A look at some of the best quarterfinal games this weekend.
Class 8A: No. 9 Naperville Central at No. 4 Lyons: 7 p.m. Friday
Naperville Central (10-1) doesn’t light up a scoreboard as much as some teams, though the Redhawks score a healthy 31.1 points per game. What sets Central apart is the ability of running back Aiden Clark, quarterback Sebastian Hayes and receiver DeShaun Williams to deliver first downs and touchdowns time after time against elite competition. This is the best season in program history for Lyons (11-0), which set the single-season wins record last week and had its first unbeaten and untied regular season since 1947. Travis Stamm had a big night on both sides of the ball last week with eight catches for 159 yards and three touchdowns along with three interceptions, including a pick-six.
Class 8A: No. 12 Maine South at No. 2 Loyola: 1:30 p.m. Saturday
These teams have met seven times in the playoffs since 2008, with Maine South winning four, including the 2016 Class 8A final. Both seem to be hitting their stride now after some regular-season hiccups. Maine South (8-3) has won seven straight after a 1-3 start with sophomore quarterback Jameson Purcell taking the offense to a higher level. He passed for 280 yards and four TDs last week vs. West Aurora, and former No. 1 quarterback Constantine Coines is now a productive receiver. Loyola (9-2) has won eight in a row after starting 1-2. Iowa-bound quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald is healthy again and keeping the Ramblers offense rolling. In nine games, he has completed 72% of his passes for 1,319 yards and 19 touchdowns with just one interception.
Class 8A: No. 20 Warren at No. 21 York, 7:30 p.m. Friday
Warren (7-4) is yet another team that’s found its way in the playoffs after an up-and-down regular season. The X factor for the Blue Devils has been junior running back Aaron Stewart, who’s also a nationally-ranked wrestler. He ran 42 times for 359 yards and five touchdowns in last week’s 35-26 win over Barrington, pushing his season totals to 2,348 yards and 32 touchdowns. York (9-2) also can run effectively. It starts with speedy quarterback Bruno Massel, who won a state medal last spring on a sprint relay team. Two-way standout Jimmy Conners and Henry Duda also offer proven options in the run game.
Class 7A: No. 17 Batavia at No. 7 Downers Grove North, 1 p.m. Saturday
Batavia (10-1) came into the season with an almost entirely new offense. Veteran running back Nathan Whitwell (1,437 rushing yards, 26 touchdowns) carried the load early and now a sophomore quarterback has stepped up. Michael Vander Luitgaren, whose dad Brian quarterbacked Marian Catholic to the Class 4A title in 1993, threw for 269 yards and three TDs in last week’s 25-21 comeback win against Lincoln-Way West. Minnesota-bound quarterback Owen Lansu has led Downers North (10-1) to consecutive quarterfinals for the first time since 2012-13 and consecutive 10-win seasons for the first time since 2003-04.
Class 6A: No. 14 Geneva at No. 19 Lake Forest, 1 p.m. Saturday
Geneva (10-1) has one of the state’s elite pass-and-catch duos in quarterback Tony Chahino and Georgia-bound receiver Talyn Taylor. Chahino has completed 65% of his passes for 2,680 yards and 40 touchdowns with four interceptions, while Taylor has 59 catches for 1,225 yards and 21 TDs. Lake Forest (9-2) had the drive of the year last week, going 99 yards in 95 seconds for the game-winning touchdown in a 23-17 win against Libertyville. Danny Van Camp, who scored the decisive TD, also passed for 235 yards and two scores.