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Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland, Marquette, Seneca and Sandwich are in the high school football postseason. Here’s a look at their first-round matchups.
Class 4A
No. 9 Ridgewood (6-3) at No. 8 Sandwich (6-3)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Rebels: Ridgewood – a member of the new Chicagoland Prairie League, which houses a couple of Sandwich’s old Interstate 8 Conference rivals from years ago – won its last three contests to clinch a playoff spot. With the exception of Week 5′s 51-7 loss to conference champion Seneca, all of the Rebels’ game have been either decisive wins or competitive losses, although it should be noted that aside from a pair of wins to start the season against Chicago Public League schools and its annual game with archrival Elmwood Park in Week 8, Ridgewood’s schedule is filled with much smaller schools enrollment-wise. QB Jaden Rodriguez (1,541 yards and 23 TDs, no INTs in seven games), WR/DB Majd Saleh and RB/LB Julian Luna are the Rebels’ top weapons.
About the Indians: After not fielding a varsity team in 2022 because of low participation numbers, Sandwich is back in the playoffs for the eighth time in school history and first since making the Class 4A field four consecutive years from 2010-13. The Indians tied for third in the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 Blue, with all three of their losses coming to conference foes – Richmond-Burton (49-7), Rochelle (40-13) and Marengo (38-31). Sandwich was 2-2 against eventual playoff qualifiers, the two losses to Richmond-Burton and Rochelle; the wins coming over Peotone (42-19) and archrival Plano (27-7). The Indians have only gone 3-3 since their surprise 3-0 start, but could be a tough out behind their wing-T attack led by electric RB Simeion Harris. Sandwich’s last playoff win came in 2011 when the Indians reached the Class 4A quarterfinals.
Friday Night Drive pick: Sandwich
Class 2A
No. 16 Dwight/GSW (5-4) at No. 1 Seneca (9-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Trojans: Led by dynamic QB Conner Telford, Dwight/Gardner-South Wilmington is back in the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and fourth time this century. That’s the good news. The bad news is the Trojans – members of the Chicagoland Prairie League, in which they finished tied for fourth place – will visit their new conference’s champions, Seneca, in the opening round. Seneca handled Dwight/GSW with little trouble in a 43-11 Week 8 victory in Dwight. That loss came between two close defeats to St. Bede (31-28) and Marquette (27-26), sending the Trojans to the postseason on a three-game losing streak after they had won five in a row. Dwight/GSW was 1-3 against eventual playoff teams this season, the victory an at-the-time surprising 32-26 victory over Class 4A playoff qualifier Ridgewood in Week 3.
About the Fighting Irish: A year after winning the final Vermilion Valley Football Alliance North championship with an undefeated regular season, Seneca did the same this season in the new Chicagoland Prairie League. The Irish’s hard-nosed defense and power-T rushing attack led by reigning Times Football Player of the Year QB Nathan Grant have overwhelmed opponents since the team’s only truly close game of the season, Week 1′s statement 27-21 win over Wilmington. Since then, Seneca has outscored its opponents by an average score of 45.1-11.3 in games played (the Irish had two forfeit victories), including last Friday’s 79-35 topping of fellow playoff qualifier St. Bede. The Fighting Irish last season were in Class 3A and scored a first-round playoff victory, then ran into a buzz saw – and a 35-point loss – in the second round, eventual state semifinalist Byron. This is Seneca’s first time on the Class 2A bracket since 1994.
FND pick: Seneca
Class 1A
No. 9 Marquette (7-2) at No. 8 Forreston (7-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About the Cardinals: Forreston started the season winning its initial seven games, each of them except Week 5′s 46-0 blanking of winless West Carroll by 14 points or less. The last two weeks, however, first saw the Cardinals lose one of those close games – 6-0 to also 7-2 Du-Pec – and then get handed a 36-8 defeat at the hands of Northwest Upstate Illini Conference champion Lena-Winslow. The Cardinals’ 41 playoff points (combined wins of opponents) to Marquette’s 37 gave the home game to Forreston, which features running backs Kaleb Sanders, Micah Nelson and Owen Mulder in a run-first attack. Brady Gill is the Cardinals quarterback. A playoff regular like the Crusaders, this is Forreston’s 12th straight appearance, with Class 1A state championships won in 2014, 2016 and 2018. Last year’s Cardinals made the 1A semifinals. Last season, Forreston reached the Class 1A semifinals, eventually losing 38-16 to soon-to-be-crowned state champion Lena-Winslow.
About the Crusaders: Marquette’s two losses this season came in Week 1 (42-0 to 7-2 Aurora Christian) and Week 7 (28-6 to 9-0 Seneca). Around those, the Crusaders have blown out teams for three of their wins, accepted one forfeit and found a way to win close games for the three other victories, including last Friday’s 27-26 thriller at Dwight. While the Crusaders are surrendering more points than fans have grown accustomed to over this 11-season playoff run – 21 per game, including 25 per over the past four weeks – coach Tom Jobst’s wing-T offense featuring multiple backs has been able to keep up, including against fellow playoff teams such as Ridgewood (a 36-26 win), St. Bede (34-20) and Dwight (27-26). Jacob Smith (634 yards, 13 TDs) and Payton Gutierrez (610 yards, six TDs) have been the main weapons of that wing-T. This is the Crusaders’ fourth postseason meeting with the Cardinals. Marquette lost to Forreston in 2012 (35-34 in overtime, second round), 2016 (35-7, fourth round) and 2019 (42-7, first round).
FND pick: Forreston
Illinois 8-Man Football Association
No. 10 South Beloit (6-3) at No. 7 Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland (7-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday (at Flanagan)
About the SoBos: The Falcons’ Week 10 opponent is no stranger. In fact, South Beloit just visited FCW at Woodland a couple weeks ago, losing 42-6. This time the SoBos will be heading to Flanagan hoping for a different outcome than the last meeting which saw the Falcons lead 21-6 at halftime and then score 21 unanswered in the second half. The teams also met twice during the 2021 season, with FCW winning the regular-season meeting in overtime but then getting dominated 20-8 in the opening round of the eight-man playoffs. South Beloit – led by dual-threat QB Kaden Myhres – opened the season 5-0, but has gone 2-2 since. The SoBos were 1-3 this season against eventual playoff teams, the lone win coming way back in Week 1, 58-26 over Kirkland Hiawatha. The Illinois 8-Man Football Association playoffs are not administered by the IHSA.
About the Falcons: FCW’s only losses came in Week 2 and 3, to fellow I8FA playoff teams St. Thomas More (20-17) and Milford-Cissna Park (54-40). Since then, the Falcons have won six straight behind an increasingly stingy defense that hasn’t given up more than 18 points in a game since back on Sept. 8, and a lightning-and-thunder rushing attack featuring Payton Quaintance and Kesler Collins behind fullback Brennan Edens and a strong offensive line anchored by Aydan Radke, Drew Novotney, Calix Stout, Tody Hansen and Emerson Weber. QB Seth Jones hasn’t been called upon to throw much recently, but has a talented corps of receivers – namely Connor Reed, Zandar Radke, Rudra Patel and Jonathan Moore – when he does. The I8FA bracket has the winner of this one facing the winner of aforementioned Kirkland Hiawatha and undefeated Amboy/LaMoille.
FND pick: FCW