In the IHSA expanded playoff system’s inaugural season, all 11 teams playing varsity football in the TRAC enter the final week of the regular season with, for the first time, at least a minuscule chance of qualifying for the postseason.
Nine teams (Riverdale, Rockridge, Erie-Prophetstown, Kewanee, Newman, Princeton, Monmouth-Roseville, Orion, and Mendota) have already clinched their spots in the 384-team field. Mercer County, which is picking up its second win with a forfeit over Sherrard this week, is currently being projected by Friday Night Drive’s Steve Soucie and NUIC Football’s Kyle Kampier as the final team in the postseason field. Hall, which enters Week 9 with one win, would need an upset and a ton of help to have a shot at qualifying.
WRMJ’s IHSA football playoff coverage on Saturday (available live on 102.3 FM, wrmj.com, or the free WRMJ Studios app)
9 a.m.: Sportsline with special guest Steve Soucie of Friday Night Drive, who will provide us with the latest bracket projections following Friday night’s games
8 p.m.: Pigskin Playoff Preview, with the bracket reveal in the 9 p.m. hour, breakdowns of the small school brackets, and interviews with local coaches. Confirmed guests include Rockridge’s Sam Graves, Orion’s Matt McClean, Riverdale’s Guy Dierikx, El Paso-Gridley’s Tanner Benedict, Fulton’s Pat Lower, and more.
WRMJ’s Ty Taylor and Jim Taylor are joined by View from the West Podcast co-hosts Greg Armstrong and Mitch Stoermer, Matt Randazzo, and Brian Stocking to preview and predict this week’s action.
Standings after Week 8
| Place | Picker | Record |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Dazzo | 36-9 |
| T1 | Ty | 36-9 |
| T3 | Mitch | 34-11 |
| T3 | Greg | 34-11 |
| 5 | Stocking | 33-12 |
| 6 | Jim | 32-13 |
Game of the Week: Riverdale (8-0, 5-0 TRAC Rock) @ Kewanee (5-3, 4-0 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
The two divisional winners meet in a de facto TRAC championship to close the regular season this week.
Riverdale is looking to complete its first undefeated regular season in school history after clinching the outright Rock Division title in a 37-6 win over Erie-Prophetstown last week. The Rams dominated in the win, leading 23-0 at halftime and 30-0 at the end of the third quarter. Lucas Dunbar rushed for 177 yards and three TDs, while Abram Krier added 122 yards on the ground and two scores. The Rams have likely already locked up an opening-round bye in the 2A playoffs regardless of their result against Kewanee, but a win and some help from around the state could place Riverdale as the No. 1 seed in the 2A north bracket on Saturday night.
Kewanee punctuated its run to a Mississippi Division championship with a 40-0 win over Monmouth-Roseville last week. The Boilermakers raced out to a 20-0 lead at halftime and continued to pull away in the second half. Ace LaFollete rushed for four TDs in the win. Lain Taylor added a pair of TDs on the ground for the Boilermakers. Kewanee has already locked up a playoff spot and is expected to be part of the Class 3A opening round next week.
Picks
Ty: Riverdale
Jim: Kewanee
Greg: Riverdale
Mitch: Riverdale
Dazzo: Riverdale
Stocking: Riverdale
Rockridge (7-1, 4-1 TRAC Rock) @ Princeton (4-4, 3-1 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Rockridge and Princeton are both hoping to improve their playoff positioning in a Week 9 showdown.
Rockridge outgunned Newman 46-30 last week to pick up its seventh win of the season. Thomas Sowards had a huge night for the Rockets, rushing for 281 yards and five TDs in the win. Cullen Schwigen also threw two TD passes to Wyatt Osborn in the win for Rockridge. With a win, Rockridge would almost certainly be awarded a bye in the opening round of the playoffs. The bigger story to follow for Rockridge on Saturday night is whether the Rockets are in the 1A/2A field. Currently, Rockridge projects to be right on the 1A/2A cutoff line with a classification enrollment of 305 this season.
Princeton rolled to a 57-0 win over Hall last week. The Tigers have won back-to-back games over Hall and Mednota by a combined score of 120-12 the last two weeks. Reece Pearson rushed for 167 yards and four TDs to pace the Tigers offense in Week 8. Lane Goskusky, Brennen Emmett, Konner Cain, and Bryce Brandt also pitched in with rushing TDs for Princeton. The Tigers will be part of the Class 3A opening round next week.
Picks
Ty: Rockridge
Jim: Rockridge
Greg: Rockridge
Mitch: Rockridge
Dazzo: Rockridge
Stocking: Rockridge
Orion (3-5, 1-4 TRAC Rock) @ Monmouth-Roseville (4-4, 2-2 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Orion and Monmouth-Roseville are hoping for a Week 9 result that will give themselves a more favorable postseason draw.
Orion clinched its first postseason berth since 2019 with a 37-29 win over Mercer County last week. The Chargers erased a 13-0 deficit with two TD passes in the final 2:15 of the first half to tie the game 13-13 at the break. Sophomore quarterback Blake Arnold completed 16-0f-22 passes for 287 yards and four TDs. His older brother, Charley Arnold, caught six of those passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Jackson Noyd also racked up 75 yards recieving and a TD in the win. The Chargers will be in the opening round of the Class 1A playoffs next week.
Monmouth-Roseville fell to Kewanee 40-0 last week. The Titans were limited to 194 yards of total offense in the loss. Landon Montroy shouldered most of Monmouth-Roseville’s offensive production with 97 rushing yards in the loss. The Titans, safely 3A, will compete in the opening round of the postseason next week.
Picks
Ty: Orion
Jim: Orion
Greg: Monmouth-Roseville
Mitch: Orion
Dazzo: Monmouth-Roseville
Stocking: Monmouth-Roseville
Erie-Prophetstown (6-2, 3-2 TRAC Rock) @ Hall (1-7, 0-4 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Erie-Prophetstown is looking to rebound from a loss last week and give itself a chance for an opening round bye, while Hall will close its 2026 season in Week 9.
Erie-Prophetstown came up short in a 37-6 loss to Riverdale last week. The Panthers dug themselves into a 23-0 hole at halftime and watched the deficit grow to 30-0 at the end of the third quarter. Erie-Prophetstown’s lone scoring play came on a 9-yard TD pass from Evan Steimle to Lane Decker early in the fourth quarter. Steimle accounted for 106 yards of total offense in the loss. A win for the Panthers this week would put them in a good spot for a bye in the opening round of the 2A playoffs.
Hall took a 57-0 loss on the road to Princeton last week. The Red Devils allowed 416 rushing yards in the loss. With a 1-7 record and a maximum of 40 playoff points after Week 9, even with an upset win over Erie-Prophetstown, Hall is extremely unlikely to be a two-win postseason qualifier.
Picks
Ty: Erie-Prophetstown
Jim: Erie-Prophetstown
Greg: Erie-Prophetstown
Mitch: Erie-Prophetstown
Dazzo: Erie-Prophetstown
Stocking: Erie-Prophetstown
Newman (4-4, 2-3 TRAC Rock) @ Mendota (3-5, 1-3 TRAC Mississippi) – Friday 7 p.m.
Newman and Mendota, both already playoff-bound, wrap up the regular season with a chance to improve their postseason seeding this week.
Newman dropped a 46-30 decision to Rockridge in Week 8. The Comets allowed more than 28 points to their opponent for the first time all season last week. Rylan Alvarado rushed for 129 yards and two TDs in the loss for Newman. The Comets look to be locked into the Class 1A playoff field and will take part in the opening round next week.
Mendota punched its first ticket to the playoffs since 2021 by taking a forfeit win over Sherrard last week. The Trojans project to be competing in the opening round of the Class 3A playoffs next week.
Picks
Ty: Newman
Jim: Newman
Greg: Newman
Mitch: Newman
Dazzo: Newman
Stocking: Newman
WRMJ’s coverage of the TRAC is powered by…
- Midwest Bank, with locations that include Aledo, Andalusia, Monmouth, and Moline
- Local COUNTRY Financial representatives Jason Potter, and John Waugh in Aledo, Brent Bigham in Edgington, and Julie Hessler in Orion.
- Breedlove’s Sporting Goods in Kewanee