Prairie Ridge nearly made it to the Class 6A semifinals in a remarkable season; Crystal Lake Central QB Colton Madura led a strong season for the Tigers and more notes.

With senior Owen Walter stepping in at quarterback, Prospect kept its offense on track to take down Jacobs, 35-21, Saturday in the Class 7A quarterfinals.

Sports reporter Dick Quagliano has live coverage from Saturday’s Jacobs vs. Prospect football game here

Here are preview capsules for the four playoff quarterfinal games involving Northwest Herald area teams.

The 11 best on offense and defense for Round 2 of the playoffs in northern Illinois, as voted on by you

Jacobs offensive linemen have done standout work for their running backs all season long, which is why Ben Ludlum and Nasir Canty are Nos. 1 and 3 on the area rushing list. More importantly, the Golden Eagles are in the Class 7A quarterfinals for the second time as they face Prospect at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Points have been plentiful in the top Fox Valley Conference, which has produced a lot of shootouts, but Crystal Lake Central and Jacobs both needed strong defensive efforts to advance from the second round of the playoffs. The four FVC teams in the quarterfinals ties for the most ever, and more in this weeks notes.

Jacobs offense has put up big points all season, but against Normal on Friday it was the defense that shined brightest in a 17-7 Class 7A second-round playoff victory. The Golden Eagles had three turnovers and allowed 233 total yards in the victory.

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Jacobs hosted Normal for their playoff football game at Jacobs High School on Friday, Nov. 5, 2021 in Algonquin.