Week 2 playoffs, Chicago Catholic: Montini hosts Kaneland

Class 6A

No. 8 Kaneland (7-3) at No. 1 Montini (10-0)

Game time: 3 p.m. Saturday.

Last week: Kaneland 33, No. 9 Belvidere North 31; Montini 35, No. 16 Wauconda 7.

Outlook: Dating to the 1995 playoffs Montini is 3-0 against Kaneland with Class 5A semifinal wins in 2010 and 2011. Out of a spread, Knights quarterback Jake Marczuk has thrown for 1,821 yards, 12 touchdowns, plus a team-high 897 yards rushing, 18 touchdowns. Tanner Robertsen has 50 receptions for 871 yards, 6 touchdowns. Freshman running back Jonathan Alstott (a relative of Mike) and tight end Mitch Groen are key complements. Kaneland's three-man defensive front has allowed more rushing yards than the offense has gained, feeding into a Montini ground game led last week by Will Smith's 153 yards, 3 touchdowns; starting tailback Prince Walker, held out due to injury, may return. Montini's stats show a plus-31 in turnover ratio, aided by quarterback Justin Blake's zero interceptions to 11 touchdowns and 1,180 yards passing. Like Montini, Kaneland uses the whole field, testing cornerbacks Mitch West and Taylor Reed and safeties Luke Stone and Caleb Stevenson.

Advancement: The winner advances to a Class 6A quarterfinal game against the winner between No. 13 Deerfield (7-3) and No. 5 DeKalb (8-2).