Here’s The Herald-News’ prep football preview for the opening round of the playoffs, featuring key showdowns across the greater Joliet area.

Class 8A

Oswego East (6-3) at Bolingbrook (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Wolves: Oswego East can’t be thrilled with drawing Bolingbrook for the second time this season, especially considering what happened back in Week 4, a 32-7 Raiders victory. The Wolves have sputtered a bit in the final two games of the season, losing to crosstown rival Oswego in Week 8 and a heartbreaker at the hands of Minooka in Week 9. Zamarion Taylor has evolved into a big-game breaker for the Wolves. Look for him to play a key role for an Oswego East offense that has only lit up the scoreboard on a few occasions.

About the Raiders: Bolingbrook is absolutely playing as well as anyone right now, capturing a conference title in the SPC West a year removed from finishing last in the league. The Raiders have developed a powerful offensive attack paced by a running attack led by TJ Lewis, but getting help from QB Tyson Ward, who is running effectively. Ward is also sprinkling in enough passing to keep defensive fronts from keying too heavily on the run. But in some cases, it doesn’t seem like it matters if they do, as Bolingbrook continues to grind down the will of the opposition.

Advancement: Winner plays Warren or New Trier in the second round.

Friday Night Drive Pick: Bolingbrook

Stevenson (6-3) at Lincoln-Way East (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Patriots: Stevenson put together a five-game winning streak in the middle of the season, but the schedule wasn’t as accommodating down the stretch, as the Patriots closed the season with losses in two of their last three games. Experienced senior QB Aiden Crawley guides an offense with multiple capable receivers in Zach Becker, Dylan Fawcett and Brandon Hersh, and Crawley is more than willing to tuck the ball away and run it as well. Stevenson is hoping for a better fate against the Griffins than it had in last year’s quarterfinals, as Lincoln-Way East walked away with a 45-0 win.

About the Griffins: Lincoln-Way East dominated the first seven weeks of the season, cruising to victories over teams with outcomes largely decided before halftime. But injuries to key players such as QB Jonas Williams and DL Jacob Alexander showed some issues that the Griffins haven’t been able to get past in back-to-back losses to Naperville North and Sandburg to close the regular season. Both are expected to be back for the playoff opener, and their return couldn’t be more welcome. Williams – who became the state’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes earlier this season – remains a little over 400 yards under the state’s all-time standard for passing yardage. He may not get that here, but he’s itching for the chance to get back under center.

Advancement: Winner plays Whitney Young or Palatine in the second round.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way East

Lockport (6-3) at Sandburg (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Porters: Lockport handled Sandburg rather easily in the first meeting between the two, getting four rushing touchdowns from Brendan Mecher in a 28-7 victory. The Porters hope they can be a little bit more diverse on offense, but even if they can’t, a combination ground game featuring Mecher and Chris Miller has allowed the Porters to give most opponents issues. The team’s defense has set the tone for Lockport during its current five-game winning streak, as the Porters have only allowed more than 14 points once in that run.

About the Eagles: Sandburg’s fortunes seemed to be trending downward in the previous matchup with Lockport, which marked the team’s second consecutive loss after starting the season 5-0. The Eagles lost starting QB Sean Ruisz early in the Lockport game, but Ruisz was able to return in Week 9 and helped guide the Eagles to one of the more surprising regular-season results in a win over Lincoln-Way East. So the Eagles are obviously trending in the right direction and feel confident they can reverse the previous result.

FND Pick: Lockport

Minooka (6-3) at Glenbrook South (7-2)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Indians: Minooka has gone into full-on grinder mode, and it seems to be working. Fueled by a power running game spearheaded by Chase Nurczyk, the Indians are simply finding a way to get the job done. Minooka has had an almost shocking number of games decided by a touchdown or less, with six outcomes (four wins, two losses) being decided by that narrow margin. The constant for Minooka has largely been its defensive unit, but when things go south for the group, they really go, as two of the team’s three losses saw an opponent post 30-plus points.

About the Titans: Glenbrook South surprised some people with its season-opening win over York, the Titans slipped off the radar after losses to Barrington and Maine South but a closer look at what happened in between those losses is important. This is clearly an excellent defensive team that held six of its opponents to a touchdown or less. They also have a very capable QB in Andrew Bonvechio, who has guided the offensive attack to multiple high-scoring performances.

Advancement: Winner plays Maine South or Downers Grove South in the second round.

FND Pick: Glenbrook South

Class 7A

Reavis (6-3) at Lincoln-Way Central (8-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Rams: Reavis hasn’t been able to get on a consistent roll this season, having been unable to string together more than two wins. Reavis’ schedule hasn’t provided many test games, and in the ones they have gotten, the results have been wildly different. The Rams hung in there against Richards for one of the two games they’ve had this season against above-.500 teams and dismantled Oak Lawn Community in a Week 9 win. But the Rams have also lost to two sub-.500 teams, and it’s almost impossible to figure out which version of the Rams might show up on a given night. RB Nehemiah Rogers has been a consistent weapon for Reavis.

About the Knights: Very quietly, Lincoln-Way Central has strung together five consecutive victories and continues to find productive ways to get the most out of its roster. RB Justin Cobbs has been a revelation for the Knights, especially after having expected starter Luke Tingley sidelined for the season with an injury. But the Cobbs-led offense, helped along by the steady hand of QB Drew Woodburn, seems to always allow Lincoln-Way Central to win. It also doesn’t hurt that the defense has been largely stellar, with only Andrew and Bradley-Bourbonnais managing to score 20 or more points against the Knights.

Advancement: Winner plays Guilford or St. Rita in the second round.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way Central

Lincoln Park (5-4) at Lincoln-Way West (8-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Lions: Lincoln Park nearly played itself out of the playoff mix with its efforts over the last two weeks. Two weeks ago, Lincoln Park was only able to edge Taft, a team that finished 2-7, by one point before it dropped its regular-season capper to an Amundsen team that entered the game at 3-5. The Lions have never won an IHSA playoff game.

About the Warriors: Lincoln-Way West got back on track with a 49-0 drubbing of Stagg, a nice recovery from its lone loss of the season to Bradley-Bourbonnais in Week 8. That Bradley loss was the singular time all season where the Warriors’ defense didn’t set the tone, and the expectation moving forward will be that the Warriors move along as deep in the playoff bracket as the defense allows. Although, to be fair, the Warriors’ offense has provided 49 points or more in three of its last four games.

Advancement: Winner plays Kenwood or Prosser in the second round.

FND Pick: Lincoln-Way West

Class 6A

Joliet Catholic (4-5) at Chatham Glenwood (9-0)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Hilltoppers: Joliet Catholic painted itself into a corner into regards to its playoff status a few weeks ago after Mount Carmel handed the Hilltoppers their fifth loss. In order to make the playoffs, the Hilltoppers needed to win their last two games over De La Salle and Providence and hope the field not only needed four-win teams to fill the field, but also that JCA would have enough playoff points to be one of the teams to fill that void if it materialized. Both things happened, but as a 4-5 team, the Hilltoppers drew the top seed in the 6A South draw. That will make it challenging for a defensive unit that has worked its way through its share of struggles this season and will need to come up big here if the Hilltoppers hope to keep their season alive.

About the Titans: Glenwood is an experienced team that thinks it has what it takes to make a strong run in the postseason. Senior QB Colten Knoedler has been under center for three seasons for the Titans, racking up numbers that make him the second all-time leading passer in Central State Eight Conference history. Knoedler also has some dangerous complementary weapons that JCA will be forced to deal with, such as WR Blake Lehnen and RB Grady Mueller.

Advancement: Winner advances to play East St. Louis or Plainfield East in the second round.

FND Pick: Chatham Glenwood

Plainfield East (6-3) at East St. Louis (6-3)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Bengals: Plainfield East is back in the postseason for the first time since 2021 and faces an incredibly daunting challenge as it looks for the first playoff victory in school history. The Bengals might have a hard time transitioning to the level required to be competitive in this game, as the Bengals have played just two teams with a winning record this season and lost to both.

About the Flyers: East St. Louis might possibly have the most deceptive 6-3 record in state history. The Flyers did lose three games, but all three of those losses came to national powers, all still ranked in the top 60 of the national rankings by MaxPreps (No. 4 IMG, No. 6 Bishop Gorman and No. 54 Bergen Catholic). The Flyers are a talent-laden group with one of the better RBs in America, Myson Johnson-Cook, leading the charge.

Advancement: Winner plays Chatham Glenwood or Joliet Catholic in the second round.

FND Pick: East St. Louis

Class 5A

Springfield High (5-4) at Providence (6-3)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Senators: Springfield High has had some solid early-season wins on its resume, but the second half has not been kind to the Senators. They enter the playoffs on a three-game slide where the defense has given up points in bunches. Springfield does have a potentially potent offensive attack, as QB Brody Scheffler has plenty of viable options to choose from, including Kale Thurman and Western Illinois commit Mekhi Newman.

About the Celtics: The strong second half of the season that Providence has put together hit a speed bump in Week 9, where, for three quarter,s the Celtics played as poorly as they have all season against Joliet Catholic. A fierce fourth-quarter rally came up short, but even that loss can’t fully overshadow how well Providence has played as of late. Sophomore QB Dominic Vita seems to be progressing by leaps and bounds, and the Celtics likely go into the Class 5A draw as battle-tested as any team in the field.

Advancement: Winner plays Kankakee or Lemont in the second round.

FND Pick: Providence

Lemont (5-4) at Kankakee (7-2)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

About Lemont: Lemont seemed to be in top-notch form in the middle of the season, ripping off five consecutive wins after an 0-2 start. But the last two weeks exposed some issues, as Lemont dropped matchups with both Oak Lawn Richards and Oak Forest and had the conference championship wrestled away from its grasp because of it. There’s a slight window here for Lemont to regroup, but it has to come with a clampdown on the defensive side of the ball.

About the Kays: Kankakee took a humbling loss to Crete-Monee in its regular-season finale, and while a loss to a conference rival stung, it might ultimately lead to more pain down the line. Standout QB Phillip Turner was sidelined in that loss, and it is unlikely he will be able to return for this game and possibly might be finished for the season, however long it might last for Kankakee.

Advancement: Winner plays Providence or Springfield in the second round.

FND Pick: Kankakee

Class 4A

Sterling (6-3) at Coal City (7-2)

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

About the Golden Warriors: Sterling’s offense has been prolific at times this season, as numerous weapons such as QB Brady Berlin, RB Maurice De La Cruz and WR Wyatt Cassens are all part of an attack that tends to put up big numbers. Defensively, the numbers aren’t as rosy, but the schedule did feature six playoff-bound teams, so it is easy to understand that the Golden Warriors might have faced an offense or two that are good in their own right.

About the Coalers: The momentum Coal City had established by barreling through the middle of its schedule came to a screeching halt in a Week 9 loss to Wilmington. And the Coalers don’t have a lot of time to lick those wounds. The results against opponents other than Wilmington can’t be denied, though, as QB Connor Henline has been more effective through the air than quite possibly any Coal City quarterback in recent memory, while RB Logan Natyshok gives Coal City a difficult-to-contain run/pass balance. The defense is hoping Wilmington’s productivity was nothing more than a blip in a season that has shown a dominant Coal City front much more often than not.

Advancement: Winner plays Dixon or Woodstock North in the second round.

FND Pick: Coal City

Woodstock (5-4) at Morris (8-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About the Blue Streaks: The phrase “just happy to be here” is often overused this time of year, but it certainly seems apt in the case of Woodstock, which is making its first playoff appearance since 2009. Woodstock was a formidable powerhouse at the turn of the century, winning a state title in 1997. Current coach Mike Brasile was a player on that title squad.

About Morris: About everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Morris in its Week 9 loss to Byron Center, Michigan. Morris turned the ball over a whopping seven times in the first half, digging itself a hole that would have been almost impossible to get out of. Fortunately for Morris, that loss didn’t affect their placement in the Class 4A bracket all that much, dropping them from a No. 1 seed to a No. 2 behind Montini. There’s little reason to believe Morris needs to do anything other than what got it to 8-0 to advance fairly deep into the 4A postseason.

Advancement: Winner plays Marengo or Peoria Notre Dame in the second round.

FND Pick: Morris

Class 2A

Port Byron Riverdale (6-3) at Seneca (9-0)

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

About the Rams: Riverdale has slowly made progress from being at the bottom of the Three Rivers Conference race to being a team much more capable of giving teams a run. The net gain of that progression was the Rams earning their first playoff bid since 2011. It might be a stretch to expect Riverdale to snap another long streak with a playoff win here – which would be the program’s first since 2001 – but the fact that they are here at all is an accomplishment for a program that won a grand total of one game from 2021 until 2024.

About the Fighting Irish: You really can’t do much better following a blueprint than Seneca has the past few seasons, using a ground-based attack to force opponents into submission. Seneca typically runs for over 400 yards per game, and opponents aren’t under any ideas that Seneca is going to attempt anything other than doing just that. The Fighting Irish have run the table this regular season, but may have benefited from a few more challenges on their schedule. Seneca did play three playoff-bound opponents and defeated them all, but no opponent on the slate managed to win more than six games.

Advancement: Winner faces Wilmington or Hamilton West Hancock in the second round.

FND Pick: Seneca

Hamilton (West Hancock) (6-3) at Wilmington (8-1)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

About the Titans: Few programs have gone through the revolution that West Hancock has, having made the playoff field for the first time since the 2018 season, but also reversing course in a program that has had four consecutive 1-8 campaigns before this year. The Titans featured a balanced offense that has run for almost exactly as much as it has thrown, while RB Chandler Dadant is well past the 1,000-yard barrier on the season. WR Hunter Froman is also a playmaker Wilmington must account for.

About the Wildcats: After a narrow loss to Morris in Week 1, Wilmington has been on a tour of destruction. It was probably unexpected that torment would extend to long-time rival Coal City in Week 9, but Wilmington amassed over 500 rushing yards on nearly 10 yards an attempt as RBs Hunter Kaitschuck and Ryan Kettman both approached 200 yards rushing. Wilmington’s defense has also excelled, containing Coal City to less than 50 yards rushing and just 11 completions in 34 attempts. It would be hard to locate a team playing better at its level on both sides of the football than Wilmington right now.

Advancement: Winner plays Seneca or Riverdale in the second round.

FND Pick: Wilmington

Class 1A

Dwight (6-3) at Rushville-Industry (8-1)

When: 2 p.m. Saturday

About the Trojans: There was definitely a time earlier in the season when it looked like Dwight wouldn’t be making a return trip to the playoffs in 2025. The Trojans suffered through a three-game losing streak, two of which were lopsided. But since that loss in Week 5 to Seneca, Dwight flipped a switch and appears to be much more formidable. That was definitely apparent in Dwight’s comfortable Week 9 win over playoff-bound Oregon.

About the Rockets: Rushville-Industry’s offensive attack is clearly something to be concerned about, as the Rockets have posted nearly 200 points in their final four games of the regular season. The Rockets have put up at least 38 points in seven of their nine games, only falling short of that benchmark twice – its losses to Annawan-Wethersfield and Macomb, two teams that have a combined 17-1 record.

Advancement: Winner plays Clifton Central or Knoxville in the second round.

FND Pick: Rushville-Industry