Class 6A

Matchup: No. 13 Kaneland (5-4) at No. 4 Belvidere North (8-1)
When: 7 p.m., Friday

Kaneland Knights Overview: The Knights kicked off their season with a 4-0 start, highlighted by wins over two teams now sitting at 7-2—Wauconda and Washington. However, they’ve struggled recently, dropping four of their last five games, including tough losses to conference opponents Rochelle, Sycamore, and Morris by an average of 32 points. In Week 9, they narrowly lost 14-10 to Belleville Althoff, currently the top-ranked team in Class 1A. Defensively, Carter Grabowski and Brady Alstott lead with 61 tackles each, with Grabowski tallying 613 rushing yards this season. Quarterback Chase Kruckenberg has thrown for 1,365 yards and 14 touchdowns with four interceptions. The teams last met in the 2015 playoffs when Kaneland won 33-31.

Belvidere North Blue Thunder Overview: Belvidere North’s only loss this season was a tight 22-19 game against Hononegah in Week 8, resulting in a split for the NIC-10 title. They closed out the season with a solid 34-20 win over Harlem. With a balanced rushing attack, they have four players over 400 yards, led by Ben Bucher (587 yards, 8 touchdowns) and Erick Roman (578 yards, 5 touchdowns). The winner will advance to face either No. 12 Fenton (6-3) or No. 5 Wauconda (7-2) in Round 2.

Prediction: Kaneland

Class 5A

Matchup: No. 16 Noble/Bulls (5-4) at No. 1 Sycamore (9-0)
When: 1 p.m., Saturday

Noble/Bulls Overview: Making their third playoff appearance in four years, Noble has struggled in prior 5A matchups, with first-round exits in 2021 and 2022. This season, they went 3-4 in the CPL Red Division, winning early-season non-division games against Perspectives/Leadership (5-4) and Noble/UIC (2-7). They ended the season with two losses in the last three games, only defeating winless Hyde Park 34-8. Their defense has had challenges, with a season total of 195 points allowed. The winner here moves on to face either No. 9 Westinghouse or No. 8 Prosser in the next round.

Sycamore Spartans Overview: Sycamore enters the playoffs unbeaten and making its sixth consecutive postseason appearance, with a strong record of advancing past the first round. They capped off their perfect regular season with a 52-14 win over Cahokia. Quarterback Burke Guatcher leads with 1,445 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, and one interception, while top targets Carter York and Aidan Wyzard have combined for over 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Landon Egler heads the defense with 67 tackles, including six for a loss, and Owen DePauw has six sacks. Caden O’Donnell and Carter York have been key in forcing turnovers with seven interceptions between them.

Prediction: Sycamore

Class 3A

Matchup: No. 14 Genoa-Kingston (5-4) at No. 3 Durand-Pecatonica (8-1)
When: 7 p.m., Friday

Genoa-Kingston Cogs Overview: The Cogs secured their spot in the playoffs with a 29-14 win over Rockford Lutheran last week, marking their eighth postseason appearance in the last nine years. While they lack wins over other playoff teams this season, they had close games against Oregon and Stillman Valley, losing by a total of only five points. Quarterback Nathan Kleba leads an offense that’s passing more frequently this season, with key targets Hayden Hodgson and Patrick Young. The Cogs utilize a rotating group of backs in their wing-T offense.

Durand-Pecatonica Rivermen Overview: Since forming a co-op in 2017, the Rivermen have consistently made the playoffs, with only one loss this season—a 46-22 defeat by Lena-Winslow in Week 6. Averaging 41.5 points per game, they’re led by dual-threat quarterback Cooper Hoffman, who has 1,752 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, and 634 rushing yards with 15 touchdowns. Dermot Dolan leads in rushing yards, while top receivers Jaxon Diedrich and Brody Black have combined for 1,465 receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. The winner here will meet either No. 11 Buckley-Loda (6-3) or No. 6 Monmouth-Roseville (8-1) in Round 2.

Prediction: Durand-Pecatonica