IHSA Football Playoff Brackets Released, Niles West To Face Huntley

SKOKIE, IL — High school football playoffs in Illinois begin this week, and this year Niles West High School has qualified for the 32-team knockout tournament.

On Monday, the Illinois High School Association, or IHSA, released the dates and game times for the first round in each of the sport's eight classes, having unveiled the pairings over the weekend.

The Niles West Wolves (6-3) are seeded No. 26 in the Class 8A tournament, setting up a first-round matchup with No. 8 Huntley High School (8-1). The Huntley Red Raiders are set to host the Wolves at 7 p.m. Friday.

The higher seeded team always hosts in the first round of the 32-team knockout tournament. After that, the games are played at the field of whichever team has hosted fewer games. If both teams have had the same number of home games, the team with the higher seed hosts.

This year marks the first winning season for for third-year head coach Nick Torresso, who took over following a four-year period during which his predecessors had managed just two wins.

If Niles West comes out on top over Huntley, they are set to play the winner of the game between Joliet West High School (8-1) and St. Ignatius (6-3) of Chicago.

If the Wolves win in the second round, their quarterfinal opponent would be either top-ranked Loyola Academy (9-0), Palatine High School (6-3), Neuqua Valley High School (6-3) of Naperville or Plainfield North High School (4-5).

See the full Class 8A bracket below, or check out all classes and matchups via the IHSA website.