December 22, 2024
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Huntley football vs. West Aurora Class 8A playoffs score, news, our pick, live coverage

By Michal Dwojak
Huntley’s Braylon Bower runs the ball against Burlington Central in varsity football at Huntley High School in Huntley on Friday, Oct. 25, 2024.

Huntley’s Braylon Bower runs the ball against Burlington Central in varsity football at Huntley High School in Huntley (Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local/Patrick Kunzer for Shaw Local)

Huntley faces West Aurora in Round 1 of the 2024 Class 8A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive reporter Michal Dwojak will have live updates, scores and news from the game.

What to know

Huntley vs. West Aurora kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday

Where: West Aurora High School

Huntley-West Aurora preview

About the Red Raiders: Huntley had a chance to finish the regular season with a home win against a Burlington Central team it had not lost to since the Rockets joined the Fox Valley Conference in 2019. Instead, Huntley never got in a rhythm offensively against a tough Central defense and was held to a season-low point total in a 31-7 loss. Down 7-0 at halftome, the Raiders got the big play they needed on Central’s first series of the third quarter when Ari Fiebig forced a fumble after a short reception. Zach Urbaszewski recovered the ball and returned it five yards to the Central 13. Four plays later, QB Braylon Bower scored from the 1. But Huntley kept turning the ball over after its game-tying score. The Raiders committed four turnovers in the second half and also had a punt blocked. … Huntley ended the regular season losing two of its final three games. … The Raiders are in the playoffs for the third year in a row and 10th time since 2012.

About the Blackhawks: West Aurora won the Upstate Eight Conference West Division with a 6-0 record and dominated on both sides of the ball all season. The Blackhawks shut out five opponents and allowed only 40 points, half of them coming in a 45-20 win over Glenbard East (8-1 record) in Week 2. West Aurora showed off an explosive offense as well, scoring 477 points (53 a game). Only twice did the Blackhawks score fewer than 50 points in a game – against Glenbard East and in a 47-6 win over East Aurora. … West Aurora is one of 21 teams statewide that posted 9-0 records during the regular season. The Blackhawks, though, played just one team with a winning record in their first season since moving back to the Upstate Eight Conference from the Southwest Prairie. … West Aurora has only two playoff wins in its history (1994, 2018). … Under coach Nate Eimer, the Blackhawks are in the state playoffs for the second year in a row and sixth time since 2015. The player to watch is 6-foot-3 senior wide receiver Terrence Smith, an Iowa recruit and also a basketball standout.

Winner plays: No. 13 Naperville North (7-2) or No. 20 Maine South (6-3)

Friday Night Drive pick: West Aurora

Live updates