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Class 3A
No. 15 Paxton-Buckley-Loda at No. 2 Princeton (8-1)
When: 1 p.m., Saturday
About the Panthers: The Panthers finished sixth (4-4) in the nine-team Illini Prairie Conference, which includes Class 2A No. 3 ranked Bloomington Central Catholic, Class 3A No. 8 St. Joseph-Ogden and Class 3A RV Tolono Unity. Of the Panthers’ five wins, just one came over a team with a winning record, Monticello (5-4). Those five teams have a combined 5-35 record. The Panthers’ four losses came at the hands of teams with a combined 28-8 record. Junior TB Robert Boyd-Meents has rushed for 1,124 yards and 20 TDs. Junior QB Conner Vaughn has completed 55-96 pass attempts for 851 yards and 10 TDs. ... The Panthers have made eight straight playoff appearances, winning first-round games five teams. Their deepest postseason run was in 2019, when they lost at Princeton, 38-12, in the 2019 quarterfinals. This will be the 22nd postseason appearance (14-21) for PBL since 1990. Paxton made the playoffs four times prior to consolidation, falling to Amboy, 16-7, in the 1984 Class 2A title game.
About the Tigers: The Tigers clinched their sixth straight Three Rivers East division championship by defeating rival Hall, 54-0, Friday night. It was the Tigers third straight shutout and sixth of the year. Six different players (Casey Etheridge, Ace Christiansen, Arthur Burden, Will Lott, Noah LaPorte and Kaydin Gibson scored touchdowns and junior Ian Morris recorded a safety. ... Etheridge has rushed for nearly 1,500 yards along with 23 TDs. Lott has passed for 753 yards and 8 TDs, seven to LaPorte.. .. Princeton makes its fifth straight playoff appearance under sixth-year head coach Ryan Pearson, going 8-4 (6-3 at home) with 3A quarterfinals appearances in each of the last two years with a semifinal appearance in 2019. ... The Tigers have been a top 2 seed the past three years, including No. 1s in 2019 and 2022. ... Princeton has outscored its opponents, 339-42 (37.7-4.7).
Next: This winner draws the winner between No. 10 Monmouth-Roseville (5-4) at No. 7 North Boone (6-3)
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Class 1A
No. 14 St. Bede (5-4) at No. 3 Chicago Hope Academy (8-1)
When: 2 p.m., Saturday, at Altged Park
About the Bruins: The Bruins are making their third consecutive playoff appearance and fourth in seven seasons with postseasons under coach Jim Eustice. St. Bede advanced to the second round in Class 1A in 2021 and lost in the first round last fall. St. Bede finished fourth in the inaugural season of the Chicagoland Prairie Conference. The Bruins enter the playoffs after losing their last two regular season games - 34-20 to Marquette and 79-35 to league champion Seneca.
About Eagles: The Eagles are playoff regulars, qualifying for the postseason the last nine times playoffs were held with the last three coming in Class 1A. Hope played at St. Bede in the first round of the 2021 playoffs, losing 30-19. Hope advanced to the second last fall before losing 44-16 to Forreston, which beat St. Bede 46-22 in the first round. Hope won the Chicagoland Christian Conference with a 6-1 league record. The Eagles’ lone loss was 27-22 to Aurora Christian in Week 3. The Eagles shut out their last two opponents, winning 57-0 over Bishop McNamara in Week 8 and 63-0 over Christ the King on Friday. Hope has scored 50 or more points four times, including each of its last three games. “They’re incredibly talented and fast,” St. Bede coach Jim Eustice said. “They’re huge up front. We are proud of three years in a row (in the playoffs). We love the opportunity.”
Next: This winner draws the winner between No. 11 Gibson City-Melvin Sibley (6-3) at No. 6 Aurora Christian (7-2)
Other area playoff matchups
Class 1A: No. 15 Princeville (5-4) at No. 2 Stark County (9-0), 7 p.m., Friday
No. 13 Deer-Creek Mackinaw (5-4) at No. 4 Annawan-Wethersfield (8-1), 1 p.m. Saturday
No. 12 Fulton (6-3) at No. 5 Morrison (8-1), 1 p.m., Saturday
No. 10 ROWVA at No. 7 Newman (7-2), 1 p.m., Saturday
No. 9 Marquette (7-2) at No. 8 Forreston (7-2), 7 p.m., Friday
Class 2A: No. 9 Rockridge (8-1) at No. 8 Westville (8-1), 2 p.m., Saturday
No. 16 Dwight (5-4) at No. 1 Seneca (9-0), 7 p.m., Friday
Class 3A: No. 10 Monmouth-Roseville (5-4) at No. 7 North Boone (6-3)
Class 4A: No. 14 Peoria Notre Dame (5-4) at No. 3 Kewanee (8-1), 7 p.m., Friday
No. 14 Plano (5-4) at No. 3 Dixon (8-1), 7 p.m., Friday
No. 10 Geneseo (6-3) at No. 7 IC Catholic (7-2), 5 p.m., Saturday
Class 5A: No. 16 Sterling (4-5) at No. 1 Chicago Payton (9-0), 4 p.m., Saturday
8-Man Football Association Playoffs
No. 15 Kirkland Hiawatha (4-5) at No. 2 Amboy-LaMoille (9-0)
When: 2 p.m., Saturday, at the Harbor
About the Hawks: Hiawatha is one of just two teams in the 8-Man Playoffs with a losing record. All four of the Hawks’ wins came over teams with losing records and a 9-24 combined record. They dropped their Week 9 game to 4-5 Peoria Heights, 40-24. On the season, they have been outscored 339-328 (37.7-36.4)
About the Clippers: The Clippers take the No. 2 seed into the 8-Man Playoffs looking to make it back to the state championship game. They fell to Biggsville West Central in last year’s title game. A-L-O is one of only two undefeated teams in the field. No. 1 Champaign St. Thomas More is also 9-0. The Clippers have defeated six teams in the 16-team playoffs field - No. 3 Milledgeville (32-20), No. 5 Martinsville (60-8), No. 6 Polo (52-6), No. 9 Ridgewood (48-42), No. 12 River Ridge (80-8) and No. 14 Orangeville (72-12) by a combined margin of 312-96 (52-16).