The Downers Grove North Trojans will host St. Rita at Carstens Field on Friday, Nov. 6, with a 7 p.m. kickoff in the second round of the IHSA Class 7A playoffs.

The matchup pits two top-10 programs against each other. DGN enters at 9-1 and ranked No. 10 in the state, while St. Rita is 7-3 and ranked No. 9, according to Sports Illustrated's state rankings published Nov. 1.

DGN earned the home game as the No. 3 seed in Class 7A. The Trojans rolled through Round 1 on Oct. 30, beating West Chicago 49-14 behind a punishing ground game, Shaw Local reported. Zachary Surowiec and Kevin Jay combined for three first-half rushing touchdowns to build a 28-0 lead. Quarterback Joey Goodwin threw for over 100 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Jacob Vroman and Ray Johnson.

"It felt good to come here and take care of business," Jay said after the Round 1 win, per Shaw Local. "We ran the ball pretty great and have been all year."

Jay rushed for two touchdowns and 50-plus yards. Head coach Joe Horeni praised Jay's versatility.

"He carries the ball really well and can fill in as a quarterback when needed," Horeni said. "He is also a tough blocker which showed tonight."

The Trojans' only loss this season came to York, 18-17.

What St. Rita brings

St. Rita won the Chicago Catholic League Green title this season and carries wins over Montini, Nazareth, St. Francis and Glenbard West, according to Shaw Local's playoff analysis.

The Mustangs handled Buffalo Grove 36-10 in Round 1. Senior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. rushed for 174 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns in that game, the Chicago Tribune reported. At 5-foot-11 and 204 pounds, the Lindenwood commit is a three-year starter who helped St. Rita reach the Class 7A state championship game last season.

Senior Doniven Campbell added a 60-yard touchdown run, and senior receiver Vinny Stubitsch caught a 52-yard scoring pass from senior quarterback John Fennell, per the Tribune.

Playoff pedigree on both sides

Both programs made deep runs in 2025. DGN finished as an IHSA semifinalist with a 10-3 record. St. Rita reached the 7A state championship game before losing to Brother Rice.

The Trojans are looking to reach the quarterfinals for a fourth straight season, Shaw Local reported.

Friday's winner advances to the Class 7A quarterfinals. Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Carstens Field.