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Class 4A
No. 16 Ridgewood (5-4) at No. 1 Richmond-Burton (9-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Rebels: Ridgewood lost to Chicago Christian 19-0 last week. … The Rebels won three of their last four games to reach the playoffs. They outscored their opponents 144-26 in those games. … Ridgewood had one win over a team with a winning record, 27-6 over Schurz in the season opener. … The Rebels were last in the playoffs in 2017, when they won a Class 4A first-round game and then lost to Morris in the second round.
About the Rockets: R-B defeated Rochelle 41-20 last week. … The Rockets, who are No. 2 in The Associated Press Class 4A poll, are in the playoffs for the 15th consecutive season. They have been to the semifinals for three straight years and won the 2019 state championship. … FB Steven Siegel has rushed for 1,495 yards and 30 touchdowns. RB Toby Quentrall-Quezada has 600 yards rushing. … QB Joe Miller is completing 67.2% of his passes and 772 yards passing and 10 touchdowns. … R-B has been tough on defense, where it has allowed 100 points for the season.
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 9 Chicago Sullivan (6-3) and No. 8 Urban Prep/Bronzeville (6-3).
Friday Night Drive pick: Richmond-Burton
No. 15 Johnsburg (5-4) at No. 2 Hyde Park (9-0)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday at Gately Stadium
About the Skyhawks: Johnsburg defeated Harvard 48-12 last week. … The Skyhawks won four of their last five games to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2018. … RB-WR-DB Jake Metze scored a rushing touchdown, a receiving touchdown and a punt-return touchdown last week. He also has an interception return touchdown this season. Metze has 703 rushing yards and leads Johnsburg with 45 receptions. He has 21 combined touchdowns between rushing and receiving. … WR Ian Boal has 39 receptions and 10 touchdowns. … QB A.J. Bravieri has thrown for 1,991 yards and 22 touchdowns.
About the Thunderbirds: Hyde Park defeated Urban Prep/Bronzeville 14-8 last week. … The Thunderbirds are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. … Hyde Park’s defense has allowed only 54 points for the season and only 14 in the past four games. … RB Kenneth Lord is a 1,000-yard rusher. … The Thunderbirds won the Chicago Public League Red-South Central Division.
Up next: The winner advances to the second round against the winner between No. 10 Dixon (6-3) vs. No. 7 Rochelle (7-2).
FND pick: Johnsburg
No. 14 Marengo (5-4) at No. 3 St. Francis (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Indians: Marengo defeated Plano 32-7 last week. … The Indians won their last two games to reach the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. … QB Josh Holst is a big-time playmaker for Marengo with 706 yards rushing and 1,535 yards passing. He has rushed for 13 touchdowns and thrown for 25. … WRs Logan Miller (34 receptions), Greg Baker (27) and David Lopez (19) are the leading receivers.
About the Spartans: The Spartans lost to IC Catholic 25-14 last week. The Knights are No. 1 in Class 3A, St. Francis is No. 3 in Class 4A. … The Spartans are in the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season. They beat Peoria Notre Dame in the first round last season, then lost to Genoa-Kingston in the second round. … OL-DL TJ McMillen, coach Bob McMillen’s son, is committed to Illinois. … Junior QB Alessio Milivojecic has offers from Mississippi and Nebraska and was 18 of 27 for 191 yards and a touchdown last week. … WR-DB Dash Dorsey recently committed to Kent State.
Up next: The winner advances to meet the winner between No. 11 Chicago Noble/Comer (6-3) at No. 6 Evergreen Park (7-2) in the second round.
FND pick: St. Francis
Class 6A
No. 15 Crystal Lake South (5-4) at No. 2 Prairie Ridge (8-1)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
About the Gators: South lost to Huntley 27-19 last week. … The Gators scored 41 or more points in their three games before last week. … RB Nate Van Witzenburg has rushed for 1,217 yards and 21 touchdowns and has caught 30 passes and has five touchdowns. … QB Caden Casimino has thrown for 2,333 yards and 16 touchdowns. … WR Michael Prokos leads the area with 60 catches, while WRs Brady Schroeder (30) and Colton Hess (27) are next, with Van Witzenburg. … South led Prairie Ridge 27-14 at halftime in Week 8, but the Wolves came back to win 48-41.
About the Wolves: Prairie Ridge defeated Crystal Lake Central 56-49 last week. … Prairie Ridge is No. 4 in Class 6A and has been to the state championship game three times since 2016. … QB Tyler Vasey leads the area with 2,443 yards rushing and 28 touchdowns. He broke Samson Evans’ school season rushing record (2,211) last week. … FB Nathan Greetham has rushed for 1,072 yards. … This is Prairie Ridge’s eighth consecutive trip to the playoffs. … Prairie Ridge’s only loss came against Jacobs, 42-35, and the Wolves tied Huntley and Jacobs for the Fox Valley Conference title.
Up next: The winner advances to meet the winner of No. 10 Riverside-Brookfield (6-3) at No. 7 Kaneland (6-3) in the second round.
FND pick: Prairie Ridge
Class 7A
No. 24 Brother Rice (5-4) at No. 9 Jacobs (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Crusaders: Brother Rice lost to Marist 34-16 last week. … The Crusaders were one spot outside the Class 7A top 10 last week, even with three losses. Their other losses came against St. Rita (17-12), Chicago Mount Carmel (28-21) and Loyola (57-21). … Brother Rice has been to the playoff semifinals each of the past three seasons, in 2018 and 2019 in 8A and last year in 7A.
About the Golden Eagles: Jacobs defeated Dundee-Crown 31-19 last week. … The Golden Eagles, No. 8 in Class 7A, return to the playoffs for back-to-back seasons after one of their most successful runs to last year’s quarterfinals. … RB Antonio Brown has 1,677 rushing yards, second in the area, and has scored 21 touchdowns. … RB Joey Scrivani has 789 yards. … QB Max Benner does not throw often but has two 6-foot-6 TEs in Grant Stec (21 catches) and Nick True (16) when he does go to the air. … Jacobs won a share of the FVC title with Huntley and Prairie Ridge. The Eagles’ only loss came against Huntley, 37-20.
Up next: The winner advances to meet the winner of No. 25 Bradley-Bourbonnais (5-4) at No. 8 Collinsville (8-1) in the second round.
FND pick: Jacobs
Class 8A
No. 24 Andrew (6-3) at No. 9 Huntley (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Thunderbolts: Andrew defeated Lockport 28-27 last week. … The Thunderbolts’ losses came to Kaneland (52-8), Lincoln-Way East (42-0) and Bradley-Bourbonnais (38-14). … Andrew is in the playoffs for the fourth time in five years. The Thunderbolts were knocked out in the first round in 2017, 2018 and 2019.
About the Red Raiders: Huntley defeated Crystal Lake South 27-19 last week. … QB Sam Deligio ran for 204 yards, and RB Haiden Janke had 196 in last week’s victory. … Janke leads the Red Raiders with 1,321 rushing yards. … Huntley’s defense has allowed an FVC-low 149 points. … The Red Raiders shared the FVC title with Jacobs and Prairie Ridge. Their only loss came to Prairie Ridge (35-7).
Up next: The winner advances to meet the winner of No. 25 Stevenson (6-3) at No. 8 Warren (8-1) in the second round.
FND pick: Huntley