WRMJ IHSA First Round TRAC Football Preview & Picks With View From The West

Playoff football is here.

Six teams from the Three Rivers Athletic Conference (TRAC) are in the postseason. Rockridge, Riverdale, Newman and Erie-Prophetstown are in the 2A field, while Monmouth-Roseville and Princeton are representing the league in Class 3A.

WRMJ’s Ty Taylor is joined by Greg Armstrong and Mitch Stoermer from View from the West Podcast to preview and predict this week’s action. More importantly than the action on the field this week, our three brave predictors are tied heading into Week 8.

Standings after Week 9

Place	Picker	Record
1	Ty	46-7
T2	Mitch	45-8
T2	Greg	45-8

2A First Round – No. 16 Illini West (5-4) @ No. 1 Rockridge (9-0) – Saturday 1 p.m.

Preview

The 1-16 matchup in 2A North features Rockridge hosting Illini West.

Rockridge ran the table in the regular season, punctuated by the program’s third TRAC Rock championship in the past four years. The Rockets’ most notable wins came in Week 2 over Princeton, Week 5 against Newman, and Week 8 over Monmouth-Roseville. Rockridge’s offense, which averages 43.5 points per game entering the postseason, is led by junior quarterback Cullen Schwigen’s 36 TDs, 1,442 passing yards and 618 rushing yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the Rockets have allowed just 14.6 points per game. Rockridge has won eight of its last 10 first-round playoff games, dating back to 2013. The Rockets, ranked No. 1 in the final 2A AP Poll, have been eliminated in the second round the past two seasons and were a quarterfinalist in 2022.

Illini West is back in the playoffs for the second straight year after winning its final three games of the regular season to qualify. Following a 2-4 start to the season, the Chargers rattled off wins over Bureau Valley, United and Elwmood-Brimfield to reach the five-win mark. Prior to 2024, Illini West had last made the playoffs in 2018. The Chargers rely on a run-heavy attack, led by senior running back Isaaiah Knotts, who has rushed for 1,360 yards and 16 TDs this season. Illini West, representing the Lincoln Land Conference, went 0-4 against playoff teams in the regular season, and the combined record of the teams it beat is 8-37.

Picks

Ty: Rockridge

Greg: Rockridge

Mitch: Rockridge

2A First Round – No. 13 Riverdale (6-3) @ No. 4 Seneca (9-0) – Saturday 1 p.m.

Preview

The 4-13 first-round matchup in the 2A North has Riverdale traveling to Seneca.

Riverdale is playing in the postseason for the first time since 2011, just three seasons after canceling its 2022 varsity campaign. Sitting at 4-3 entering Week 8, the Rams defeated Hall and Sherrard in the final two weeks of the regular season to punch their playoff ticket. Riverdale’s senior running back duo of Gaege Heinsen (963 rushing yards, seven TDs) and Caen Becket (807 rushing yards, 389 receiving yards, 20 TDs) has paced the offense all season long. The Rams went 0-3 against playoff teams and 6-0 against non-playoff teams this year. Riverdale has just two playoff wins in school history and is looking for its first postseason win since 2001.

2025 marks the fourth straight playoff appearance for Seneca. The Fighting Irish won the Chicagoland Prairie Conference and have lost just three regular-season games in the past four years. Seneca opened the season with a 47-6 dismantling of Chicago Christian, the defending 2A state champions and beat three playoff teams throughout the year – Dwight (1A), Ottawa Marquette (1A), and, most notably, a 39-36 victory of St. Joseph-Ogden (3A). The Fighting Irish have won playoff games each of the last three seasons and advanced to the quarterfinals in 2023.

Picks

Ty: Seneca

Greg: Seneca

Mitch: Seneca

2A First Round – No. 10 Ridgeview-Lexington (7-2) @ No. 7 Newman (7-2) – Saturday 1 p.m.

Preview

The 7-10 game in 2A North has Newman hosting Ridgeview-Lexington on Saturday afternoon.

Newman will look to get things back on track following a 40-7 loss to Monmouth-Roseville to close the regular season. The Comets’ other loss this year came at Rockridge back in Week 5. Newman, ranked No. 8 in 2A, holds wins over three playoff teams – Princeton, Riverdale and Erie-Prophetstown. Newman’s balanced offensive attack is led by senior quarterback Evan Bushman (1,383 passing yards, 18 TDs, three interceptions) and junior running back Matthew Blackert (721 rushing yards, nine TDs). Defensively, the Comets have allowed 19.8 points per game and have held opponents to 14 points or less five times. This is Newman’s 24th consecutive playoff appearance after a second-round exit in 1A last year.

Ridgeview-Lexington is back in the postseason field for the first time in three years after a 7-2 regular season. The Mustangs started the season 7-0, but have dropped back-to-back games to Deer Creek-Mackinaw and Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley coming into the playoffs. Ridgeview-Lexington has one win over a playoff team – 14-0 over Heyworth in Week 2. The Mustangs have put up impressive defensive numbers this season, allowing just 13.8 points per game. Ridgeview-Lexington’s defense has pitched two shutouts and held its opponent in the single digits six times. The Mustangs went 2-7 the past two seasons, but made a run to the 1A semifinals in 2022.

Picks

Ty: Newman

Greg: Newman

Mitch: Newman

3A First Round – No. 13 Princeton (6-3) @ No. 4 Bloomington Central Catholic (9-0) – Saturday 1 p.m.

Preview

The 4-13 matchup in 3A North is Princeton playing at Bloomington Central Catholic.

Princeton won its final four games of the regular season to qualify for the playoffs after starting the year 2-3. The Tigers are appearing in the 3A playoffs for the seventh straight season and are riding a streak of five consecutive quarterfinal appearances, which includes a run to the semifinals in 2019. Princeton’s three losses came to 2A No. 8 Newman in Week 1, 2A No. 1 Rockridge in Week 2, and Monmouth-Roseville in Week 5. The Tigers are led offensively by their senior backfield duo of running back Casey Etheridge (1,370 rushing yards, 21 TDs) and quarterback Gavin Lanham (525 rushing yards, four TDs).

Bloomington Central Catholic ran the table in the regular season on its way to a conference championship in the always-tough Illini Prairie Conference. The Saints, ranked No. 2 in the final 3A AP poll, picked up notable wins over 3A No. 8 Tolono Unity, Monticello and St. Joseph-Ogden. Bloomington Central Catholic is in the playoffs for the fourth straight year, but is a part of the 3A field for the first time since 2017. The Saints have been in the 2A playoffs the past three seasons, where they lost to Tri-Valley in the first round last year, were eliminated by Maroa-Forsyth in the quarterfinals in 2023, and were bounced by Rockridge in the second round in 2022. Bloomington Central Catholic junior quarterback and linebacker Matthew Brady has received Division I offers from Illinois State, Miami (OH) and Toledo.

Picks

Ty: Bloomington Central Catholic

Greg: Bloomington Central Catholic

Mitch: Bloomington Central Catholic

2A First Round – No. 11 Erie-Prophetstown (6-3) @ No. 6 Aurora Christian (7-2) – Saturday 4 p.m.

Preview

The 6-11 game in 2A North pits Erie-Prophetstown against Aurora Christian.

Erie-Prophetstown is limping into the playoffs after suffering a 48-0 loss to Princeton in Week 9 in a game that the Panthers were missing five starters due to injury. The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for Erie-Prophetstown. Outside of Princeton, the Panthers were handed losses by 2A No. 1 Rockridge and 2A No. 8 Newman. The only playoff team that the Panthers beat this season was Riverdale. While Erie-Prophetstown will not be at full strength on Saturday, head coach Tyler Whitebread told WRMJ on our Pigskin Playoff Preview that he expects his team to get a few of the injured players back for the first round. 2025 is the second straight playoff appearance for Erie-Prophetstown. Last year in the first round, the Panthers, at 5-4, led undefeated Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin 6-0 at the end of the third quarter, but couldn’t hang on and fell 14-6 after allowing the game-winning TD with under a minute left in the fourth quarter.

Aurora Christian is making its eighth consecutive playoff appearance, but first in 2A since 2017. The Eagles have competed in the 1A field every year since. Aurora Christian plays in the Chicagoland Christian Conference, where its only losses of the season came to 3A No. 10 Hope Academy 61-44 in Week 4 and 3A No. 5 Bishop McNamara 45-42 in Week 5. The Eagles have scored 40+ points in seven games and average 43.3 points per game. Aurora Christian was knocked out in the first round of the 1A playoffs last year by LeRoy.

Picks

Ty: Aurora Christian

Greg: Aurora Christian

Mitch: Aurora Christian

3A First Round – No. 12 Manteno (6-3) @ No. 5 Monmouth-Roseville (8-1) – Saturday 5 p.m.

Preview

The 5-12 matchup in the 3A North brackets features Monmouth-Roseville hosting Manteno.

Monmouth-Roseville is making its fifth straight 3A playoff appearance after an eight-win regular season that led the program to its second consecutive TRAC Mississippi championship. The Titans bounced back from their only loss, a 48-12 setback to 2A No. 1 Rockridge in Week 8, with a 40-7 blowout of 2A No. 8 Newman in Week 9. Monmouth-Roseville has amassed 3,131 rushing yards on the season, which is good for an eye-popping average of 347.9 rushing yards per game. The Titans have two players who have surpassed the 1,000-yard mark on the season – senior Nick Huston (1,354 carries, 18 TDs) and junior Landon Montroy (1,054 yards, 19 TDs). Monmouth-Roseville’s offense has scored 35+ points eight times and is averaging 41.5 points per game. The Titans were eliminated in the first round last season.

Manteno has qualified for the postseason in back-to-back years after a six-win regular season. The Panthers play in the Illinois Central Eight Conference, where their three losses came against 2A No. 2 Wilmington, 4A No. 9 Coal City, and Herscher. The only playoff qualifier that Manteno beat in the regular season was Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (1A), 35-13 in Week 7. The Panthers are making their 11th all-time playoff appearance, but are a part of the 3A field for the first time. Manteno’s 10 previous trips to the postseason were all in 4A. The Panthers were knocked out in the 4A first round last year.

Picks

Ty: Monmouth-Roseville

Greg: Monmouth-Roseville

Mitch: Monmouth-Roseville

WRMJ’s coverage of the TRAC is presented by: