We are down to the Fab 14. That’s how many Southland teams survived Round 1 of the playoffs and have made it to the Sweet 16 in their respective classes.
There are some usual suspects still standing, as well as some teams we have not seen play November football in a long time — or, in one case, ever.
Here are my takeaways from a playoff weekend to remember.
Healthy St. Laurence poised to make return trip to Normal
St. Laurence won its first five games this season before losing senior quarterback Chase Kwiatkowski to an injury.
The Illinois State recruit went down during the Vikings’ 42-0 win over Leo in Week 5 and missed the regular season. Without him, St. Laurence went 1-3, struggled mightily on offense and limped into the playoffs at 6-3.
Thus, the biggest question in the entire start regarding the Class 4A bracket was whether Kwiatkowski would return and, if so, how effective he would be.
Well, it’s safe to say the Vikings’ offense is back.
St. Laurence made the trip up to Richmond-Burton to take on the Rockets, a perennial small-class power and a nightmarish draw for Round 1.
The Vikings came away with a 35-17 victory. Senior running back Harley Rizzs had a career game, running for 216 yards and three touchdowns and adding a 75-yard TD catch.
Rizzs is an explosive running back, but St. Laurence a bit too one-dimensional when Kwiatkowski was out. The Vikings simply need a quarterback capable of keeping defenses honest, and Kwiatkowski can certainly do that.
Are the Vikings, who finished as the Class 4A runners-up last season, now the favorites to win that class?
Well, they’re certainly one of them.
Defending state champion Rochester was upset 59-58 by Peoria Notre Dame on Friday night.
That leaves St. Laurence and this week’s opponent, Wheaton Academy (9-1), as the top contenders along with DePaul Prep (7-3) and Dixon (9-1) in the top half of the bracket.
Saturday’s game is a rematch of a 2023 semifinal thriller, a 31-30 win for the Vikings.
It won’t be easy, but if the Vikings can take care of business at home Saturday, I expect them to be back in Normal on the day after Thanksgiving.
History made and long droughts ended
While the Round 2 slate of local games involves several powerhouse programs that take playoff wins for granted, getting past Round 1 was a huge milestone for a few others.
Let’s start with Ag Science. The Cyclones (8-2) beat Clemente 22-12 in a Class 4A first-round game on Saturday for the first playoff win in program history.
Ag Science’s program started in 2023, and the Cyclones had played in four postseason games before Saturday, all coming in the last seven years and all ending in losses.
The fifth time was the charm.
Sophomore defensive back/receiver/return specialist Trevon Williams did a bit of everything — pulling in eight catches for 80 yards, coming up with an interception and returning a punt 85 yards for a TD. Maurice Bush also ran for 115 yards and a TD on 26 carries.
As for the other streak busters, T.F. North (7-3) beat Corliss 40-6 in Class 5A for its first playoff win since 2002, Oak Forest (7-3) topped Kennedy 44-0 in Class 6A for its first postseason victory since 2016 and Chicago Christian (9-1) took down Illini West 53-16 in Class 2A for its first playoff win since 2018.
Those were big steps for all those programs, and it’s great to see some fresh faces in Round 2.
Most eye-opening score
Lincoln-Way Central 49, Maine West 7.
The Knights (7-3) rolled into Des Plaines and crushed a team that came in at 8-1. Junior quarterback Drew Woodburn and junior receiver Lucas Andresen connected in the passing game all night and junior running back Luke Tingley went over 100 yards on the ground.
The result wasn’t a surprise. I expected the Knights, who played a much tougher schedule than the Warriors, to come away with a win.
The margin, though, shows Lincoln-Way Central is a force to be reckoned with.
Let’s look at the big picture and examine the top of the Class 7A bracket.
Whitney Young, Bradley-Bourbonnais, Hoffman Estates and Lincoln-Way Central. One of those four teams will be a semifinalist.
The Knights, who already beat Bradley-Bourbonnais 28-6 in Week 5, have a golden road laid out for them.
I expect them to take advantage. The Knights will beat Hoffman Estates this week on their way to the Final Four.
