February 07, 2025
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Record Newspapers football preview capsules for Round 2 of the playoffs

By J.T. Pedelty
Sandwich running back Simeion Harris (1) stiff arms Ridgewood defender Majd Saleh (9) for his first touchdown during a varsity football game at Sandwich High School on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023.

Ridgewood at Sandwich Football Sandwich running back Simeion Harris (1) stiff arms Ridgewood defender Majd Saleh (9) for his first touchdown during a varsity football game at Sandwich High School on Friday, Oct. 27, 2023. (Steven Buyansky for Shaw Local N/Steven Buyansky for Shaw Local N)

Here are previews and picks for the first-round matchups for each Record Newspapers area playoff team.

Class 4A

Sandwich (7-3) at Chicago Dyett (9-1)

When: 4:30 p.m. Saturday at Gately Stadium in Chicago

About the Indians: Sandwich advanced to Class 4A’s Sweet Sixteen via a hard-fought, 15-point win over Ridgewood Friday, 49-34. The Indians’ wing-T churned out 416 rushing yards, led by Simieon Harris’ career-best 208 with three touchdowns as well as Nick Michalek’s 158 yards. Cole Lepper (kickoff) and Caleb Jones (pick-six) added touchdown returns in a game Sandwich led 19-7 at halftime before the wild finish. It was Sandwich’s highest point total of the season and also the Indians’ first win over a team that ended up with a winning record since Weeks 2 and 3′s victories over Peotone and Plano. In a less encouraging trend, it was the third game in its past four and fourth time this season that the Sandwich defense surrendered 34 or more points. A better showing on that side of the ball against a Dyett offense averaging 28.6 points per game will almost certainly be needed for the Indians to make it to the quarterfinals.

About the Eagles: Dyett, coming out of the Chicago Public League White’s South Central Division, opened the season with seven straight wins before Week 8′s 15-12 loss to Chicago Vocational. The Eagles rebounded nicely, however, with a 28-20 win at Hubbard followed by last week’s 28-14, opening-round 4A playoff win over Chicago Ag Science. Dyett has been led offensively [statistics through the end of the regular season] by RBs Kyrell Nesbit [550 yards, 13.8 per-carry average] and Justin Macklin [475 yards, 11.3 per carry], WRs Lavonte Sims [16 receptions for 435 yards] and Isiah Thomas Jr. [14 catches for 385 yards] and QB Lamontae Nimox [61-of-91 passing for 1,620 yards, 20 TDs and one INT; 365 yards rushing with a 15.2 per-carry average]. Dyett’s defense has put together a fine season, holding opponents to single-digit points six times and to 20 or fewer points in all 10 of its games. Public League teams historically don’t have a ton of success in the postseason once they venture to competition outside of the city, although the Eagles definitely look like a dangerous team.

FND pick: Sandwich