Five first round high school football playoff games to watch

Hinsdale Central (6-3) at South Elgin (7-2)

The playoffs are here — and you’ll notice a theme as we bring you five games to watch. We like the matchups between 6-3 and 7-2 type teams much more than 9-0 vs. 5-4 running clock games, and we especially like it when we get two teams in the Daily Herald coverage area playing each other. That’s the case here as Colorado recruit Gavin Mueller tries to help South Elgin reverse the trend of Upstate Eight teams struggling in the playoffs against a Red Devils team battled tested from the West Suburban Silver schedule.

Glenbard South (6-3) at Antioch (7-2)

If you are old school and like a good running game, look no further. Only a sophomore, you won’t find many more dangerous tailbacks than the Raiders’ Elijah Donahue, who is averaging 11 yards a carry while rushing for 1,140 yards and 18 touchdowns. For good measure, he’s picked off three passes on defense. Antioch has a more balanced attack that averages 317 rushing yards a game behind the likes of Gavin Stone (844 yards, 11 TDs) and Logan Lennon (783 yards, 9 TDs).

York (6-3) at Lyons (7-2)

Perhaps the most unique matchup in the entire state, these two teams just played last Friday in a West Suburban Silver matchup. Lyons won that one 34-26 to deny the Dukes a conference title. York, the Class 8A runner-up last year, gets a quick chance at revenge behind Henry Duda, who rushed for 256 yards in last week’s loss.

Libertyville (5-4) at Burlington Central (8-1)

We’ll take a quick break from the 6-3/7-2 rule to look at a matchup between the North Suburban and Fox Valley conferences. The Wildcats won four of their final five to qualify and will look to 6-foot-5 TE Brock Williams and the pass game to challenge a deep Rockets defense that dominated this season. Their 87 points allowed is the fewest in the FVC in 16 years. QB Landon Arnold directs an efficient and balanced BC offense as the Rockets try to continue a football resurgence that didn’t seem possible a couple years ago.

Prospect (7-2) at Downers Grove North (7-2)

Chalk this up to saving the best for last in our five games. From 2001-2008, these teams opened every season with the Knights going 7-1. Continuing that dominance is going to take the Knights’ best game of the season as the Trojans, who finished second in the state in Class 7A in 2023, feature now senior QB Owen Lansu — one of three future Big Ten players in the lineup. Prospect has plenty of high-level talent of its own led by QB Jackson Cacini, RB Matt Donnelly and Harvard-bound WR Nate Cichy.