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Wilmington faces Durand-Pecatonica in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Class 3A IHSA football playoffs. Friday Night Drive editor Steve Soucie will have live updates, scores and news from the game.
What to know
Wilmington vs. DuPec kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday
Where: DuPec
About the Wilmington: Wilmington’s transition to Class 3A has gone quite smoothly, as the Wildcats have breezed to a pair of playoff wins over Eureka and Stillman Valley. Wilmington’s outstanding running game continues to provide plenty of yards and points to the cause, as RBs Ryan Kettman and Kyle Farrell make a one-two punch that no one has really figured out how to slow down let alone stop to date. And while the offense has been prolific, the defense has quickly grown into a dynamic bedrock for the team. It completely took a Eureka offense that averaged over 30 points a game heading into its Round 2 playoff matchup out of its rhythm and didn’t allow a single first down until late in the third quarter of Wilmington’s 36-0 win.
About the Indians: Durand-Pecatonica has an explosive offensive attack guided by outstanding senior QB Cooper Hoffman, the NUIC Conference’s all-time leader in total yards (passing and rushing) and total career touchdowns. Although Wilmington’s defense has been absolutely dominant this season, it hasn’t seen a challenge quite like Hoffman presents, and it will be interesting to see how the Wildcats respond to that test. DuPec has put together numerous solid seasons in the Northern Upstate Illini Conference over the past few years, but despite the fact that the NUIC is an extremely well-regarded league, it is largely made of Class 1A teams. The Indians have won at least one playoff game in each of the last three seasons in 3A, but have never advanced past the quarterfinal round in school history.
FND pick: Wilmington