Previews of the top state quarterfinal playoff games

Class 7A: No. 13 Phillips at No. 2 Mount Carmel, 1 p.m. Saturday

Call this the real Prep Bowl. Phillips (9-1), playing three classes above its actual enrollment of 575, is the last team standing from the Public League. Western Michigan recruit Ronald Pledger has been a rock on defense for the Wildcats and also caught the game-winning TD on the last play of a 30-24 first-round win over Lincoln-Way West. Junior quarterback Justin Lynch of Mount Carmel (11-0) has 1,995 total yards and 27 TDs. Two-way standout Kenenna Odeluga gives the Caravan another productive option in the ground game. Austin Mariel-Haywood and Lance Swain have combined for 180 tackles to spark the Mount Carmel defense.

Class 8A: No. 4 Warren at No. 9 Bolingbrook, 3 p.m. Friday

Warren (11-0) just keeps rolling on behind a defense that has allowed only 34 points, including no more than seven to any opponent. Linemen Willis Singleton (Iowa State) and Seamus Mellican, linebacker Juan Delacruz and cornerback Josh Turner are three-year starters who will be playing in their eighth postseason game. Bolingbrook (8-3), one of three SouthWest Suburban Blue teams in the 8A quarterfinals, had a big game last week from senior wide receiver Antonio King, who scored two touchdowns off direct snaps. The Raiders have gone to overtime twice in their past three games, losing to Andrew and beating Oswego.

Class 8A: No. 6 Homewood-Flossmoor at No. 1 Lincoln-Way East, 1 p.m. Saturday

H-F (10-1) is 29-5 since the start of the 2017 season, but 0-3 vs. East (11-0), including a 28-14 loss in Week 5. Players to watch for H-F include Sean Allen, who ran for 333 yards and four TDs against Neuqua Valley last week; Oregon-bound lineman Marcus Harper; three-year starting quarterback Dominick Jones; and junior receiver Will Pauling, who has an offer from Cincinnati. Lincoln-Way East built a 23-0 halftime lead before coasting home to a 23-13 win over Notre Dame last week. Consensus state No. 1 senior AJ Henning (Michigan) leads the offense, while linemen Sean McLaughlin (Northwestern) and Adrian Wilson (Bowling Green) pace the defense.

Class 7A: No. 11 Batavia at No. 3 Nazareth, 1 p.m. Saturday

This is the teams’ second playoff meeting in two years; Nazareth won 47-28 in the semifinals last season en route to the 7A title. Batavia (9-2) has been stingy against the run, allowing just 75 yards a game. The Bulldogs also have been effective with their own ground game, led by Art Taylor with 1,259 yards and 13 TDs. Receiver Trey Urwiler is another impact player on offense with 47 catches for 788 yards. Nazareth (11-0) has the state’s top junior, Michigan-bound quarterback JJ McCarthy, and some talented receivers, including four-star sophomore Tyler Morris.

Class 5A: No. 16 St. Rita at No. 10 Hillcrest, 3 p.m. Saturday

Two of the state’s top young running backs are the star attraction here. For St. Rita (8-3), sophomore Kaleb Brown has offers from Notre Dame and four Big Ten schools: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota. Junior Mar’Keise Irving of Hillcrest (10-1) has 16 offers, including Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Purdue and Wisconsin. Hillcrest is seeking the second semifinal berth in program history; the first was last year. St. Rita aims to return to the semis for the first time since 2011.