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.

On Saturday afternoon, Quentrell Harris continued to display his all-around talents during the Roadrunners’ 23-14 victory over Marmion (7-4) in the second round of the Class 5A state football playoffs in Aurora. Harris, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound senior, returned kicks, played running back, caught passes, lined up at quarterback in the Wildcat package and played defensive back as the 14th-seeded Roadrunners (7-4) advanced to next weekend’s 5A quarterfinals in LaGrange Park. While returning a pair of kickoffs and a punt for 131 yards in the opening quarter, carrying the ball 11 times for 51 yards and a touchdown, and making 3 receptions for 23 yards, Harris may have made his biggest mark on the defensive side of the ball.

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.

Averaging over 35 points a game, Fenwick’s offense has rarely been slowed down this fall. On Friday night, even Mother Nature couldn’t stop the Friars. Scoring on five of its final six possessions of the first half, Fenwick cruised to a 50-14 victory over Kaneland in a Class 5A first-round playoff game in rainy and windy conditions at Triton College.

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.

The IHSA high school football playoffs are back after a yearlong hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg, whose team is 9-0 and top-seeded in Class 6A according to pairings brackets released Saturday evening, there’s much more to the story.