Deerfield, Warren, Zion-Benton, Highland Park and Carmel are picks to click in the opening round of the Illinois High School Association’s football playoffs.
Grayslake Central (4-5) at Deerfield (5-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Grayslake Central makes its first playoff appearance since 2022, and Deerfield is back after a one-year hiatus.
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Deerfield sophomore quarterback Cooper Crane has played beyond his years in his varsity debut, offering stability operating the triple-option and providing an opportunistic passing option when chances open downfield. A big-play threat, junior running back Mycol Cochran has rushed for 698 yards and nine touchdowns.
The Warriors’ defense, which plays bigger than its physical size, has held four opponents to single digits in points, including a masterful effort in the regular-season finale in which Glenbrook North managed only 106 yards of offense. Senior defensive lineman Michael Blangiardo has five sacks, and junior linebacker Jonah Thompson has three interceptions.
The Rams don’t try to disguise what they want to do on offense, giving the ball to senior Ken-Ye Pendleton Jr. and junior Ray Ray Wright. They’ve combined for 2,262 yards and 27 TDs. Senior linebacker George Flaig, who has a team-high 49 tackles with 4.5 for loss, leads a defense in search of a reset after yielding a combined 135 points during a current three-game losing streak.
The winner will play King (7-2) in the first round.
X-factor: Cooper Crane, Deerfield, sophomore, quarterback.
Steve Reaven’s prediction: Deerfield.
Warren (4-5) at Naperville Central (5-4)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Warren hasn’t lost its playoff opener in its previous eight appearances but is in the rare position of entering the postseason without outside expectations of a long run. With a rigorous schedule that included losses to opponents with a combined 33-12 record, the Blue Devils haven’t been able to get on a roll but have the personnel to be a very difficult out.
Warren will feed junior running back Jonathan Randolph, who has rushed for 1,224 yards and 16 TDs, early and often to reinforce its offensive identity. If the Redhawks load the box to limit Randolph’s impact, senior quarterback Xavier Vinson will be that much more vital. Naperville Central’s defense is led by junior linebacker Landen Goebel and senior linebacker Justin Skryd.
The Blue Devils’ defense, which has seven players with more than 20 tackles each, will have its hands full with DuPage Valley Conference offensive player of the year Mark Williams. The junior wide receiver is a Division I prospect with 45 catches and eight TDs.
The winner will play at Oswego (8-2) in the first round.
X-factor: Xavier Vinson, Warren, senior, quarterback.
Steve Reaven’s prediction: Warren.
Glenbrook North (3-6) at Zion-Benton (6-3)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: The Zee-Bees’ offense starts and ends with senior running back Jamere French. The Ohio recruit’s 1,695 rushing yards rank third in the state entering the postseason, according to MaxPreps, and he has scored 20 TDs, with 19 coming on the ground. He is also one of only six players on the state’s leaderboard with more than 200 carries. But Warren, Lake Zurich and Libertyville all held him under 80 yards.
French will no doubt have a heavy load in Zion-Benton’s first playoff game since 2018. It’s already a historic year for the Zee-Bees, who are assured of finishing above .500 for the first time since 2002. Not to be overlooked, senior wide receiver Kevin James has 431 receiving yards and six TDs, and senior nose tackle Josiah Funderburg has seven sacks.
Glenbrook North, which has yielded an average of 40 points per game in its six losses, won in convincing fashion in Week 7 and Week 8 but faced winless opponents in those games.
The winner will play at Rockford Guilford (7-2) in the first round.
X-factor: Jamere French, Zion-Benton, senior, running back.
Steve Reaven’s prediction: Zion-Benton.
Streamwood (3-6) at Highland Park (6-3)
Kickoff: 6:30 p.m. Friday.
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Matchup breakdown: Central Suburban League Central champion Highland Park has won six of its past seven games. Dual-threat senior quarterback Gustav Crane, who has 1,011 passing yards, 363 rushing yards and 22 total TDs, is the Giants’ offensive engine. He’s supported by junior running back John Boman and senior running back Zion Wood, who have combined for 994 yards.
Boman is also one of Highland Park’s defensive catalysts. He and leading tacklers Dugan Hever, a senior linebacker, and Dylan Weitz, a senior safety, lead a defense that will be tasked with slowing down Streamwood’s Justin Brown. The senior running back rushed for 17 TDs and averaged 160.9 yards per game during the regular season. His yardage total is more than six times greater than his team’s passing yards.
The winner will play at Fenwick (6-3) in the first round.
X-factor: John Boman, Highland Park, junior, running back/linebacker.
Steve Reaven’s prediction: Highland Park.
Carmel (3-6) at Bulls Prep (4-5)
Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.
Matchup breakdown: Carmel’s rigorous schedule allowed no room for error but forged a well-tested team that is a prime candidate to sneak up on opponents. Senior quarterback Reed Dangel connected on almost 60% of his passes, with 41 of the completions going to senior wide receiver Kyron Hart for 736 yards and 10 TDs.
The Corsairs’ two-headed rushing attack of juniors Jaquel Edmunds and Jorden Moore combined for 959 yards and 12 TDs and will pose a test for Bulls Prep’s top defender, senior linebacker Bryce Brown, who has 61 tackles.
The most pressing task for Carmel’s two highly coveted junior defenders, linebacker Jameer Miles and lineman Kristian Chadick, will be to put the clamps on Bulls Prep’s Eric Henderson. The junior running back averaged 131.1 yards per game and scored 12 TDs during the regular season.
The winner will play at Geneva (8-1) in the first round.
X-factor: Jameer Miles, Carmel, junior, linebacker.
Steve Reaven’s prediction: Carmel.
Steve Reaven is a freelance reporter.