Playoff expansion creates opportunities for prep football teams

Dundee-Crown’s Tristan Gatenby watched as his brothers and uncle played for the Chargers. But in all those seasons, none of them qualified for the playoffs.

That could change thanks to IHSA playoff football expansion starting this season. The number of playoff teams is increasing from 256 to 384, so there are plenty of area teams like the Chargers looking to break through.

Dundee-Crown has qualified for the state playoffs just four times since the IHSA began the football state series in 1974. Had the new format been in place last season, when the Chargers were 3-6, they would have qualified for the first time since 2013.

“This … gives us more opportunity,” said Gatenby, a running back and linebacker for the Chargers.

“We are in a tough conference, so we obviously won't win every game. But it's just going to be awesome. Because last year, with our record, we would have made the playoffs. “We’re still trying to build culture because there's a lot of young guys. My brothers are excited for us. They have the confidence like we do that we're going, and we get more football.”

Dundee-Crown was one of 20 teams showcased last week at the annual Central Suburban Invite at Maine West in Des Plaines. A few of those teams are like Dundee-Crown, whose playoff hopes have increased dramatically.

“I love football,” said Maine West coach George Klupchak, whose team missed the playoffs last season after qualifying the previous three seasons.

“I think the idea of more football is a positive thing. We'll see how it shakes out. I know there's some strong feelings about it on both sides. It's hard to really have a strong opinion one way or the other until you've experienced it. We'll see how it goes.”

Mundelein’s Urijah Willoughby sees the positive aspects of the change. Willoughby watched as his older brother Emmanuel’s team went 3-6 in 2022 and missed the playoffs. But under this new format, Mundelein, which has not qualified since 2004, would have been a playoff team in each of the last five seasons.

“Our goal is still to make the playoffs,” said Urijah Willoughby, a junior. “But I also feel like everybody still wants to make it past that five wins and break that streak of not making the playoffs in over two decades. You know, just making something happen through our program.”

That extra commitment has spread to schools like Wheeling, which hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2016, and Maine East, which has qualified just once in 1977.

The changes came two years too late for the Khamo family and Maine East. The Blue Demons, led Tomas Khamo, won three games, the most for Maine East since 2012.

This season, younger brother Peter, who is a junior running back, is hoping to repeat that for his school and his family.

“Tomas and I have talked about it,” Peter Khamo said. “We've talked about how we want to make a change, and how our group is motivated and basically setting ourselves for a good future. We understand how much the playoffs matter for this school, and how bad this history has been. But we're going to make a change.”

Wheeling’s Evan Watanuki knows the importance of this chance.

“It's a great opportunity since we are playing in one of the toughest conferences in the state,” said Watanuki, who plays both linebacker and running back.

“Last season, yeah, definitely not an ideal last season. But it would be a complete program changer, being able to say that we're IHSA playoff team. That would mean everything to the program and mean everything to the school and bring even more pride to Wheeling High School.”

Grant and West Chicago both qualified for the playoffs in the last three seasons. And both coaches like what this format could mean for their schools and others.

“It gives people opportunities,” Grant coach Tim Norwood said. “Let's see how this it all shakes out.”

West Chicago, which had not qualified for the playoffs since 2002 before the Wildcats put together this recent string of success, have their sights set on something else.

“With the expanded playoffs, we're looking to get a home game in that first round,” said West Chicago coach Adam Chavez, whose school has not had a home playoff game since they won the state title in 1974.

“We just want to keep building and keep winning. We want to keep stacking wins and keep stacking good seasons.”