All three of them have made the playoffs more than 20 times. They’ve all won double-digit playoff games. But until this year, Bishop McNamara, Bradley-Bourbonnais and Kankakee had never won playoff games in the same season.

Making a statement about the depth of gridiron talent in the All-City area, the Boilermakers doubled up Shepard 42-21 in Class 6A, the Kays rode a stingy defense and timely offense to a 19-3 win over Lemont in Class 5A and the Fightin’ Irish made it a regular season and playoff season sweep over rival Herscher by a 38-14 tally in Class 3A.

The last time the Irish swept the Tigers? When they last went undefeated and won a Class 3A state championship back in 1985.

They’ve compiled a combined 26 wins, as the Irish are 10-0, the Boilers are 9-1 and the Kays are 7-3. That’s the most wins the city schools have combined to have since they combined for 27 wins in 1992. And they’ve all got a chance to add at least one more this weekend.

Interestingly enough, all three schools drew opponents from the stacked CCL/ESCC in the second round – the Irish visit IC Catholic, the Kays host Providence and the Boilers visit St. Laurence.

Quick recap

Here are the Daily Journal area’s scores from the first round of the playoffs:

• Bishop McNamara 38, Herscher 14
• Bradley-Bourbonnais 42, Shepard 21
• Kankakee 19, Lemont 3
• Wilmington 70, West Hancock 8
• Coal City 49, Sterling 7
• Monmouth-Roseville 39, Manteno 14
• Clifton Central 24, Knoxville 6
• St. Anne 39, Metro-East Lutheran 20
• Amboy 68, Milford/Cissna Park 8

Brady Shule makes history in Clifton Central win

Not only did Clifton Central win its first playoff game since 2019, but senior quarterback Brady Shule etched his name in the school record books in the process.

Shule threw for 370 yards and three touchdowns, and in the process passed Jay Lemenager for the Comets’ single-season yards record (2,241) and JR Caspar and Trent Faulkner for the career passing touchdowns record (32).

Whether it was under Brian Spooner, who hung up the whistle after last season, Norm Henderson or Dean Cappel, the Comets have long been associated with well-coached football teams that make deep postseason runs. In Jeff Perzee’s first year leading his alma mater, that tradition looks to be continuing.

Wilmington, Coal City turn heads

After their collision course in Week 9 yielded an improbably dominant effort from Wilmington over Coal City, the two Illinois Central Eight Conference rivals and defending state semifinalists began their respective postseason journeys with emphatic victories.

The Coalers rode Logan Natyshok, who scored a handful of touchdowns, and their physically imposing line play to one of Class 4A’s biggest statements over Sterling. Up next is a quarterfinal rematch from a year ago with Dixon, a white-knuckle finish that Coal City held on to win 20-13.

The Wildcats continued to show that they’re a – perhaps the – Class 2A favorite with a 42-point eruption in the second quarter against West Hancock. Like the Coalers, Wilmington also has a rematch from a classic recent playoff game.

Wilmington was last in Class 2A in 2023, when the Wildcats were crowned state champs. Their toughest test on that playoff path came at the same Seneca team they visit this weekend, an overtime thriller for the ages that included literally everything an entertaining football game should. This weekend, there’s one certainty – whichever team imposes their will on the ground is going to be a quarterfinalist.

St. Anne’s dynamic duo shines again

St. Anne seniors Grant Pomaranski and Matthew Langellier have spent the season as one of the most prolific 8-Man QB-WR duos around, connecting for eight regular season touchdowns. But what they did last weekend took their connection to the next level.

Three of Pomaranski’s four touchdown passes went to Langellier, who also intercepted a pass, and Pomaranski ran for another two scores as the Cardinals turned a back-and-forth battle at the half into a comfortable win.

A huge quarterfinal test awaits against a Polo team that’s never been eliminated before the I8FA semifinals. The Cardinals realize they’re probably road underdogs. But they also know that with their dynamic duo leading a balanced offense and the defense stepping up in clutch moments last week, they’ve got as good a shot as anyone.

Weekend’s best

Here are the Daily Journal area’s passing, rushing and receiving leaders from the first round of the playoffs:

Passing

• Brady Shule, Clifton Central: 21-of-30, 370 yards, 3 TDs
• Grant Pomaranski, St. Anne: 12-of-14, 197 yards, 4 TDs; 97 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs
• Karter Krutsinger, Bishop McNamara: 6-of-10, 180 yards, 3 TDs; 54 rushing yards, rushing TD
• Dierks Neukomm, Milford/Cissna Park: 9-of-24, 161 yards, TD, 2 INTs
• Cedric Terrell III, Kankakee: 4-of-15, 140 yards, TD, 2 INTs; rushing TD

Rushing

• Logan Natyshok, Coal City: 22 rushes, 272 yards, 5 TDs
• Ryan Kettman, Wilmington: 3 rushes, 136 yards, 3 TDs
• Issac Allison, Bradley-Bourbonnais: 12 rushes, 134 yards, 2 TDs
• Ky’ren Edmon, Bradley-Bourbonnais: 8 rushes, 114 yards, 2 TDs
• Quinton Thompsen, St. Anne: 18 rushes, 112 yards; 4 receptions, 81 yards

Receiving

• Derek Meier, Clifton Central: 6 receptions, 122 yards, TD
• Matthew Langellier, St. Anne: 5 receptions, 99 yards, 3 TDs; INT
• Coen Demack, Bishop McNamara: 3 receptions, 92 yards, 2 TDs; INT
• Cash Minard, Clifton Central: 4 receptions, 89 yards, TD
• Andrew Rohlwing, Clifton Central: 5 receptions, 89 yards