Catholic Teams Dominate Cook County Playoff Night

Cook County high schools competed in the second round of the 2026 Illinois High School Association football playoffs on Saturday. Catholic programs in every weight class from 3A to 8A won their games. The results sent multiple local teams to the quarterfinal round scheduled for the following week.

In Class 8A, Mount Carmel traveled to Chicago to defeat Barrington 56-0. Brady Cloherty threw six touchdown passes and rushed for another score. He finished with 179 passing yards and 33 rushing yards. The Caravan advanced after closing their season with a 9-2 record. Loyola also played at Wilmette and blanked York 42-0. Melo Maldonado rushed for two touchdowns while Matthew Lee connected with Charlie Fowler on long passes. St. Ignatius hosted Maine South at Park Ridge and won 35-21. Nino Capuano rushed for 271 yards and three touchdowns for the Wolfpack.

Brother Rice defeated Batavia 49-6 in a Class 7A contest in Chicago. Sam Holcomb threw for two touchdowns while Jameson Davis and Decatur Washington each rushed for two scores. The Crusaders improved to 9-2. In another 7A game, Lincoln-Way West lost 21-14 to St. Laurence in overtime in Burbank. Dave Campbell and Noah Taylor rushed for the deciding scores for the Vikings. East St. Louis dominated St. Patrick 72-12 in a blowout loss for the Shamrocks.

Class 6A featured strong performances from Niles Notre Dame and Nazareth. Niles Notre Dame beat Libertyville 48-29 in Libertyville. Eric Couper threw two touchdown passes to Peter Panagiotopoulos. Deonte Macon added two rushing scores. Fenwick defeated Hononegah 38-13 in Rockton. Myles Hill completed 18 of 23 passes for 340 yards. He threw three touchdown passes to Jake Thies. Nazareth beat Simeon 49-6 in La Grange Park. J.J. Chapman threw for two touchdowns and Jack Parisi rushed for two more.

In Class 5A, St. Francis defeated Woodstock 14-42 at Wheaton. Tivias Caldwell Jr. rushed for three touchdowns. Jadon Wilson threw two first-quarter touchdown passes. Providence won a close 42-34 decision against Morgan Park in Chicago. Broden Mackert rushed for 165 yards and three touchdowns. Isaac Patton returned a fumble 65 yards for a score to seal the victory for the Celtics.

Class 4A and 3A rounds featured dominant defensive efforts. Morris lost 41-7 to Montini in Morris. Israel Abrams threw for 183 yards for the Broncos. IC Catholic Prep defeated Johnsburg 42-7 at Elmhurst. Jake Yost started at quarterback and threw for 180 yards and three touchdowns. Jakobe Baldwin rushed for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Knights advanced to the quarterfinals with their third win of the postseason.

All winning teams will return to the field next weekend. The quarterfinal round continues the state playoff bracket for Cook County schools. Players from the winning rosters will compete for advancement to the regional semifinals.