Here’s the Herald-News prep football preview for the opening round of the state playoffs, featuring key showdowns across the greater Joliet area.
Class 8A
Lincoln-Way East (10-0) at Minooka (8-2)
When: 6 p.m. Friday
About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East did what it has been doing for almost the entire season in the opening round of the playoffs. The Griffins built a massive lead and then coasted home to a victory. QB Jonas Williams hit a career milestone in the easy win over Niles West, becoming the fifth quarterback in state history to throw 100 touchdown passes, throwing three in the victory on just nine passing attempts before getting the rest of the night off. Defensively, the Griffins tossed yet another gem, recording their second shutout and fifth time holding an opponent to a touchdown or less. That was all done despite having a banged-up defensive line with only one regular starter performing.
About the Indians: Minooka is hoping things go better for them than the last time these two met, a 28-0 victory in the second round of last year’s playoffs. But in order for that to happen, a defensive unit that has been pretty strong all season will have to put forth its best effort of the year by far. The unit certainly didn’t have much trouble in the first round, as Minooka completely shut down Taft’s offensive attack in Round 1 as it held Taft under 100 yards of total offense when the game was even remotely in doubt. The Eagles wouldn’t break up the shutout until less than four minutes remained. Minooka feasted offensively through the air, as QB Zane Caves threw for nearly 300 yards and three touchdowns and Minooka scored on five of their first seven possessions. WR Ty Couch has emerged as a favored and productive target for Caves.
Friday Night Drive pick: Lincoln-Way East
Class 7A
Hoffman Estates (7-3) at Lincoln-Way Central (7-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Hawks: After storming out of the box 4-0, Hoffman Estates has had some issues in the second half of the season. None of them really showed in Round 1 of the playoffs, though, as the Hawks collected a victory over CPL opponent Lincoln Park. Still, Hoffman Estates didn’t exactly run away and hide from that foe either. Defensive issues have hampered the Hawks down the stretch, and they surrendered 162 points in their final five games of the season. There’s not a lot of big secrets to unearth when it comes to slowing down Hoffman Estates offensively – Minnesota recruit Nate Cleveland is likely to carry the ball as often as possible for the Hawks. It’s easier said than done to slow Cleveland down, though, as he seems to flourish with heavy workloads.
About the Knights: Lincoln-Way Central coach David Woodburn makes no secret of how much he values special teams and believes his team can benefit for the extra effort his team sometimes expends on them. An early punt return for a touchdown set the stage for a runaway victory over Maine West in Round 1. Other special teams plays helped set up other scores. The Knights were happy to have the extra contributions, as standout RB Tyler Tulk sat out the game with an injury. The rest night was largely precautionary, as the Knights expect him back for this game. Without Tulk, QB Drew Woodburn stretched the field a little bit more with his arm as he hooked up with Lucas Andresen for a pair of touchdown passes. Lincoln-Way Central will likely go back to leaning on Tulk if he’s available, but adding some passes might be the wrinkle the Knights need to keep advancing.
FND pick: Lincoln-Way Central
Batavia (9-1) at Lincoln-Way West (7-3)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
About the Bulldogs: Batavia had absolutely no problem getting free from Collinsville in its playoff opener, as it scored 47 first-half points in breezing into the second round. Other than its lone loss of the season to Geneva, Batavia’s offensive attack has been electric, scoring at least 35 points in each game and 50-plus points three times. RB Nathan Whitwell has been an absolute beast for Batavia all season, but they’ve developed something of a 1-2 punch with Greyson Kelly. Batavia also has a viable weapon on the outside in wide receiver Isaiah Brown, who scored three touchdowns in the Collinsville win. Batavia’s defense can usually be counted on keeping opponents in check as well, as six of its foes have been held to two touchdowns or less.
About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West has an experienced group, and that showed through in an opening-round win over Pekin. QB Chase Hetfleisch has been engineering the Warriors offense for the better part of two seasons now, and that experience has shown in his play. Hetfleisch threw five touchdown passes in Week 9, and while he didn’t match that productivity in the Pekin game, he played mistake-free football and had the sense to feed Lincoln-Way West’s flourishing ground game led by RB Jahan Abubakar, who stacked up over 150 yards on the ground. Lincoln-Way West’s experienced defensive unit, anchored by Northwestern recruit Josh Veldman, has a knack for forcing opponents to do things offensively they aren’t entirely comfortable with.
FND pick: Batavia
Class 5A
Joliet Catholic (7-3) at Sacred Heart-Griffin (6-4)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic blasted out of the gates in the postseason dismantling Jacksonville 58-6 in the opening round. They got scoring from a multitude of sources and continued to put together dominating efforts running the ball. The 1-2 combo of Larry Stringham and Nate Magrini are doing a lot of damage, but QB Lucas Simulick is starting to add more to the equation for the Joliet Catholic offense. He threw for two scores and ran for another in the Jacksonville win. Joliet Catholic’s defense also took advantage of the fact that the opponent wasn’t as rigorous as its usual foes, almost completely shutting down Jacksonville’s triple-option attack and forcing three turnovers, one of which was brought back for a score.
About the Cyclones: Sacred Heart-Griffin had to endure a wild one in the first round, finally securing a decisive touchdown under the 4-minute mark to walk away with a win over Mahomet-Seymour. It hasn’t been a typical season for the Cyclones, who have struggled more in Central State Eight Conference play than any year in recent memory. But it is still a dangerous team, especially when it gets an aerial attack going behind the strong arm of QB Cam Brinkman. Brinkman threw for three touchdowns in the Mahomet-Seymour win. Joliet Catholic had best try to keep good track of WR Seamus O’Brien, who was on the receiving end of two of those tosses including a 78-yard score that gave the Cyclones the lead for good. These two teams last met in the 2021 Class 4A title game won by Joliet Catholic 56-27.
FND pick: Joliet Catholic
Highland (7-3) at Morris (6-4)
When: 4 p.m. Saturday
About the Bulldogs: The start to Highland’s season didn’t resemble what the Bulldogs usually do, as they dropped three of five games and didn’t post points per usual. But something turned for the Bulldogs in Week 6. The Bulldogs suddenly got supercharged, scoring 50-plus points in four of their last five games including a 55-19 win over Marion in the opening round of the playoffs. RB Tyson Rakers is the source of a lot of that scoring with 25 total touchdowns on the season. QB Blake Gelly is completing passes at about a 65% rate and has tossed 14 touchdowns on the year.
About Morris: Morris limped through the second half of the season hoping it could get healthy enough to get something clicking in the postseason. Well, it clicked. Morris put up mountains of first-half points and got a record-setting performance from DB Brett Bounds – who had four interceptions – as it breezed past No. 4 seed Triad in the opening round. Bounds ran back two of those interceptions for scores, and Morris also got a kickoff return for a score in a flurry of offense that Morris put forth before the break. QB Brady Varner needed just eight completions to rack up 234 passing yards with three touchdowns, while RB Griffin Zweeres just missed the century mark leading a running attack that had little to no resistance in moving the ball on the ground.
FND pick: Morris
Class 4A
Coal City (8-2) at Rockford Boylan (6-4)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
About the Coalers: Coal City once again put forth a dominant offensive effort led by RB Landin Benson. Even though Johnsburg struck first, Coal City and Benson quickly took control and did exactly what they have done in most of their victories this season – take early control and then pile on until the opponent submits. Benson has been a big part of the offensive surge for the Coalers and scored five touchdowns, but the Coalers can score in other ways as well. Coal City’s defense sometimes gets lost in the shuffle of the highly productive offensive attack, but that unit may actually be fueling this surge. Coal City has allowed just 90 points all season; 31 of those came in a season-opening loss to Morris.
About the Titans: Boylan is usually a fixture at the top of the NIC-10 Conference, but the Titans dropped four regular-season games this year. It’s the first time since 2017 the Titans have faltered that many times in the regular campaign. Boylan’s playoff journey began with a win over a Chicago Public League team, South Shore, but it didn’t come as easily for the Titans as it did for many other teams that had similar pairings with the CPL.
FND pick: Coal City
Class 3A
Eureka (9-1) at Wilmington (10-0)
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
About the Hornets: Eureka got some extra opportunities and cashed them in, and it made the difference in a 29-22 opening-round win over Peotone. Eureka’s defense has been a staple for the Hornets for most of the season but showed a few cracks in the Peotone win. It was one of just three games where Eureka has allowed 20-plus points. Eureka did throw the ball a bit more in the Peotone game than usual, as QB Austin Gerber needed just eight completions to throw for over 200 yards. For frame of reference, Wilmington defeated Peotone 49-13 in Week 4.
About the Wilmington: Wilmington looked dominant on both sides of the football in its opening-round win over Stillman Valley. The Wildcats posted 400-plus rushing yards. RB Ryan Kettman led the way with nearly 200 yards rushing himself. He pairs nicely with RB Kyle Farrell, and that tandem has proved to be a 1-2 punch that most opposing defenses don’t have an answer for. Wilmington’s defense is battle-tested, and its first string has allowed two touchdowns to just one opponent all season. Its skill has helped Wilmington force a running clock in nearly every game this season.
FND pick: Wilmington
Class 2A
Elmwood (9-1) at Dwight/GSW (7-3)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
About Dwight: Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington broke through for its first playoff victory since 1983, riding a varied rushing attack to take control of the game against Momence. Dwight ran for over 200 yards in the win using its wing-T offensive attack to take control in the second half after trailing at halftime. The Trojans will need a big defensive effort to slow down their next opponent, but hemming in a Momence team that has had an explosive offensive season has to be a good sign moving forward.
About Elmwood: Elmwood has poured on the points this season and wasted no time in doing so in an opening-round victory over Oakwood. The Trojans scored 40-plus points in all but three games this season and went over 50 in four contests. It’s an experienced Elmwood team that broke through for the school’s first playoff win since 2016. RB/LB Bo Windish is the key for the Trojans on both sides of the football, and Dwight-Gardner-South Wilmington’s ability to at least slow him down some will be pivotal towards the outcome of this game.
FND pick: Elmwood
Seneca (9-1) at BHRA (10-0)
When: 2 p.m. Saturday
About the Fighting Irish: Seneca had to battle its way to a win over El-Paso Gridley, finally getting its vaunted running game off the ground for a 27-point outburst in the third quarter. EPG figured out a way to slow down Seneca’s standout RB Brody Rademacher in the first half, but that mystique wouldn’t last in the second half as Rademacher still finished with 124 rushing yards including a touchdown run that cemented the win for the Fighting Irish. In all, Seneca still finished with 336 rushing yards despite a relatively slow start. The Fighting Irish might not have the luxury of that slow start moving forward, though, and also might need to tighten up things on the defensive side of the ball after giving up 400-plus yards on defense, many of them through the air.
About the Blue Devils: Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin – which hadn’t really been challenged at all since a narrow Week 2 win against Westville – got pushed hard in the opening-round game with Erie-Prophetstown, requiring a second-half touchdown to finally take control. That high-wire act kind of defines what tends to happen to Bismarck-Henning in the postseason, and the Blue Devils would desperately like to reverse the trend that has plagued the program for well over the last decade. Bismarck-Henning has advanced to the last 14 postseasons, many with high seedings, but has never advanced past the second round in those years.
FND pick: Seneca
