Downers Grove North will host its first playoff game Oct. 30 or 31, taking on the winner of Saturday's Prosser-West Chicago opening-round matchup.
The Trojans earned the No. 3 seed in the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Class 7A bracket, DGN Omega reported, giving them a first-round bye and home-field advantage. Only undefeated Normal Community (9-0) and Hersey (9-0) are seeded higher.
DGN finished the regular season 8-1, capping it with a 58-0 shutout of Proviso East. The Trojans' lone loss came by a single point, 18-17, to York.
The opening-round matchup
No. 35 seed West Chicago (4-5) travels to No. 30 Prosser (5-4) at noon Saturday, Oct. 24, according to the Peoria Journal Star's full bracket. The winner gets DGN at home.
Neither opponent has a winning record. DGN shut out Oak Park-River Forest 41-0 during the regular season and held opponents to just 33 points through its first six games, according to a Shaw Local preview published Sept. 30.
East St. Louis on DGN's bracket path
The bracket's real test sits one round deeper. No. 4 seed East St. Louis (8-1) hosts the winner of Elgin vs. Reavis on the same side of the draw. If both top seeds advance, DGN and East St. Louis would meet in the second round Nov. 6 or 7.
East St. Louis is ranked No. 1 in Illinois, according to the latest Sports Illustrated state rankings, and No. 3 in the Midwest by USA TODAY Sports. The Flyers outscored opponents 319-14 over their final six regular-season games, USA TODAY reported, and closed with a 35-8 rout of Naperville North. Their only loss came to Florida's American Heritage, 35-28, according to the SI rankings.
The Chicago Tribune identified East St. Louis or Brother Rice as the class to beat in 7A. The Tribune listed DGN vs. St. Rita as a potential "dream matchup" in the first round. Its bracket analysis also predicted a Hersey vs. DGN semifinal, calling the Trojans' defense the best "north of the Stevenson Expressway."
New playoff format
This year's bracket is the largest since 1985. The IHSA expanded each classification from 32 to 48 teams, Sports Illustrated reported, with the top 16 seeds in 7A and 8A earning byes. In later rounds, the team that has hosted fewer postseason games gets home field. If both teams have hosted the same number, the higher seed hosts.
The Class 7A state championship is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 28, at Hancock Stadium on the Illinois State University campus in Normal.
Season snapshot
Running back Grant Georgas had piled up 732 rushing yards through six games, including a 250-yard, three-touchdown performance against Oak Park-River Forest, according to Shaw Local's Sept. 30 preview. Quarterback Joey Goodwin connected with Philip Moawad for a 17-yard touchdown in that same game. Zach Surowiec added a 30-yard score.
As we reported Oct. 18, DGN and Downers Grove South both earned first-round byes.
DGN's first playoff game is set for Oct. 30 or 31 at home. Second-round games follow Nov. 6-7, with quarterfinals Nov. 13-14 and semifinals Nov. 20-21.
