ROUND 1 PLAYOFFS CAPSULES

Class: 6A.

Playoff history: Normal West is making its sixth playoff appearance, including fourth in succession. The Wildcats are 2-5 in playoff games. JCA leads everyone with 12 state titles and has been second twice. The Hilltoppers are making their 31st playoff appearance, including 10th straight, and are 85-18 in playoff games.

Next: JCA would play at Thornton Fractional South or host Crete-Monee.

This season: Normal West lost three of its last four games, including a 38-0 spanking at the hands of 6A's No.-1 ranked Normal Community. JCA lost its opener 21-20 to Mount Carmel before rattling off eight straight victories. Last week's 45-8 win over Carmel decided the East Suburban Catholic Conference title.

The skinny: Normal West tied for fourth place in the Big Twelve behind Normal Community, Mattoon and Bloomington. The Wildcats met four playoff qualifiers, JCA five. Of note is Normal West's defensive average. The Wildcats are allowing 19.2 points per game, and JCA's potent offense is putting up 46.9. So a key will be whether Normal West is able to do anything to slow down the Hilltoppers. JCA dropped from the playoffs a year ago in a Round 1 loss at Morris, and many of the key figures on this year's team remember that all too well. So there should be no letdown. Meanwhile, the numbers continue to be staggering. JCA not only is averaging almost 47 points, but the Hilltoppers also are averaging 455.6 total yards per game. John Ruettiger has completed 50-of-87 passes, 57.5 percent, for 1,036 yards and 11 touchdowns. For the stats nut, the yardage computes to a remarkable 11.9 yards per pass attempt. Sean Sheppard has 24 catches for 470 yards, a 19.6 average. Brandon Geiss, who sat out the second half of last week's 45-8 win over Carmel with a hip injury, has 936 rushing yards. Tyler Hudetz has 818 and Connor Krisch 577. JCA's defense is allowing 10.6 points and 180.8 total yards per game.

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Saturday.

Class: 8A.

Playoff history: Lincoln-Way Central is in the playoffs for the 13th consecutive season and 17th in all. The Knights are 20-15 in playoff games and have one state title and one runnerup finish to their credit. Bolingbrook is in for the 16th straight year and 20th in all. The Raiders are 22-19 in playoff games and finished second once.

Next: Lincoln-Way Central would host Marian Catholic or Naperville North. Bolingbrook would travel to Marian or to Naperville North.

This season: Lincoln-Way Central snapped a two-game losing streak with a 35-6 win last week over Stagg. The Knights' only loss in the first six weeks was a 7-6 decision to Bolingbrook in Week 3. The Raiders closed the regular season with a four-game winning streak to claim the SouthWest Blue championship.

The skinny: The first time the teams met, not only was the score 7-6, but the game was a virtual draw statistically. Since then, Lincoln-Way Central has run into some injury problems, the headliner the ankle injury to kicker and wide receiver Jake Wieclaw. The Knights, who tied for second place in the SouthWest Suburban Red, are hoping to have Kevin Taylor, the team's No. 2 receiver behind Wieclaw, back for Saturday's game. Taylor has caught 26 passes for 477 yards, an 18.3 average. Bolingbrook claimed the SouthWest Suburban Blue title with its strong finish, including a 19-7 victory in Week 6 over Lincoln-Way East, which until that point had been undefeated. The Raiders are averaging 325.2 total yards and 28.7 points per game, while Lincoln-Way Central is averaging 271.1 and scoring 21.1. From a defensive perspective, Bolingbrook allows 191.9 yards and 8.8 points. Central yields 241.3 yards and 10.2 points. The Knights enter the postseason with 50 playoff points (opponent victories), which indicates they have faced one of the strongest schedules in the state. Erik Smith is a key for Bolingbrook, having rushed 1,074 yards and a 7.0 average.

Kickoff: 3 p.m. Saturday.

Class: 6A.

Playoff history: Providence Catholic is making its 17th consecutive appearance and 28th overall. The Celtics are 67-18 in playoff games and have nine state championships and two runnerup finishes to their credit. Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin is in for the eighth straight season and 28th in all. The Cyclones are 49-25 in playoff games and have two state titles and four runnerup finishes on their ledger.

Next: Providence would travel to Bloomington or host Chatham Glenwood.

This season: Providence survived a rugged scheduled for the first two-thirds of the season and closed with a three-game win streak. Sacred Heart-Griffin lost its opener 34-24 to Montini, then ran off eight straight victories, finishing with last week's 26-6 win over playoff-bound Cahokia.

The skinny: What jumps out about Sacred Heart-Griffin is the Cyclones' ability to light up the scoreboard. After scoring 24 against Montini in Week 1, they ran through the Central State Eight portion of the schedule 7-0, averaging about 45 points per game and never scoring below 40. The most noteworthy conference game was a 40-37 victory in Week 5 over Chatham Glenwood, which enters the playoffs 8-1 as well. Sacred Heart-Griffin plays a five-wide offense, throwing the ball early and often. Junior quarterback Tim Dondanville has had an excellent year, and the Cyclones are deep in other skill players. On the other side of the ball, 6-1, 228-pound linebacker Leonard Hubbard is committed to Wisconsin. The Providence defense has seen the likes of Lincoln-Way East, Mount Carmel, Loyola, St. Rita and Brother Rice, so it is battle tested. In fact, the Celtics have 52 playoff points (opponent victories), most among all playoff qualifiers regardless of class. Providence, which is averaging 25.4 points and 312.2 yards of offense, has senior Sean Lindbloom back healthy at tailback. He has rushed for 676 yards and a 7.9 average. Tom Barry has hit 74-of-142 passes, 52.1 percent, for 1,146 yards, with Dan Ruzich and Hayden Grove his primary targets.

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. Friday at Brother Rice.

Class: 8A.

Playoff history: Plainfield Central is making its ninth playoff appearance, the first since 2002. The Wildcats are 4-8 in playoff games. Brother Rice is making its sixth consecutive appearance and 13th in all. The Crusaders have won one state title, have finished second once and are 16-11 in playoff games.

Next: Plainfield Central would travel to Hinsdale Central or host Waubonsie Valley.

This season: Plainfield Central finished the season on a three-game winning streak following losses to longtime rivals Morris and Oswego. Brother Rice, which is riding a four-game winning streak, lost to Loyola and Mount Carmel while posting one-point victories over Providence Catholic and St. Rita in the Chicago Catholic Blue.

The skinny: Defense was expected to be Brother Rice's forte this season, and that has held true. Loyola and Mount Carmel scored 35 and 28 points, respectively, against the Crusaders, but otherwise, no opponent has put up more than 14. Brother Rice finished 2-2 in the Chicago Catholic Blue, tying Loyola Academy for second place. Plainfield Central finished third in the Southwest Prairie Conference behind Morris and Oswego. The Wildcats rely heavily on the Joliet area's No. 1 passing attack in terms of yardage and completion percentage. Senior quarterback Cyle Schultz has completed 124-of-199 passes, 62.3 percent, for 1,658 yards and 16 touchdowns. He has been intercepted 5 times. He will look toward his brother Chris, Brandon Wilson and Mark Baron as the Wildcats attempt to solve the Rice defense. Chris Schultz, who also has intercepted an area-high 12 passes, boasts an area-leading 40 receptions for 457 yards, an 11.4 average. Wilson has caught 36 for 518 yards, a 14.4 average, and 6 touchdowns. Baron has 27 receptions for 410 yards, a 15.2 average, and 6 TDs. A key will be whether the Wildcats can get their running game going -- specifically, fullback Brett Douglas and running back Grant Saxen -- to complement the passing attack.

#11 Naperville C. (6-3) at #6 L-Way E. (7-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.

Class: 8A.

Playoff history: Naperville Central is making its 23rd playoff appearance including fifth in succession. The Redhawks are 39-21 in playoff games and have won one state title and finished second twice. Lincoln-Way East is in for the seventh time, all seven years the school has been in existence. The Griffins have won a state title and are 13-5 in playoff games.

Next: Lincoln-Way East would travel to Neuqua Valley or to LaGrange Lyons.

This season: Naperville Central is on a three-game winning streak following losses of 26-7 to Wheaton Warrenville South and 35-13 to Naperville North. Lincoln-Way East dropped two of its last four, the losses to Bolingbrook and Sandburg, but did get back on track last week with a 31-8 win over Lockport.

The skinny: Two proud conference lock horns here. Naperville Central finished third in the DuPage Valley, while Lincoln-Way East was second in the SouthWest Suburban Blue. Central averages 24.4 points per game and will be going against an East defense that has limited foes to 11.1 points and 203.3 total yards on the average. The Griffins switched quarterback Blake Hammond to his former position of wide receiver last week against Lockport and inserted Spencer Stanek at quarterback. So far, so good.

#12 Burlington C. (6-3) at #5 Morris (7-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.

Class: 5A.

Playoff history: Burlington Central is in for the second straight year and 14th in all. The Rockets are 10-13 in playoff games. Morris is making its 25th playoff appearance, including seventh in succession. The Redskins are 53-21 in playoff games and have been in eight championship games, winning three titles.

Next: Morris would travel to Rochelle or to Chicago Harper.

This season: Burlington Central lost 28-6 last week to Harvard in the Big Northern East title game, ending a four-game winning streak. Morris opened with losses to Pontiac and Joliet Catholic Academy, then ran off seven straight victories.

The skinny: Morris, champion of the Southwest Prairie, will be facing an opponent that is accustomed to playing against smaller schools. The Redskins, of course, are used to play schools larger than they are. That alone figures to give Morris the upper hand. The Redskins have found another gear with Adam Tondini taking over a bulk of the running back chores. He has rushed for 845 yards and is averaging 8.5 per carry. Drew Hanson has completed 55.9 percent of his passes for 922 yards and 10 touchdowns.

#9 Wilmington (6-3) at #8 St. Thomas More (7-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.

Class: 3A.

Playoff history: Wilmington is making its 15th appearance, including 12th in succession. The Wildcats are 17-14 in playoff games and finished second once. Champaign St. Thomas More is making its second appearance, the other in 2003. The Sabers are 1-1 in playoff games.

Next: Wilmington would host Rockford Christian Life or St. Joseph-Ogden.

This season: Wilmington finished the regular season with three straight decisive victories following a 13-8 loss in Week 6 to highly regarded Plano. St. Thomas More won its last three games and five of its last six, the loss in that span a 28-0 decision to powerful St. Joseph-Ogden.

The skinny: Wilmington tuned up for the playoffs in a big way last week when it dominated a Sandwich team 30-0 that was attempting to qualify. The Wildcats had a 303-92 edge in total yards and a 21-3 advantage in first downs. Running backs Ty Surman, Cory Chaney and Kyle Cragg all enjoyed good nights. St. Thomas More, much like Wilmington, has been strong defensively all season so points may be hard to come by. The Sabers rebounded from a 1-8 season in 2006 to make the playoffs.

#11 Peotone (6-3) at #6 Oregon (7-2)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Friday.

Class: 4A.

Playoff history: Peotone is making its ninth appearance, the last in 2003. The Blue Devils are 2-8 in playoff games. Oregon is in for the second straight year and eighth in all. The Hawks are 7-7 in playoff games and finished second once.

Next: Peotone would travel to Winnebago or host Harvard.

This season: Peotone won six of its last seven, the only loss in that span a 20-17 overtime decision to Herscher in Week 8. Oregon's only losses were 21-20 to Richmond-Burton in Week 1 and 46-44 to Genoa-Kingston in Week 7.

The skinny: Big Northern West champion Oregon, after losing to Genoa-Kingston, beat its last two foes by a combined 109-0, so apparently there were no lingering ill effects. Peotone bounced back from the disappointing loss to Herscher to beat Seneca 35-14 in its playoff tuneup. Oregon has been held below 20 points once, that in a 14-6 victory over Burlington Central, so the Blue Devils' defense will be tested.

#11 Highland Park (6-3) at #6 Lemont (7-2)

Kickoff: 6 p.m. Saturday.

Class: 6A.

Playoff history: Highland Park is making its fifth consecutive appearance and 10th in all. The Giants are 5-10 in playoff games. Lemont is in for the ninth time, the last four in succession. The Indians are 5-8 in playoff games.

Next: Lemont would travel to Chicago Simeon or to Fox Lake Grant.

This season: Highland Park's losses were 20-13 to York in Week 1, 22-13 to Glenbrook South in Week 3 and 33-0 to Glenbrook North in Week 6. Those three teams are a combined 23-4. The Giants won 55-0 each of the last two weeks. Lemont's losses were 23-22 to unbeaten Richards in Week 4 and 14-7 to 8-1 Oak Forest in Week 8.

The skinny: The Lemont defense has allowed an average of 5.8 points and 137.8 yards per game, both leading figures among large schools in the Joliet area. Linebackers Gordon Kickels and Willie Hayes are mainstays on that unit, though Hayes suffered a late-season injury. The Highland Park offense figures to provide a strong challenge. When the Indians have the ball, Bobby Earnest will be a key. He has rushed for 1,116 yards, averaging 10.1 per carry, and 15 touchdowns.

#15 Richmond-Burton (5-4) at #2 Coal City (9-0)

Kickoff: 7 p.m. Saturday.

Class: 4A.

Playoff history: Richmond-Burton is in for the 17th time despite missing the playoffs last season. The Rockets are 16-15 in playoff games and have won one state title. Coal City also missed the playoffs last season but is in for the 19th time. The Coalers are 21-17 in playoff games and have a state title and a runnerup finish to their credit.

Next: Coal City would travel to Herscher or host Genoa-Kingston.

This season: Richmond-Burton recovered from a four-game losing streak in midseason to win its last three and qualify for the playoffs. Coal City scored 21 fourth-quarter points last week to beat Herscher 35-14 and complete its perfect season.

The skinny: While quarterback J.T. Blaine and running back Noah Roseland continue to provide the offensive spark, the defense has been vital to Coal City's success. The Interstate Eight Small champion Coalers have blanked three opponents and allowed one touchdown to three others. Richmond-Burton is on an offensive roll, scoring 28, 38 and 47 points in its last three games. Patrick Elder, brother of former JT West coach John Elder, is the Rockets' coach.