IHSA playoff first-round rewind: Sycamore last team standing as Genoa-Kingston, Kaneland fall

Sycamore had six rushing touchdowns as it rolled to a 50-8 rout of Noble/Bulls in the first round of the playoffs.

Now the Spartans are the last Daily Chronicle team alive as the playoffs enter the second round this week. Kaneland and Genoa-Kingston lost road openers.

Here’s a look back at all three first-round playoff games.

Sycamore 50, Noble/Bulls 8: With the win, the Spartans play another CPS team in the second round with a trip to Westinghouse at Lane Stadium in Chicago.

The Spartans struggled with a three-and-out on their first possession, with senior quarterback Burke Gautcher fumbling the snap on their first play from scrimmage. Sycamore quickly got the ball back with an interception by senior linebacker Caden O’Donnell.

Sycamore then scored on each of its next four possessions. Junior running back Kevin Lee found the end zone first with a 1-yard run, with Gautcher converting the ensuing 2-point attempt. Gautcher scored on the following drive with a 1-yard keeper to put Sycamore up 15-0 after the first quarter.

Lee struck again at the start of the second quarter with a 25-yard TD run. On the first play of the Bulls’ responding drive, senior quarterback Kevin Smith threw his second interception to senior defensive back Carter York.

Sycamore capitalized on the takeaway five plays later with a 10-yard touchdown run by junior wide receiver Josiah Mitchell.

It went from bad to worse for the Bulls. Pinned in his own red zone, freshman punter Ivan Perez had his punt blocked by O’Donnell, who returned it for a short touchdown.

Leading 43-0 at halftime, Sycamore was able to rest its starters in the second half.

“It’s huge. We’re still in the game, cheering on our guys and stuff. Being out to go out during that first half and it’s nice, because we don’t have to take the risk of getting injured,” running back Dylan Hodges said.

Belvidere North 35, Kaneland 20: Kaneland (5-5) never led in the game and was down 28-6 in the third quarter after Erick Roman ran left on a pitch and went 38 yards for a score on the same play that worked four times for Ben Bucher, resulting in touchdown runs of 42, 22, 33 and 60 yards.

But the offense for the Knights got rolling after managing just two Sam Bruno field goals. Dylan Sanagustin scored the first Knights’ touchdown, plunging in from 4 yards out to cap a drive that went 80 yards and took up 6:03 to close the third quarter. It was aided by a pair of penalties by the Blue Thunder (9-1) – a late hit after a 14-yard pass from Chase Kruckenberg to Brady Brown, then a pass interference on a fourth-and-8 pass that was intercepted by Noah Rooney and returned 63 yards.

The Blue Thunder answered with a long drive that ate up more than seven minutes but didn’t result in any points after Luke Gadonski blocked a field goal. Kaneland rolled off a 15-play, 88-yard drive, culminating with a 22-yard touchdown pass on fourth and 10 from Kruckenberg to Luke Wituk with 2:01 left, pulling the Knights to within 28-20.

“We kept fighting, we played tough, we just came up a little short,” Kaneland coach Michael Thorgesen said. “We just couldn’t stop a few plays on offense. I think our offense kind of picked it up in the second half. It just wasn’t enough.”

Junior offensive and defensive lineman Jake Buckley agreed, saying he felt a lot of people had counted the Knights out this season. And with a lot of players back, he’s optimistic about what the 2025 team can accomplish.

“To be able to make it to the playoffs and be able to beat the teams who we weren’t supposed to beat, it’s the greatest thing,” Buckley said. “It was amazing. ... We feel we’ll be able to make further strides during the offseason with all the young guys we have on this team that played tonight.”

Du-Pec 66, Genoa-Kingston 0: The game turned from bad to worse in the final four minutes of the first half.

The No. 14 Cogs fumbled four times during that stretch, and the No. 3 Rivermen scored on three of those possessions and hit the running clock for the entire second half in a 66-0 Du-Pec win.

“No one is trying to fumble the ball. It’s tough,” G-K quarterback Nathan Kleba said. “We were just trying to get things going and nothing was working.”

The Cogs were back in the postseason after missing out last season. G-K coach Cam Davekos said he was proud of what the team accomplished. Two of their losses came to fellow 5-4 playoff teams Oregon and Stillman Valley by a combined five points.

“The kids battled hard and put in all the effort from the offseason,” Davekos said. “This is a great group of kids, just a couple of plays away. I wouldn’t trade any time with these guys away for the world. They’re a great group of kids and I love them.”

• Shaw Local News Network correspondent Skyler Kisellus contributed to this report.