Montini made history with a win over St. Laurence, Joliet Catholic stunned Providence to make the playoffs and St. Patrick defeated St. Viator in a matchup of former NFL players turned head coaches. Marian Catholic, Brother Rice and Carmel each added wins in Week 9.

There are over a dozen CCL/ESCC teams participating in the IHSA football playoffs this season. Among the playoff qualifiers are defending state champions Mount Carmel, Loyola, Nazareth and Montini. Here are all of the first-round matchups for CCL/ESCC teams.

Nazareth defeated Fenwick in the Class 3A De La Salle Supersectional in Chicago on Monday, Feb. 28, 2022.

The softball season starts this week, and here are previews of teams from around the Suburban Life coverage area.

Timothy Christian’s Ben VanderWal is showcasing his improved all-around game early this season. After playing a mostly complementary role in the Trojans’ run to the Class 2A state tournament last season, VanderWal is a primary scorer this season.