St. Rita, Richards, Lockport, Lincoln-Way West and Providence are picks to click for the second round of the playoffs.
Lincoln-Way Central (9-1) at St. Rita (6-4)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: This Class 7A showdown will feature two teams that are almost mirror images of each other when it comes to styles and strengths.
The Knights and Mustangs both rely on tough running games, hard-nosed defense and solid line play. Both teams made it to the semifinals last season, but only one can reach the quarterfinals this time.
Lincoln-Way Central, which has won six games in a row, will lean on senior running back Justin Cobbs and senior receiver/running back Lucas Andresen.
St. Rita navigated a tough schedule to sneak into the playoffs and had a successful road trip to Rockford in Round 1, beating Guilford 30-20. Junior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. has had a big season.
X-factor: Donovan Evans, St. Rita, junior, receiver/kick returner.
Steve Millar’s prediction: St. Rita.
Hersey (8-2) at Richards (9-1)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: This Class 7A battle has shootout written all over it.
Hersey has scored over 35 points in nine of its 10 games. The Huskies are led by junior quarterback Jake Nawrot, who has thrown 35 touchdown passes and has five Division I offers, including from Missouri, Northwestern and Purdue.
Richards, meanwhile, has scored at least 33 points in each of its last seven games. Senior quarterback Noah Escobedo has a bevy of playmakers to throw to and can rely on senior running back Ahmad Buchanan to provide balance.
X-factor: Jaiden Henry, Richards, senior, receiver/kicker.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Richards.
Homewood-Flossmoor (6-4) at Lockport (7-3)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: The Class 8A playoffs have looked more like the Southwest Valley Blue Tournament for Lockport, which runs into another conference rival in the Vikings after taking down Sandburg 21-14 in Round 1.
H-F beat the Porters 28-13 in Week 3, slowing down Lockport’s run game and getting big plays from junior quarterback Rahsaan Coleman and a host of receivers.
The Vikings would like to follow a similar recipe in the rematch, but the Porters have shifted into another gear during a six-game winning streak that coincided with the return from injury of senior defensive back/receiver Colton Benaitis, a Central Michigan recruit. Senior quarterback Brendan Mecher has been consistently making plays with his arm and feet.
X-factor: Myles Ellis, Homewood-Flossmoor, senior, receiver/defensive back/kick returner.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Lockport.
Kenwood (9-1) at Lincoln-Way West (9-1)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: This Class 7A matchup features two one-loss teams that have achieved success in very different ways.
Lincoln-Way West has leaned on its defense, which is allowing an average of just 14 points a game. Senior quarterback Grant Tustin has steadily improved throughout the season and senior Jahan Abubakar, a South Dakota recruit, headlines a reliable running game.
Kenwood, meanwhile, thrives off big plays from star senior quarterback Kenyonte Louis. Louis, who started his high school career at De La Salle before transferring as a junior, has thrown for 28 TDs and ran for 16 more.
X-factor: Jackson Mansker, Lincoln-Way West, senior, defensive back/kick returner.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Lincoln-Way West.
Providence (7-3) at Kankakee (7-3)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: It’s a second-round showdown between Class 5A contenders.
Providence appeared to take out some anger from its Week 9 loss to Joliet Catholic on Springfield in Round 1, rolling to a 63-19 win.
Junior running back Broden Mackert scored three TDs in the first quarter alone and finished with 183 yards on 18 carries. There was some reason for concern when sophomore quarterback Dominic Vita left early in the loss to the Hilltoppers after taking a big hit, but Vita was healthy and ready to go, throwing two TD passes against Springfield.
Kankakee’s defense stepped up big in a 19-3 win over Lemont, but the Kays struggled to get going offensively with junior quarterback Phillip Turner sidelined by injury.
X-factor: Xavier Coleman, Providence, senior, receiver/kick returner.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Providence.