Lincoln-Way East, Mount Carmel, Batavia, East St. Louis, Joliet Catholic and Chicago Christian are picks to click for the semifinal round of the state football playoffs.
Loyola (10-2) at Lincoln-Way East (12-0)
Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: The Griffins and Ramblers meet in the Class 8A playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Loyola has won the last three meetings, including the last two state championship games.
Lincoln-Way East scored just 18 combined points in those three games, but the Griffins did not have junior quarterback Jonas Williams, who transferred in from Bolingbrook.
The Oregon recruit, and a strong surrounding cast including senior running back Zion Gist (Western Michigan), will present a much bigger challenge for the Ramblers this time around.
Led by senior quarterback Ryan Fitzgerald — the son of former Northwestern coach and Sandburg alum Pat Fitzgerald — Loyola comes in with a nine-game winning streak.
X-factor: Trey Zvonar, Lincoln-Way East, senior, tight end.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Lincoln-Way East.
Mount Carmel (9-3) at St. Rita (10-2)
Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: A trip to the Class 7A championship game is on the line as these longtime rivals meet for the 105th time.
In Week 2, the Caravan shut down St. Rita’s offense and pulled away late for a 28-0 win.
Mount Carmel has struggled a bit on the defensive side of late, including a 49-42 quarterfinal win over Normal. But its offense has been clicking on all cylinders, led by senior quarterback Jack Elliott and some talented receivers, featuring freshman Marshaun Thornton.
St. Rita hopes senior running back Nick Herman can get going more than in the first meeting.
X-factor: Justin Buckner, St. Rita, senior, linebacker/running back.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Mount Carmel.
Batavia (11-1) at Lincoln-Way Central (9-3)
Kickoff: 5 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: The Knights could set up an all-Southland championship game in Class 7A if they can pull off the upset.
This is a rematch of a 2023 second-round game, which Batavia won 45-17.
This game could be over in a flash as both teams will look to run the ball often.
Senior running back Nathan Whitwell had a whopping 40 carries for 157 yards and a touchdown in Batavia’s 17-7 quarterfinal win over Downers Grove North. The Knights will rely on the running back tandem of senior Tyler Tulk and junior Luke Tingley.
X-factor: Kyle Miller, Lincoln-Way Central, senior, running back/receiver.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Batavia.
Richards (11-1) at East St. Louis (11-1)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: The Bulldogs shocked many observers throughout the state with a 21-20 quarterfinal win over Kankakee.
It would take a much more massive upset for Richards to reach the Class 6A championship game.
The Flyers, looking to play in their fifth straight championship game, have only lost to national power IMG Academy of Florida, a 14-13 decision in overtime. They have outscored nine Illinois opponents by a combined score of 464-28.
The Bulldogs’ recipe for a shocker will be to ride senior running back Myles Mitchell (North Dakota State) and hope for more defensive scores like the fumble returns for TDs that Emmanuel Mahonie has provided in back-to-back games.
X-factor: Austin Synoga, Richards, senior, defensive back/receiver.
Steve Millar’s prediction: East St. Louis.
Morris (8-4) at Joliet Catholic (9-3)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: These longtime rivals meet in the Class 5A playoffs for the second straight season, after Joliet Catholic topped Morris 49-7 in last year’s quarterfinals.
The Hilltoppers seem to be peaking at the right time. They have outscored their three playoff opponents by a combined score of 150-14, including a 43-8 quarterfinal rout at Peoria.
Led by senior linebacker Daniel Rouse, Joliet Catholic shut down a Peoria offense that was averaging 49 points.
Senior running backs Larry Stringham and Nate Magrini have been unstoppable in the postseason.
After limping into the playoffs with an uncharacteristic 5-4 record, Morris has put things together and is coming off an impressive 21-7 win over Morgan Park.
X-factor: Zachary Beitler, Joliet Catholic, senior, defensive back/kick returner.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Joliet Catholic.
Chicago Christian (11-1) at Farmington (12-0)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: This Class 2A battle will be historical for both teams as both are playing in the semifinals for the first time in program history.
The Knights rolled to a 34-13 win over Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin behind the exceptional two-way play of their star seniors — quarterback/defensive back Christian Flutman and running back/linebacker Kenny Jager. Senior defensive lineman Brock Sperling is an all-state selection.
Farmington is led by all-state senior quarterback Lane Wheelwright.
It will be a 175-mile bus ride for Chicago Christian, which showed it could handle long trips with its second-round win at Tri-Valley.
X-factor: Eddie Van Dellen, Chicago Christian, senior, receiver/defensive back.
Steve Millar’s prediction: Chicago Christian.
