2021 playoff pairings: DeKalb County coaches, players react to draw

Different projections throughout the season had the Genoa-Kingston football team in the postseason as either a Class 3A or 4A team.

When the brackets were released Saturday night, the Cogs got their answer: They are staying in 4A.

“Hopefully, we get good seedings,” running back Chase Engel said before the announcement. “It doesn’t matter what A we’re in, we’re going to dominate no matter what.”

[ 2021 playoff pairings: First-round information for Daily Chronicle teams ]

The Cogs were one of four local teams to find out their first-round matchups Saturday night. In the 5A field, No. 9 Sycamore will head to No. 8 Evergreen Park, while No. 15 Kaneland will visit No. 2 Fenwick. In the eight-man bracket, No. 14 Hiawatha will play at No. 3 Orangeville.

The No. 4 Cogs will host No. 13 Bogan.

And like his running back, coach Cam Davekos said it doesn’t matter which class they ended up in.

“We’ve been doing a couple scenarios on our end, and one of our assistant coaches predicted Bogan as the draw,” Davekos said. “So we weren’t too surprised. We will just do our research and watch film and get ready for them to come here this weekend.”

Sycamore gets a rematch of the 2019 opening round with the Mustangs, a game Sycamore won, 59-7.

Coach Joe Ryan said the fact the teams met so recently doesn’t have any affect on this year’s squad.

“They’re just excited to be in the playoffs, right?” Ryan said. “Everyone’s just excited for the chance to make the playoffs. Obviously, it’s an opponent we’ve played fairly recently, but we only played them once and there’s a lot of different faces than there were in 2019.”

Kaneland will face a Fenwick team that, like the Knights, is no stranger to the postseason, qualifying seven times since 2012.

“We’re excited to be in the playoffs and facing a good program,” Kaneland coach Pat Ryan said. “It’s good competition, and we’re excited to see what we can do. We’re happy to be in the playoffs and hope to play well Friday.”

The Hawks are in the eight-man playoffs for the first time, having made the 1A postseason three times under Jason Keneway between 2016 and 2019. Before that, they hadn’t qualified since 1987.

Coach Nick Doolittle took over for Keneway, and the former player and 2015 grad is experiencing his first postseason with the Hawks.

“I’m excited. Obviously it’s brand new to me,” Doolittle said. “There’s a lot of energy around the school and the town, and I’m looking forward to my first playoff game.