Previews of the top high school football second-round state playoff games

Class 8A: No. 14 Notre Dame at No. 1 Lincoln-Way East 1 p.m. Saturday

After having one of the most dominant seasons in history come to a stunning end with a semifinal loss to Loyola laast year, Lincoln-Way East (10-0) has been on a mission. The Griffins have the state’s consensus No. 1 senior in versatile Michigan recruit AJ Henning, who can line up at receiver, running back or Wildcat quarterback. Division I ends Sean McLaughlin (Northwestern) and Adrian Wilson (Bowling Green) anchor the defense, and Dominic Dzioban (MIami, Ohio) is an elite kicker. Notre Dame (8-2) ended the regular season with shutout losses to Nazareth and St. Rita, but got its mojo back last week when sparkplug back Julian Schurr returned from an injury layoff.

Class 8A: No. 4 Glenbard West at No. 7 Loyola 1 p.m. Saturday

Glenbard West (10-0) has been tested only once all season, in a 20-17 overtime victory against Hinsdale Central in Week 8. Otherwise, the Hilltoppers have overwhelmed the opposition to the tune of a 462-69 scoring margin. Three-star uncommitted linebacker Grayson Metz leads the defense and a deep stable of running backs has kept the offense rolling. Loyola (7-3) had some ups and downs in the regular season, but won the state’s toughest first-round matchup, 14-6 over Maine South last week. Running back Vaughn Pemberton, who has a unique blend of speed and power, missed that game with an injury.

Class 8A: No. 5 Neuqua Valley at No. 8 Homewood-Flossmoor 6 p.m. Saturday

Neuqua Valley (9-1), whose only loss was 50-48 to East St. Louis, has one of the season’s breakout stars in senior Mark Gronowski. The dual-threat quarterback committed to South Dakota State has taken full advantage of his new-found freedom to run, and it’s helped the Wildcats average 36 points a game. H-F (9-1) has an offense led by Oregon-bound lineman Marcus Harper and three-year starting quarterback Dominick Jones.

Class 6A: No. 12 Simeon at No. 22 Prairie Ridge 1 p.m. Saturday

It’s been a strange season for Simeon (7-1), which had a 14-day layoff between its first and second games and an 18-day break before last week’s 34-3 playoff win against Lakes. The Wolverines had a Week 2 game fall through, won an appeal for a waiver of an IHSA rule requiring playoff teams to play eight regular-season games and then squeezed in the necessary three practices just in time to salvage their postseason. Running back/defensive back Chau Smith, the Public League’s top uncommitted senior, has been a rock on both sides of the ball. Prairie Ridge (9-1), which won back-to-back 6A titles in 2016 and ‘17, has lost leading rusher Carter Evans for the season with a broken fibula.

Class 6A: Peoria at No. 16 Richards 7 p.m. Friday

Peoria (9-1), which set state records for points (806) and scoring average (57.5) in 2016, is at it again. The Lions are averaging 56 points this year, including 96 against Champaign Centennial in Week 1 and 78 in a 20-point win over Shepardf last week. Richards (9-1) got a boost with the return from injury of running back Leshon Williams. The Iowa recruit ran for three touchdowns in last week’s 20-16 win over downstate Washington.