Here’s a look at the football matchups in the Fox area for the quarterfinal round, including Jacobs trying to keep its surprise postseason run alive and Cary-Grove putting its 11-0 record on the line.

Underdogs? Jacobs senior running back Ben Ludlum is having none of that.

The Genoa-Kingston defense showed out once again in their 27-3 victory over a shorthanded St. Francis squad in the second round of the Class 4A football playoffs.

If possible, most teams prefer a balanced offensive attack. And most nights, Joliet Catholic is more than capable of showcasing those capabilities. But other nights, and Friday was one of them, the Hilltoppers are better served by simply putting their collective heads down and steamrolling over the opposition. And after being slowed down by a long scoring drive from the visitors from Wheaton Academy and a turnover, Joliet Catholic went back to basics, scored 27-unanswered second quarter points and rolled to a 48-14 victory.

Here’s a look at the second round of playoffs for Fox area schools, including Batavia heading to Mt. Carmel, Jacobs hosting Normal, South Elgin traveling to Marist, and Geneva welcoming St. Rita, among others.

Here’s a look at some of the top storylines going into the second round of the playoffs, including an all-around excellent effort Cary-Grove’s Toby Splitt and Geneva’s defense coming up big in the second half at Collinsville, among others.

Fifth-seeded St. Francis downed Peoria Notre Dame 41-31 Saturday in a first-round Class 4A football playoff game in Wheaton.

All along, the goal for the Wheaton Academy football team was to secure its first home game in the IHSA playoffs. Now it’s time to level up for the Warriors, who defeated Coal City 36-3 Friday night in a Class 4A first-round matchup to improve to 8-2.

Here’s a look at the first round of playoffs for Fox area teams, including three 9-0 teams — Batavia, Cary-Grove and South Elgin — looking to start on the right foot, among others.

Here’s a look at some of the Fox storylines with the regular season coming to an end and the playoffs beginning, including some impressive numbers at Batavia and South Elgin, Larkin back in the postseason for the first time since 2006, and a look back at the seasons at West Aurora, Streamwood and St. Edward.