally air the ball out behind Troyer Carlson, who has 1,829 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and four interceptions. Aric Johnson is the top receiver with 38 catches, 882 yards and 10 touchdowns. Coach Michael Thorgesen said he feels his defense has been constantly improving all year, and shutting down the Bears’ run game will be a major key. He also said Saturday is a chance for the Knights to finally knock off a top-level team. They’ve led games against Morris (10-0), Washington (9-1) and Sycamore (9-1) in the fourth quarter but lost all three. He said a win Saturday proves that the Knights belong in that group and would do a lot for the team moving forward.
Friday Night Drive pick: Kaneland
Class 5A
No. 5 Sycamore (9-1) at No. 4 Morgan Park (9-1)
When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Gately Stadium in Chicago
Last matchup: First meeting
About the Spartans: Sycamore is in the second round for the fifth straight postseason. The Spartans have reached the semifinals each of the past two seasons. They started this year’s quest in the first round with a 42-13 win over Evergreen Park. It was a nice bounce back after a 22-14 loss at Morris in Week 9, the first blemish of the year for the Spartans that kept them from winning the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White title. They turned the ball over three times in the loss, including fumbles on two straight drives in Morris territory. Coach Joe Ryan said he’s confident his players know the stakes and what will happen if they give an explosive Morgan Park offense extra possessions. Defensively, he said the Spartans are going to have to tackle well in space, cause that’s where the Mustangs like to play. The secondary has been good at forcing takeaways, coming up with two interceptions Friday to bring their season total to 14. Burke Gautcher has four picks and Diego Garcia, Kyle Prebil and Carter York have two each.
About the Mustangs: Morgan Park advanced past the first round for the third straight season and is coming off a quarterfinal berth last season. The Mustangs’ only loss this year was 22-12 in Week 2 at defending state champ Mt. Carmel. They’re averaging 31.4 points per game while allowing 11.3. Junior Marcus Thaxton has thrown for 1,733 yards, 23 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. Senior Chris Durr has been the top target with 54 catches for 927 yards and 11 scores. Johnovan Wysinger has 18 catches for 372 yards and six scores, and no one else has more than 10 catches. The team has only two rushers over 100 total yards this year – Keshawn Lewis Hunt (102-443-9) and Terrance Gurley (68-366-4). K.J. Hayes has been a beast defensively with 9.5 sacks, while Deandre Smith has three in only six games. They have 12 interceptions on the season, including five by Jahmere Washington and three by Ahmad Grayer.
FND pick: Sycamore