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Here are the first-round matchups for each Suburban Life area team. Dates and times will be updated when confirmed.
Class 8A
No. 25 Curie (5-4) at No. 8 Glenbard East (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Curie: The Condors, out of the Chicago Public League, won their last three games to qualify for the playoffs. It was quite a turnaround after Curie went 0-9 last season, and also 0-9 in 2021. This is Curie’s first playoff appearance since going 5-4 in 2019. Their last playoff win came in 2018 over fellow CPS school Raby.
About Glenbard East: The Rams, champions of the Upstate Eight East, are making their school record seventh straight playoff appearance. Quite a program renaissance after Glenbard East missed the playoffs for 18 consecutive seasons. The Rams last year reached the Class 7A quarterfinals, their deepest run since making the Class 6A semifinals in 1999, but are back up in Class 8A this season where they went 0-3 in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Glenbard East has scored just over 45 points per game in its eight wins. The Rams have won seven consecutive games since a Week 2 loss to unbeaten West Aurora. Senior receiver Amonte Cook is a player to watch.
No. 31 Joliet West (5-4) at No. 2 Lyons Township (9-0)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Joliet West: Joliet West has been in playoff mode for quite a while, having started the season 2-4. Since then, they won their last three games and qualified for the playoffs for the second straight season for the first time since 2016-17. Joliet West has scored at least 36 points in all five of their wins and feature a defense spearheaded by the linebacking combo of Micah McNair and Sedrick Love.
About Lyons: The Lions, emerging as outright champion of the West Suburban Silver for the first time since 1987, are one of 21 unbeaten teams statewide going into the playoffs. It is Lyons’ first 9-0 regular season since 1943. The Lions are making their fourth straight playoff appearance under fifth-year head coach Jon Beutjer, reaching the second round in 2023 and quarterfinals in 2022. Lyons boasts four wins over playoff teams, including road wins at Wheaton Warrenville South, Downers Grove North and York, the latter two in back-to-back weeks in Week 7 and Week 8. Senior wide receiver Travis Stamm, an Illinois State recruit, broke the Lyons career receptions record midway through this season. Lead back Danny Carroll, who missed the playoffs last season with a sprained MCL suffered in a Week 8 loss to York, has returned to rush for 1,000 yards this season.
No. 18 Plainfield South (7-2) at No. 15 Downers Grove South (7-2)
When: TBD
About Plainfield South: Plainfield South is back in the playoffs after missing out last season in Jake Brosman’s first year as the head coach. The Cougars bounced back big this year, rolling through the Southwest Prairie East with a perfect 5-0 record. However, they played just one team with a winning record all season, beating 5-4 Joliet West 20-7.
About Downers Grove South: The Mustangs are making their fifth consecutive playoff appearance, their seven wins the most in the regular season since the 2011 Class 8A quarterfinal team. That is also Downers Grove South’s last playoff win. The Mustangs are 0-6 in the first round in their last six appearances. Downers Grove South won its third consecutive West Suburban Gold title this year, finishing the regular season on a six-game winning streak – all league games. Keon Maggitt is a dynamic playmaker for quarterback Dominic West, who came off the bench in Week 4 to lead the Mustangs to a come-from-behind win over Willowbrook and has been there ever since. Kayden Smith is another player to watch.
No. 19 Edwardsville (6-3) at No. 14 York (7-2)
When: TBD
About Edwardsville: The Tigers finished second to East St. Louis in the Southwestern Conference, pushing the Flyers in a 14-7 Week 8 loss. This is a rematch of last year’s Class 8A quarterfinal won by York 36-29. The Tigers have made 13 consecutive playoff appearances. Senior defensive lineman Iose Epenesa, a 6-foot-4, 270-pound Iowa recruit, is the No. 1 prospect in Illinois’ Class of 2025 by 247Sports.
About York: The Dukes, who reached the Class 8A semifinals the last two seasons, are back in the playoffs for the fourth straight season under first-year head coach and former defensive coordinator Don Gelsomino. It’s York’s best sustained playoff run since making five consecutive appearances from 2004-08. York started the season 5-0 before losses to Downers Grove North and Lyons in which its offense managed a combined 21 points (as opposed to 266 in its six wins). Notre Dame recruit Joe Reiff, a senior two-way lineman, is one of the state’s top prospects in the Class of 2025. Bruno Massel is a dual-threat quarterback with track speed and Jimmy Conners is a two-way standout at linebacker and running back.
Class 7A
No. 28 Wheaton Warrenville South (5-4) at No. 5 Downers Grove North (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Wheaton Warrenville South: The Tigers are in the playoffs for the third time in four postseasons, on each occasion with a 5-4 regular season record. WW South, one of four playoff teams from the DuKane Conference, now seek its first postseason win since back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in 2017 and 2018. A challenging schedule featured five playoff teams; a win over Glenbard South in Week 1 was WW South’s lone victory in that group. NIU recruit and defending 300-meter hurdles state champion Amari Williams is the top target for third-year starting QB Luca Carbonaro. Owen Yorke has emerged as a breakout standout at running back, topping 200 yards against both Glenbard South and Lake Park.
About Downers Grove North: The Trojans, Class 7A runners-up in 2023, look to be one of the top contenders again in 7A with Minnesota recruit Owen Lansu at quarterback and a rock-solid defense that held six opponents to zero or seven points. Lansu, a second-year starter and one of the state’s top quarterbacks, returned from an injury suffered in a Week 7 loss to Lyons to throw for 278 yards and three TDs in Friday’s win over Hinsdale Central. Downers Grove North’s 6-0 start was its best since 2003. Jake Gregorio, the leading tackler from last year’s team, and Joe Edwards are ringleaders of the defense with receiver Oliver Thulin among those to watch offensively.
No. 21 Brother Rice (6-3) at No. 12 Fenwick (7-2)
When: 1:30 p.m. Saturday, at Triton College
About Brother Rice: Despite some tough losses to start the season, the Crusaders have won five straight games to secure their sixth straight playoff berth. The program has made the playoffs in all three years of coach Casey Quedenfeld’s tenure. Brother Rice was ranked No. 8 in 7A in the latest AP poll. All three of the Crusaders’ losses have come against ranked teams in late-game scenarios. Brother Rice lost to 8A No. 5 Marist in overtime, to 7A No. 6 St. Rita in the last couple minutes and to 8A No. 6 Loyola with a chance to tie the game on the last play. They beat 7A No. 1 Mount Carmel and 4A No. 5 St. Laurence. Brother Rice has one of the top defenses in the CCL/ESCC. Senior linebacker Christian Pierce is a Division-I prospect while senior defensive lineman Charlie Stec and senior safety Conner Stack both provide strong experience. Junior defensive tackle King Liggins and sophomore defensive tackle Brayden Parks have both earned Division-I interest as well.
About Fenwick: The Friars are back in the playoffs after just missing out last season at 4-5. They have now qualified for the postseason in four of their last five chances, winning the 5A state championship in 2021. Fenwick was ranked No. 5 in the latest 6A AP poll. The Friars have hung on well throughout one of the toughest schedules in the CCL/ESCC. Their lone losses came against 5A No. 3 Joliet Catholic and 7A No. 1 Mount Carmel. Fenwick has beaten 3A No. 3 Montini along with 4A No. 5 St. Laurence and receiving votes in 5A Benet. Senior edge rusher and Auburn commit Nate Marshall is one of the top pass rushers in the nation. He leads a defense that includes senior linebacker Jack Paris and junior safety Tommy Theis, who’ve helped Fenwick’s defense limit opponents to 13 points per game. The Friars won the White division outright, their first division crown since 2021.
No. 26 Willowbrook (6-3) at No. 7 Hononegah (8-1)
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
About Willowbrook: The Warriors are making their eighth consecutive playoff appearance. Willowbrook has won at least one game in six of its previous seven appearances, reaching the quarterfinals five times. Willowbrook is riding a five-game winning streak after starting the season 1-3, and averaged 42.8 points in those five wins. All five of those wins came against clubs that finished below .500. KJ Rhodes is the top target for junior QB Jahonise Reed.
About Hononegah: Hononegah won the NIC-10 conference. Its only loss came when the Indians had to forfeit their Week 3 win over Harlem for using an ineligible player. This is a rematch of a second-round playoff game last year, a game in which Hononegah beat Willowbrook 44-0 before losing to Batavia in a Class 7A quarterfinal. Kurt Smith is a three-year starter at middle linebacker for the Indians and also their leading rusher at near 1,000 yards.
Class 6A
No. 14 Glenbard South (6-3) at No. 3 Kankakee (8-1)
When: TBD
About Glenbard South: The Raiders are making their 13th consecutive playoff appearance, with a wrinkle. Glenbard South appealed to “play up” in Class 6A after being part of the Class 5A bracket in every postseason since 2015. Glenbard South is one of four playoff qualifiers from the Upstate Eight East division. Devonte Clark is the man to watch offensively for a Raiders’ team that is 2-2 over its last four games following a four-game winning streak.
About Kankakee: The Kays are champions of the Southland Conference, beating Crete-Monee 56-14 in Week 9 for the title. Since a Week 1 loss to Nazareth, Kankakee has won eight in a row by a combined margin of 368-40. The Kays reached the Class 6A quarterfinals last year, losing to East St. Louis, and was the 2021 Class 6A state runner-up.
No. 11 Lemont (6-3) at No. 6 Bloomington (7-2)
When: 5 p.m. Saturday
About Lemont: Lemont went a perfect 6-0 in South Suburban Blue play and lost nonconference games to playoff qualfiers Libertyville (7A), Geneva (6A) and Richards (6A), all three of which finished the regular season with 8-1 records. Lemont has qualified for the playoffs for eight straight seasons.
About the Purple Raiders: Bloomington has wins over 7-2 Normal U-High and 7-2 Normal West under its belt, with its only losses coming to Big Twelve Conference rivals Normal Community and Peoria. This is the second straight playoff appearance for Bloomington after missing the playoffs for four straight seasons prior to that.
Class 5A
No. 13 Sterling (5-4) at No. 4 St. Francis (7-2)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Sterling: The Golden Warriors entered the season with a young team, especially in the trenches, and managed to make the playoffs for the 10th straight year. Sterling is coming off a 45-31 loss to Moline (7-2) on Friday. Two of its other three losses came to playoff teams in Metamora (6-3) in Week 1, 28-9, and Quincy (9-0) 63-6 in Week 7. They lost 17-0 to Niles Notre Dame in Week 2. Sterling beat one playoff team this season in Geneseo (5-4), a 13-6 victory in Week 6. The Golden Warriors made the playoffs at 4-5 last season, beating No. 1 seed Chicago Payton 50-0 as a No. 16 seed before losing in the second round. They are led by senior quarterback Drew Nettleton, who has thrown for 1,406 yards (61.3% completion rate) and 12 touchdowns to five interceptions. Leading slot receiver/cornerback/punt returner Kaedon Phillips has had a highlight-filled senior campaign, tallying 576 yards and eight touchdowns on 39 catches this season. Phillips had two punt return touchdowns and a rushing score in a 27-26 win over United Township (4-5) this season.
About St. Francis: After back-to-back semifinal appearances, the Spartans are back in the playoffs with a younger lineup this season. The team has now reached the postseason for six straight seasons. St. Francis was voted No. 5 in the latest AP 5A ranking. The Spartans have been battle-tested with a tough CCL/ESCC schedule. They earned wins over 8A No. 6 Loyola in Week 3, 4A No. 8 DePaul Prep and 5A No. 1 Nazareth and dropped games to 7A No. 6 St. Rita, receiving votes in 5A Providence. St. Francis’ offense features plenty of potent weapons. It is highlighted by junior quarterback Brady Palmer, senior running back Ty Ransom, senior wide receiver and Illinois State commit Ian Willis, junior wideout Zach Washington and junior tight end Gavin Mueller. Senior defensive back Seth Valeri is one of the Spartans’ top defensive players. The Spartans earned a share of the Green title with their win over Nazareth on Friday.
No. 14 Payton (5-4) at No. 3 Nazareth (7-2)
When: 1 p.m. Saturday
About Payton: The Grizzlies return to the playoffs for a 13th straight season. They’ll try to get back on the winning side after losing as the No. 1 seed to Sterling last season in the first round of the Class 5A playoffs. Payton has won one playoff game during that span in the first round of the 2022 5A playoffs. After starting the season 2-0, the Grizzlies have hovered around .500 for much of the season. They lost to Lane Tech (3-6) and Lincoln Park (8-1), respectively, to end the regular season. Payton averaged 21.6 points per game, scoring 20 or more points six times this season. The Grizzlies held opponents to an average of 13.9 points per game. They had three shutouts.
About Nazareth: There were no last-minute heroics for the Roadrunners this time around as they kept the second-longest playoff streak in the CCL/ESCC alive, qualifying each year since 2013. The team will try to win its third straight 5A state championship after starting 2-4 in 2021 and 0-4 last season and going on to win two titles. Nazareth was the No. 1 ranked team in the latest 5A AP poll. The Roadrunners’ two losses came to Mount Carmel and St Francis. Senior quarterback Logan Malachuk leads a dynamic offense that’s scored an average of 34 points per game, only scoring less than 33 points in a game once. Senior pass rusher and Stanford commit Gabe Kaminski and junior linebacker Lesroy Tittle are key leaders for a defense that’s made plays throughout the season. The Roadrunners earned a share of the Green title.
No. 10 Perspectives Leadership (5-4) at No. 7 Benet (6-3)
When: TBD
About Perspectives Leadership: Perspectives returns to the postseason after missing out last year. The program has now made it to the playoffs in two of the last three seasons and is looking for its first-ever playoff win. Perspectives losses came against Bulls College Prep (5-4), Whitney Young (9-0), Dyett (7-2) and King (6-3). The offense averaged 15.1 points per game while the defense gave up an average of 16.4 points per game.
About Benet: After just missing the playoffs at 4-5 the last three seasons, the Redwings are finally back in the playoffs for the first time since 2019. Their six wins are the most they’ve earned since that 2019 season, the last year of eight straight postseason appearances for the program. Benet received votes in the latest 5A AP poll. All of the Redwings’ losses have come against ranked teams. They dropped their first game of the season against 7A No. 1 iMount Carmel in Week 5, then lost to 6A No. 5 Fenwick and 5A No. 1 iNazareth. They beat 3A No. 8 DePaul. Senior quarterback Ryan Kubacki Jr. took a big step during his second year as the offense’s starter. Benet averaged 29.2 points per game this season. Benet captured the Purple division title after holding on to beat the Rams on Friday. It’s their first division title since the CCL/ESCC formed in 2019.
Class 4A
No. 13 Sandwich (5-4) at No. 4 Wheaton Academy (8-1)
When: 7 p.m. Friday
About Sandwich: The Indians, after a feel-good 2023 season that culminated in a run to the Class 4A quarterfinals, backed up the program’s renaissance with a second straight playoff appearance. This is a rematch of last year’s quarterfinal won by Wheaton Academy 42-7 in the Warriors’ first-ever quarterfinal appearance. Sandwich overcame an 0-2 start against a pair of tough conference opponents Manteno and Wilmington to win five of six games and put itself in playoff position. Sandwich is one of five teams from the Kishwaukee River Conference to reach the postseason. Six of the Indians’ nine opponents are in the playoffs. Nick Michalek emerged as the leading rusher for Sandwich’s wing-T offense that also features speedster Simeion Harris. Jeffrey Ashley leads a linebacking corps that overcame the offseason injuries to Sandwich’s top two tacklers from last year.
About Wheaton Academy: The Warriors are making their fourth consecutive playoff appearance after reaching the Class 4A semifinals last year. Wheaton Academy, champions of the Chicagoland Christian Conference, has won eight consecutive games since a Week 1 loss to Second Baptist from Houston, Texas. Senior Jeremy Johanik, a two-way starter at center and defensive end, is the ringleader of a defense that’s allowed just 65 points this season – eight points over the last five weeks with four shutouts. The Warriors had four pick-sixes in a Week 9 win over Marian Central.
Class 3A
No. 9 Montini (7-2) at No. 8 North Lawndale (7-2)
When: Noon Saturday
About Montini: The Broncos are back in the playoffs for a second straight season after reaching the Class 3A semifinals last year. The program has a history of postseason success, reaching the playoffs from 1993 to 2019 and winning six state titles and competing in three more during that time. Montini earned the No. 3 ranking in the latest Class 3A Associated Press poll. After bringing back 10 of 11 starters from last year’s defense, the Broncos have continued their defensive success this season. They’ve held opponents to 10.4 points per game. Senior defensive lineman Nicky Castaldo and JC Hayes along with senior defensive back Vince Irion have been some of the top leaders defensively. Montini’s two losses came against AP-ranked teams, 8A No. 5 Marist and 6A No. 5 Fenwick. The Broncos beat 3A No. 5 St. Laurence in Week 9. Sophomore quarterback Israel Abrams took over the starter’s role midway through the season and helped elevate the Broncos’ offense. Montini is 5-0 with Abrams at the head, averaging 35.2 points per game.
About North Lawndale: The Phoenix are back in the playoffs for a third straight season. They’ve lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of those trips and the program is looking for its first playoff win. North Lawndale’s losses came against Mather, 27-20, and Sullivan, 6-0. Mather finished the season 6-3 while Sullivan ended the year undefeated. The Phoenix have scored 28.1 points per game, scoring 20 or more points in all but one game. The Phoenix have limited opponents to 9.1 points per game. They’ve allowed more than 10 points in a game twice.