quarterfinals in state playoffs

The list of teams are decreasing as we close in on the State Quarterfinals... Three of the *top four teams fell during an upset-filled second round, but No. 5 Bolingbrook and No. 12 Homewood-Flossmoor are still standing. No bracket proved more difficult to predict than Class 8A, and none is now more predictable than 7A, but do not ignore the other classes. The Raiders' speed on defense and at the quarterback position is not something normally seen on this level. The defense completely shut down Mount Carmel, while I don't see anybody doing that to Bolingbrook quarterback Aaron Bailey. We liked Lemont early on to win 6A, but since they have to go through Nazareth, whew, it's not going to be easy. The Trojans' triple-option didn't seem to have any spark, while Nazareth's offensive line continued to dominate the trenches.  *eliminated from State playoffs: #2 Maine South 22, Crete-Monee, Mount Carmel & LW East

The 5A bracket has been surprise-free. The most notable development to me was Joliet Catholic blowing out Morris 41-7. The Hilltoppers should handle Washington in the quarterfinals to set up an attractive semifinal matchup with either Sacred Heart-Griffin or Chatham Glenwood. On the other side of the bracket, Montini and smoking-hot quarterback John Rhode can avenge a 21-20 regular-season loss to Marian Central this weekend. Rhode did not play in that game. The fall of three-time defending 8A champion Maine South seemed to be the biggest surprise thus far... Anymore on tap? Quarterfinals will certainly provide a high level of excitement as a couple of teams face off. So, who has enough left in the tank to punch their ticket to go downstate? The official schedule is out and it is as follows.... NOTE: As a bonus, there are some teams battling for city bragging rights in the Catholic & Public league... those teams are in red. SATURDAY - IHSA QUARTERFINALS CLASS 8A - to view the bracket #2 Bolingbrook 47, #3 Downers Grove South 19 Bolingbrook proved they deserve to play on next week as they knocked off Downers Grove South 47-19. Bolingbrook's quarterback rushed for 214 yards and five touchdowns Saturday. Aaron Bailey finished the contest with 17 carries, 214 yards and 5 TDs. Bolingbrook at Naperville Central. Lyons at Loyola, noon. Stevenson at Glenbard North, 3 p.m. CLASS 7A - to view the bracket WW South at East St. Louis, 1 p.m. Elk Grove at Lake Zurich, 1 p.m.. Boylan at Crystal Lake South, 1 p.m. CLASS 6A - to view the bracket #1 Lemont 29, #3 Hubbard 0 Lemont knocked off Public league last standing team, Hubbard, in the Class 6A quarters 29-0 with their stingy defense, a strong running game and the occasional play-action pass. "We don't take anything for granted," Lemont coach Eric Michaelsen said. "I'm happy that this senior group won their final game at home. These kids put in a lot of time and work to get to this point." Next week, Lemont will put their undefeated team on the road and travel to Peoria to take on Richwoods in a return trip to the semifinals. The Indians lost in the quarterfinals the last two seasons after finishing second in 2007 and 2008. Richwoods at Danville, 2 p.m. Batavia at Lakes, 5 p.m. Nazareth at Prairie Ridge, 1 p.m. CLASS 5A - to view the bracket Joliet Catholic at Washington, Ill., 1 p.m. Sacred Heart-Griffin at Glenwood, 1 p.m. Kaneland at Rochelle, 1 p.m. Marian Central at Montini, 2 p.m. CLASS 4A - to view the bracket Bishop McNamara at Rochester, 4 p.m. Charleston at Mt. Zion, 1 p.m. Richmond-Burton at Evergreen Park, 6 p.m. Stillman Valley at Sandwich, 7 p.m. CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINALS Brother Rice 37, Fenwick 0 Martez Walker rushed for 2 touchdowns and had a touchdown reception, and Andrew Walker had a touchdown run and a touchdown reception for Brother Rice (8-4). The Crusaders play Mount Carmel in the Catholic League final next weekend. FRIDAY - IHSA QUARTERFINALS CLASS 8A - to view the bracket Naperville Central 42, HF 14 Homewood-Flossmoor just couldn't keep their first two rounds of energy going in the Class 8A quarterfinals against Naperville Central Friday night as they loss 42-14. Tim Williams (finished with 191 yards passing and one TD run) and the H-F offense answered Nick Thomas' 76-yard touchdown return of the opening kickoff with an 80-yard drive, but it was all Naperville Central from there. Quarterback Ian Lewandowski (7 carries for 86 yards including 3 TDs rushing, and 128 yards in the air plus a TD) scored three touchdowns on his own and threw another. In addition to some offense scoring power, defensively, John Dulleck and Jimmy Nashert came up with two turnovers apiece to secure to victory. "We're primarily a running defense and they're a passing team, so this was a big challenge and we responded well," Dulleck said. "We're doing it for our school and for our fans, but mostly we're doing it for each other. We want to prove something after not making the playoffs last year." Early conversation now is comparing Naperville Central's 1999 state championship team seems to be the more apt comparison now. CLASS 7A - to view the bracket St. Rita 19, O'Fallon 14 Twoo many opportunities down the stretch for O'Fallon but they came up short due to strong defensive play by St. Rita in the Class 7A quarters, as the Mustangs hold on to win 19-14. It was Ejay Johnson who stopped on a fourth-and-goal with 3 minutes, 45 seconds to play and then lost a fumble with one minute remaining. St. Rita scored on its opening possession, when Scott Thomas capped an eight-play, 42-yard drive with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Golladay. Successfully mixing the pass and the run, St. Rita mounted a 16-play, 72-yard drive that ended with Tim Lombard's 4-yard touchdown run off left tackle with 4:17 remaining in the half. "Everybody is questioning our offense and whether it can do this or that, but I thought we played pretty decently tonight," St. Rita coach Todd Kuska said. "We made the plays when we had to, and we're starting to come together." O'Fallon (10-2) answered with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Todd Porter to Johnson, who leaped over a St. Rita defender at the goal line with 33 seconds to play in the half. St. Rita went ahead 19-7 with 7:16 remaining in the third quarter on a 10-yard pass from Thomas to Golladay. O'Fallon struck back on the opening play of the fourth quarter, when Porter found Darius Mosely over the middle for a 44-yard touchdown. In the closing minutes, O'Fallon had one more chance when Porter completed a 9-yard pass to Johnson for what would have been a first down at the St. Rita 38, but he fumbled the ball, and the Mustangs' Zack Soria recovered, and St. Rita ran out the clock. The Mustangs will play next weekend against the winner of Saturday's game between Wheaton Warrenville South and East St. Louis. CATHOLIC LEAGUE SEMIFINALS Hales 6, Mount Carmel 63 Playing Friday night in the Catholic League playoff semifinals, the Caravan had no such problem. Scoring a touchdown on all seven of the team’s first half possessions, Mount Carmel rolled to a 63-6 win over Hales at Gately Stadium. “We know Bolingbrook wasn’t our best game, and fundamentally we didn’t play well,” quarterback Don Butkus said. “It feels great that tonight we played good football again.” Mount Carmel was led by Brandon Greer’s 106 rushing yards on just six carries, three of them for scores. WEDNESDAY PUBLIC LEAGUE PLAYOFFS (third round) King 8 vs. Simeon 43 at Gately, 6 p.m.

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