Ty Schultz, a senior running back, scored all four Lockport touchdowns as the Porters punched their ticket to the state semifinals with a hard-fought 28-22 victory over Glenbard North in a Class 8A football quarterfinal playoff Saturday afternoon in Carol Stream.Lockport (11-1) will play Loyola, a 3-0 winner over Lincoln-Way East, this coming Saturday in the state semifinals in Wilmette.The Panthers (8-4), who battled until the final minute, advanced to their first quarterfinal since finishing second in the state in Class 8A in 2012.

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.

His hands were sweaty and his nerves kept him from looking up at the football that he just booted, but Glenbard North junior kicker Juan Ramirez knew his 43-yard field goal in the final minute of Saturday night’s game was good once he heard the home crowd erupt.

On one side of the field, pandemonium and euphoria flowed just seconds after Denny Furlong’s game-winning touchdown run off the right edge to stun Batavia 16-14 on an untimed down on the last play of a Class 7A second-round playoff game. On the opposite side sat a stunned, shocked Batavia team that was simply trying to process and rationalize the final minute of a drive that will likely forever leave them asking “what if”?

Geneva knew there weren’t many people giving the Vikings a chance. As the Vikings football team took the field Friday night, hosting St. Rita in the second round of the Class 7A playoffs, there was always belief in their locker room. Geneva held St. Rita to just three first half points led by a stellar defensive effort, but the Vikings just didn’t have enough for a talented opposition. St. Rita used a couple of big plays in the second half for a 28-7 victory in a game that finished lopsided, but doesn’t tell the entire story.

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.

Khary Shaw had one thought. “Can’t lose,” said Shaw, moments after Brother Rice survived 27-26 in the Class 7A opening round playoff game against Wheaton Warrenville South on Saturday.

Glenbard North rolled into town, rolled up 332 yards overall, and rolled out of town with a 34-30 victory in the Round of 32 matchup.The floodlights on the field might have prevented anyone from seeing the Northern Lights, but the Panthers (7-3) made the Raiders (7-3) see stars. Specifically, receiver Shea Gaffney, a senior who caught three touchdown passes in the first quarter, and Sam Palmer, a junior who ran for a pair of scores in the second half, including the touchdown that made the difference.“I watched a lot of film on their defensive backs,” said Gaffney, who had one touchdown reception in the regular season. “I was just prepared. I thought I had great routes running.”