Here is a look at Week 10 football playoff matchups across The Times area.

Class 4A

No. 7 Metamora (8-2) at No. 2 Morris (9-1)

When: 3 p.m. Saturday

About the Redbirds: Metamora finished the regular season tied for second place in the Mid-Illini Conference, its two losses coming at the hands of league champion Washington (24-0 in Week 3) and Dunlap (30-23 in Week 9). Conversely, the Redbirds scored resume-building wins over fellow playoff teams Sterling (43-14 in Week 1), Morton (43-40 in Week 4), Pekin (37-13 in Week 6) and last week to open the playoffs against South Shore International (62-14). QB Stephen Petri is a dual-threat under center, with his primary weapons including RB Jaiduan Cranford and receivers Kylan McMillen and Brayden Bitner. There is one common opponent shared by the Redbirds and Morris – La Salle-Peru, which Metamora defeated 32-20 and Morris topped 48-0. The Redbirds were eliminated in the second round in 5A in 2024.

About Morris: Aside from one slip-up against out-of-state opponent Byron Center, Mich. (38-26 in Week 9), Morris has been a steamroller. The Interstate 8 Conference champions did have a couple of close ones early in the season, though, such as Week 1’s 27-20 triumph over now 9-1 Wilmington and Week 3’s 35-28 revenge win over now 8-2 Peoria High. The Morris offense – powered by QB Brady Varner, features RB Caeden Curran and an as always imposing offensive line – is putting up 39.4 points per game. Almost as impressive, given the demanding schedule it faced, is the work put in by a Morris defense that comes into Week 11 surrendering just 15.2 points per outing – 12.7 against Illinois competition. Morris made the Class 5A semifinals last fall.

Advancement: Winner plays No. 6 Geneseo or No. 3 Macomb in the quarterfinals

Friday Night Drive pick: Morris

Class 2A

No. 5 Wilmington (9-1) at No. 4 Seneca (10-0)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday

About the Wildcats: Since a close Week 1 loss to Morris, Wilmington has not lost a contest. Really, the Wildcats haven’t truly been challenged, putting up a 43-point average margin of victory since. That includes lopsided wins over fellow playoff entrants Herscher (49-7 in Week 4), Manteno (49-0 in Week 5) and Coal City (44-21 in Week 9) before last week’s playoff-opening dismantling of six-win West Hancock (70-8). Featured RB Ryan Kettman needed only three carries to score three touchdowns and ring up 136 rushing yards. It will not only be a matchup of familiar foes – former conference rivals in the old Interstate 8 and teams that split two meetings in 2023, the latter an overtime Wilmington win in the Class 2A quarterfinals – but a matchup of similar, run-heavy styles, as neither Wilmington nor Seneca attempted a single pass in their victories last Saturday.

About the Fighting Irish: At first blush, Seneca was perhaps not as dominating as many expected in last Saturday’s 35-21 win over Port Byron Riverdale. On closer inspection, though, the Fighting Irish did outgain the Rams almost two-to-one in yards from scrimmage and finished with three times as many first downs as their visitors. What kept Riverdale somewhat in the game were some uncharacteristic miscues by Seneca, including a lost fumble, five enforced penalties for 50 yards and an inability to get stops in third- and fourth-down passing situations. Still, the Irish did enough to ultimately comfortably advance to this long-anticipated, seemingly inevitable showdown and are a powerhouse in their own right with a power-T rushing attack led by RBs Ethan Othon, Cam Shriey and Liam Knoebel, QB Gunner Varland and their own intimidating offense line led by all-state candidate TE/DL Zebadiah Maxwell. Pass defense has been a sore spot in recent weeks for Seneca, but nobody’s expecting a lot of passing in this one.

Advancement: Winner plays No. 1 Rockridge or No. 9 Tri-Valley in the quarterfinals

FND pick: Wilmington

Class 1A

No. 4 Clifton Central (9-1) at No. 12 Dwight (7-3)

When: 4 p.m. Saturday

About the Comets: A playoff regular dating back to the 1990s, it may come as a surprise to read that last weekend’s 24-6, opening-round victory over Knoxville was Clifton Central’s first playoff win since 2019. The Comets opened the season with five consecutive victories, including wins over future playoff teams Bismarck-Henning/Rossville/Alvin (34-13 in Week 1) and Oakwood (35-21 in Week 5), then suffered their lone loss to date to (37-14 to still-undefeated Westville in Week 6). They’ve since won four straight, including last week’s handling of Knoxville in which Central QB Brady Shule broke school records for both touchdown passes and passing yardage in a season with a 20-of-31, 370-yard, three-touchdown performance. Clifton Central is averaging 41.7 points per game while surrendering 14.9.

About the Trojans: Dwight – which made the Class 2A quarterfinals as a No. 12 seed last fall – is a 12 again this postseason, but in Class 1A due to statewide classification changes and the Trojans no longer co-oping with Gardner-South Wilmington. Different class, same story through one week of the postseason, though, as Dwight pulled off a comeback and a mild upset of Rushville/Industry last week to earn a home game against a former Vermilion Valley Football Alliance rival. The Trojans trailed late in last week’s eventual 29-26 victory, but got an Ayden Collom touchdown run and a stop late to move on. Dwight started the year 0-3 against eventual playoff teams (losses to Shelbyville, Marquette and Seneca in consecutive weeks), but has won their last two against fellow teams from the field of 256 – 41-8 over Oregon in Week 9 and last week’s playoff triumph down in Rushville. In other words, the Trojans seem to be hitting their stride in late October/early November again.

Advancement: Winner plays No. 1 Stockton or No. 9 Heyworth in the quarterfinals

FND pick: Clifton Central