Sauk Valley Media area football quarterfinal playoff preview capsules

CLASS 5A

No. 5 Sterling (9-2) at No. 1 Sycamore (11-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Golden Warriors: Sterling has advanced to the quarterfinals for the first time since three straight trips from 2016-2018; the Warriors made the semifinals in 2016 & ‘17. … Sterling has given up more than 30 points just three times all season, and is 1-2 in those games. … Last week’s 50-8 win over Chicago Goode was the fourth time the Warriors have reached the 50-point mark; they have scored 34 or more points nine times in 11 games, including each of their two playoff wins. … On the season, Sterling holds a 482-201 scoring edge. … The Warriors are led by the QB platoon of seniors Kael Ryan and JP Schilling. Ryan has 1,171 yards and 22 touchdowns on 140 rushes, and has thrown for 338 yards and 2 TDs; Schilling has run for 607 yards and passed for 607 yards, with 12 touchdown runs and 6 TDs on 43-for-69 passing. … Antonio Tablante has 757 yards and 14 TDs on the ground, while AJ Kested (46 rushes, 380 yards, 6 TDs) and Cale Ledergerber (44 rushes, 214 yards, 2 TDs) also get the occasional carry. … Isaiah Mendoza leads the Sterling receivers with 16 catches for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Justin Null has 12 catches for 137 yards and 2 TDs. Ledergerber (11 catches, 112 yards, TD) and Dylan Ottens (7 catches, 155 yards, TD) also have more than 100 yards receiving.

About the Spartans: Looking for a second straight semifinal berth, the Spartans have won their first two playoff games by a combined 97-13 after picking up their fifth shutout of the year in a 43-0 win at Carmel last week. Linebacker Kiefer Tarnoki came up with an interception for the second straight game in the win. With the wind a major factor, the Spartans stuck to the ground attack. Quarterback Eli Meier attempted three passes, two in a drive in the closing seconds of the first half into the wind. But the ground attack, led by Zack Crawford, Tyler Curtis and Joey Puleo, powered the offense in the wind. Sycamore has allowed just 68 points all season, and has scored 433.

CLASS 1A

No. 1 Lena-Winslow (11-0) at No. 4 Fulton (9-2)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Panthers: Le-Win is playing in the quarterfinals for the fifth straight season, and the 10th time in the last 12 years. The Panthers are 7-3 in those games, and won state championships in 2010, ‘13, ‘17, ‘19 and ‘21. … The Panthers have outscored their opponents 124-13 in their two playoff games, and come in off a 76-7 win over ROWVA in the second round. Le-Win has scored 46 or more points in 10 of its 11 games, and has allowed more than 20 points just twice, and now holds a 580-122 scoring edge on the season – an average of 52.7-11.1 per game. … Gunar Lobdell ran for 180 yards and 3 touchdowns on nine rushes in the second-round win, and now has 1,231 yards and 18 TDs on 96 carries on the season. Gage Dunker has run 116 times for 1,015 yards and 23 TDs, and Jake Zeal has 73 rushes for 869 yards and 12 TDs.

About the Steamers: Fulton is in the quarterfinals for the second straight season, and the third time in the last six years. Its last quarterfinal win came in 2000, the second of back-to-back trips to the semifinals. … The Steamers haven’t allowed a point in the last six quarters, shutting out Rockford Lutheran 28-0 in the second round after holding Aurora Christian scoreless in the second half of their 38-13 first-round win. … Fulton has allowed more than 20 points in a game just four times this season – one was in a 54-32 loss to Le-Win in Week 5 – and has scored 28 or more 10 times. The Steamers hold a 386-182 scoring advantage on the season. … Lukas Schroeder leads the way with 770 yards and 13 touchdowns on 131 rushes, while Ryan Eads has 133 carries for 608 yards and 9 TDs. Joel Ford has 53 rushes for 300 yards and 6 scores. … Brayden Dykstra is 122-for-206 passing for 1,414 yards, 16 TDs and 6 INTs. His favorite targets are Baylen Damhoff (45 catches, 6-3 yards, 9 TDs), Eads (39-380, 4 TDs), Ethan Price (10-159, 2 TDs) and Kole Schipper (10-102).

No. 11 Dakota (7-4) at No. 10 Forreston (7-4)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Indians: Dakota eked past Iroquois West 16-14 in the first round, then upset Ottawa Marquette 30-19 in the second round. … The Indians have scored 30 or more points seven times, and have given up 20 or more points six times this season. … Dakota has outscored its opponents 377-288 on the season. … Adrian Arellano leads the Indians with 106 rushes for 946 yards and 9 touchdowns, while Thomas Bowman has 144 carries for 622 yards and 12 TDs. Kaidyn Niedermeier has 67 rushes for 297 yards and 5 TDs, and Conner Mathews has 47 carries for 272 yards and 4 scores. … Niedermeier is 73-for-134 passing for 1,126 yards and 13 TDs, with 11 INTs. … Arellano leads Dakota with 595 yards and 8 TDs on 26 catches, while Tug Dornink has 34 receptions for 403 yards and a score.

About the Cardinals: Forreston is looking for revenge from a 34-28 loss at Dakota in Week 4. … The Cardinals rolled to a pair of playoff wins the past two weeks against St. Bede (46-22) and Chicago Hope (44-16). They have now scored more than 40 points six times, and have allowed 22 or fewer seven times. … Forreston has a 410-233 scoring edge on the season. … Johnny Kobler leads a multifaceted rushing attack for the Cardinals, with 1,296 yards and 21 touchdowns on 171 carries. Kaleb Sanders has 104 rushes for 857 yards and 12 TDs, and Micah Nelson has 49 carries for 513 yards and 7 scores. McKeon Crase (61-366, 5 TDs), Quinten Frederick (61-336, TD) and Brock Smith (40-305, 5 TDs) have also rushed for more than 300 yards, and Smith is 11-for-34 passing for 182 yards, with 3 TDs and 2 INTs.

EIGHT-MAN

No. 2 West Central (11-0) at No. 6 Polo (9-2)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Heat: West Central is the only undefeated team left in eight-man football, as it topped Milledgeville 38-14 last week. Kaiden Droste ran for 174 yards and 2 touchdowns, while Mason Carnes ran for 62 yards and a score, and threw for 51 yards and a TD. … Droste has run for 2,110 yards and 39 TDs on 131 carries this season, while Carnes has 92 carries for 784 yards and 16 scores. Carnes has also thrown for 460 yards and 5 TDs on 18-for-27 passing, without an interception. … The Heat have outscored their opponents 666-232 on the season, and have a 124-30 scoring edge in the playoffs. Last week’s win was the first time West Central did not score 50 points all season.

About the Marcos: This is a rematch of a semifinal game last season that Polo won 50-14 in Biggsville, scoring on its first six possessions en route to the state title game. … The Marcos held Droste to 85 yards and just 3.3 yards per carry in last year’s game. … Polo has outscored its opponents 496-204 on the season. The 32 points it allowed in last week’s 38-32 win over Ridgewood was only the third time it has given up more than 30 points in a game all season. … Brock Soltow has 2,180 yards and 35 touchdowns on 205 carries, an average of 10.6 yards per carry on the season. He has also thrown for 160 yards and 4 TDs.

No. 8 St. Thomas More (8-3) at No. 5 Amboy-LaMoille-Ohio (9-2)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Sabers: St. Thomas More upset top-seeded Decatur Lutheran/Mt. Pulaski 44-38 last weekend to earn a spot in the I8FA semifinals for the first time. … The Sabers have outscored opponents 340-282 this season, including 96-36 in the playoffs. They scored more than 40 points in each of the last two games, after only reaching that mark three times in the regular season. … Peace Bumba leads STM with 856 yards and 15 touchdowns on 108 rushes, while Matt Delorenzo has 140 rushes for 615 yards and 11 TDs. … Delorenzo is 60-for-130 passing for 1,197 yards and 18 TDs on the season, with 6 INTs. Ben Horn (21 catches, 460 yards, 8 TDs) and Bumba (19-496, 5 TDs) lead the Sabers receivers.

About the Clippers: Amboy is in the semifinals for the second straight season after a come-from-behind win in the quarterfinals. The Clippers scored two touchdowns in a three-minute span early in the fourth quarter last week against Milford-Cissna Park, then stopped a fourth-and-goal play by recovering an MCP fumble near the goal line in the final 10 seconds to secure the 30-28 victory. … Amboy holds a 448-232 scoring advantage on the season, and has scored 30 or more points nine times, while allowing 30 or more points just three times. … Landon Whelchel leads the Clippers with 143 rushes for 1,210 yards and 14 touchdowns, while Quinn Leffelman has 87 carries for 689 yards and 12 TDs. … Despite missing six games with a hamstring injury, senior QB Tucker Lindenmeyer has run for 264 yards and 2 TDs, and thrown for 651 yards and 10 TDs, with just 2 INTs. … Brennan Blaine has 37 catches for 958 yards and 17 TDs on the season.