Class 5A

No. 10 Lakes (6-3) vs. No. 7 Kaneland (7-2)

When: TBD

About the Eagles: They turned around a 2-7 season to make the playoffs for the first time since 2021 and now look for their first playoff win since 2018. Mason Crowley anchors the Lakes ground game, averaging almost 7 yards per carry through eight weeks. Ean Ankney is the school’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns with 36 in his career entering Week 9. Dillan Davis had eight sacks in the first eight games.

About the Knights: After a relatively tough two-week stretch - a 21-20 loss to Rochelle and a 22-21 win against La Salle-Peru that required a fourth-quarter comeback and late field goal for the win - Kaneland got a big 55-28 home win against Althoff Catholic in Week 9, keeping the defending 1A state champs out of the postseason. Jalen Carter ran for 184 yards and four touchdowns while throwing for 180 yards and two scores. Carter Grabowski had 238 yards on the ground and a touchdown. The Knights have qualified for eight straight postseasons, but were last in Class 5A in 2021.

No. 11 Sycamore (5-4) at No. 6 Cary-Grove (7-2)

When: TBD

About the Spartans: They may or may not have gotten in with four wins, but they went down to Chaokia, 7-1 entering Week 9, and escaped with a 30-28 win thanks to a late Josh Puleo field goal and more than 400 rushing yards. Liam Arhos led the attack with 212 yards on 20 carries. Kevin Lee ran 27 times for 135 yards and a touchdown while Cooper Bode had 10 carries, 53 yards and three touchdowns. Dylan Curtis had 12 tackles and forced a fumble in the win. Five of the Spartans’ nine games have been decided by a touchdown or less. They’re 4-1 in those games. In games decided by 20 or more points, they are 1-3.

About the Trojans: About Cary-Grove: The Trojans beat Jacobs 44-22 behind three 100-yard rushers in their Week 9 finale, giving C-G a seven-game winning streak headed into the playoffs. The team lost to FVC champion Prairie Ridge in Week 1 and FVC runner-up Burlington Central in Week 2. C-G’s turnaround coincided with the return of standout fullback Logan Abrams. The Trojans are in the playoffs for the 20th time in the past 21 seasons. Last year’s team advanced to the 6A semifinals after winning the championship in 2023 by upsetting East St. Louis. ... C-G beat Chicago Senn (71-6), Antioch (41-8) and Belvidere North (42-7) in the 2024 playoffs before losing to Geneva (28-26) in the semifinals.

Eight-man

No. 14 Hiawatha (5-4) at No. 3 Polo (8-1)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Hawks: The Hawks are back in the playoffs after missing last year. They’re still looking for their first 8-man palyoff win. They lost 54-6 to Amboy in 2023, 44-8 to Polo in 2022 and 56-8 to Orangeville in 2021. Aidan Cooper handles things under center for the Hawks, who shifted to a shotgun offense this year. Tim Pruitt has been effective at running back. The teams played back in Week 8, a 54-14 loss for the Hawks. Hiawatha is 1-4 this year against teams with winning records.

About the Marcos: They have reached the 8-man semifinals the last two years and won I8FA state titles in 2019 and 2021. Polo fell to eventual state runner-up Milledgeville in last year’s final four. Polo’s lone loss this season was to the Missiles, 28-6. It scored a season high to finish the season in a 70-42 win over South Beloit. Polo also beat FCW, another playoff team, 40-20 in Week 2, and West Carroll 30-20 in Week 3. JT Stephenson has been a dual threat at QB while Mercer Mumford has led the backfield. Stephenson had four rushing scores and two passing scores in the regular season finale while Mumford ran for 212 yards and two scores.

-Drake Lansman and Alex Kantecki contributed to this report.