West Aurora, Oak Park-River Forest, Marmion, Yorkville and Sandwich are picks to click for the opening round of the playoffs.
Leyden (3-6) at West Aurora (6-3)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: It’s a first in Illinois High School Association playoff history as West Aurora and East Aurora will both host postseason games on the same day.
Leyden is the fifth of seven West Suburban Gold teams to qualify for the playoffs. It’s the fifth appearance for the Eagles in 22 seasons under coach Tom Cerasoni.
West Aurora is making its eighth playoff in 16 years under coach Nate Eimer.
Leyden has an athletic quarterback in senior Sonny Falco with a strong target in 6-foot-3 junior receiver Armani Santana. Senior running back Nehemiah Almodovar is also a threat running behind a big offensive line.
West Aurora’s ranks are thinner with the loss of senior tight end Brendon Salach
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to a broken leg, suffered last week in the 41-0 win at East Aurora.A common opponent is Downers Grove South, which beat West Aurora 49-27 in Wek 1 and downed Leyden 17-6 in Week 8.
The winner plays at St. Ignatius (7-2) in the first round.
X-factor: Braden Fraus, West Aurora, senior, linebacker/tight end.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: West Aurora.
Oak Park-River Forest (4-5) at East Aurora (5-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Tomcats are hosting a Class 8A playoff game for the first time in 46 years. It’s the second time East Aurora has made the postseason in nine years under coach Nick Kukuc.
Oak Park-River Forest hasn’t made the playoffs since 2018 when the Tigers capped a run of seven straight appearances under coach John Hoerster. It’s their eighth playoff appearance in 16 years under Hoerster.
Senior running back Liam Smith leads the offense for OPRF, which dropped a 21-19 decision to Hinsdale Central in its regular-season finale. The Tigers are the sixth and final playoff qualifier from the seven-team West Suburban Silver.
Senior receiver/defensive back Daivon Douglas and senior running back/nose guard Jeremiah Jackson lead a small contingent for the Tomacts, numbering just 22 for the regular-season finale.
The winner plays at Lincoln-Way East (9-0) in the first round.
X-factor: Alexander Carter, East Aurora, senior, wide receiver/defensive back.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Oak Park-River Forest.
Marmion (3-6) at North Lawndale (5-4)
Kickoff: 4 p.m. Saturday at Rockne Stadium, Chicago.
Matchup breakdown: Who you gonna call? That was the question facing Marmion coach Adam Guerra four days before the season opener as his projected starting quarterback went down with an injury.
Senior receiver Colin McEniry, the league’s offensive player of the year last season, answered in getting the Cadets to the Class 4A playoffs. McEniry, who has 849 yards passing, leads Marmion in rushing with 286.
Leading the defense is junior linebacker Nick Roche with 67 tackles, while senior defensive back Ryan Loria has 41 tackles, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Guerra said North Lawndale senior quarterback Timothy Pernell is a “pretty dynamic athlete with a good left arm” and calls Muhammad Hudhayfa, a 6-2 junior, “a dangerous receiver.” And junior running back Donovan Hodges “is a load to bring down.”
The winner plays at Sterling (7-2) in the first round.
X-factor: Aidan Miller, Marmion, junior, wide receiver/linebacker.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Marmion.
Palatine (4-5) at Yorkville (4-5)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Interesting matchup between two teams that each finished fifth in the six-team division of their respective conferences, Palatine in the Mid-Suburban West and Yorkville in the Southwest Prairie West.
The Foxes’ defensive line of seniors James Sapp Jr.
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and Mark Smith III and junior Bryce Baxa has been strong of late and will be looking to pressure senior quarterback Brandon Martino.Offensively, Palatine is paced by senior receiver/defensive back Jayden Evans, a Northern Illinois commit. Eliaz Egbe, a junior edge rusher, has five Division I offers.
Junior quarterback Max Delgado, hurt two weeks ago, didn’t play last week for Yorkville and his status is uncertain. Senior Quintin Rink has proven more than capable in relief.
The winner plays at Hersey (9-0) in the first round.
X-factor: Dillon Viscogliosi, Yorkville, senior, linebacker.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Yorkville.
Lisle (4-5) at Sandwich (5-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Sandwich has bounced back from a 2-7 season to qualify for the Class 3A playoffs for the third time in four years and first under second-year coach Jason VanPelt.
Senior running back Wyatt Gregory and senior fullback Chase Clark power a strong ground game. Gregory has piled up 1,275 yards and 13 TDs to go with four catches for 51 yards and a TD. Clark has 648 yards rushing with nine TDs.
Lisle played a junior varsity schedule last year due to low numbers, something Sandwich did several years ago. Senior linebacker Noah Nigro leads the Lions’ defense.
The winner plays at Pecatonica (8-1) in the first round.
X-factor: Cash White, Sandwich, senior, quarterback/linebacker.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Sandwich.