Oswego and Batavia are the picks to click for the state semifinals.
Lockport (9-3) at Oswego (10-2)
Kickoff: 5 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: They’re two of a kind.
Two-way senior starters — Oswego cornerback/receiver Mariano Velasco and Lockport safety/receiver Colton Benaitis — lead their respective teams into this Class 8A semifinal matchup.
Safe to say the 6-foot, 180-pound Velasco, who has scored touchdowns on pass receptions, interception returns and kickoff returns, can pretty much do it all. He’s caught 27 passes for 692 yards, made 35 tackles, intercepted six passes and forced a fumble.
“What doesn’t show is his physicality,” Oswego coach Brian Cooney said. “He’s popped people.”
Oswego’s Teddy Manikas (1) and Mariano Velasco (10) celebrate a TD against Lane Tech during a Class 8A second-round playoff game at Lane Stadium in Chicago on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. (Talia Sprague / The Beacon-News)
Velasco caught two TD passes last week and returned an interception for another TD as the Panthers rallied to beat Maine South 24-21.
The Porters were 1-3 when Benaitis returned from a broken collarbone and have now won nine straight behind the Central Michigan recruit. His interception last week set up a TD and sparked he Porters to a 35-0 win over Barrington.
“We’re undefeated with him on the field,” Lockport coach George Czart said. “He plays offense, defense, special teams. He could be our long snapper if we needed him. He can do it all.”
Senior quarterback Brendan Mecher is a dual-threat player who led the Porters to a Southwest Valley Blue title.
Junior quarterback Drew Kleinhans, who has completed 60% of his passes and thrown for 1,610 yards, relies on his arm but has shown that he can also run the ball during this playoff run.
Oswego is making its first semifinal appearance since winning the Class 7A state title in 2003. That same year, Lockport repeated as the Class 8A champ. The Porters won again in 2021 but didn’t make the playoffs last season.
X-factor: Gianni Casurella, Oswego, senior, defensive tackle.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Oswego.
Batavia quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren (8) throws a pass against South Elgin during a nonconference game in South Elgin on Friday, Sept. 5, 2025. (Mark Black / The Beacon-News)
Batavia (10-2) at St. Rita (8-4)
Kickoff: 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matchup breakdown: Here they go again.
With this Class 7A matchup, the 13th-seeded Bulldogs have reached the semifinals of the playoffs for a fourth straight season, looking to reach the state championship game for the third time in four years.
It won’t be as easy as things might appear. St. Rita, the 25th seed, squeaked into the playoffs, but heading into the first round, the Daily Southtown was on the money, predicting “the Mustangs could be the most dangerous 5-4 team in the state.”
St. Rita’s losses have come against Mount Carmel, Brother Rice, St. Francis and Nazareth in a powerhouse schedule.
The Mustangs went to the road and beat Rockford Guilford 30-20 in the first round, slipped past Lincoln-Way Central 31-28 and then last week topped Hersey in a barnburner 56-42 for a 117-90 overall scoring edge in the postseason.
Batavia got here with a 56-0 rout of Hoffman Estates, doubling up Glenbard East 42-21 and then topping Glenbard North 42-27 for a 140-48 scoring advantage in the playoffs.
Senior quarterback Steven Armbruster has completed 57% of his passes (102 of 180) for 1,317 yards with 12 TDs and five interceptions for St. Rita. He’s playing his best football of the season.
Senior receiver Walter Jones, who contributed TD receptions of 62 and 79 yards last week, has pulled in 29 passes for 569 yards, averaging 19.6 a catch.
Junior running back Brandon Johnson Jr. leads St. Rita;s ground game, averaging 6.0 yards a carry with 1,036 yards and 19 TDs.
Batavia’s Brett Berggren (11) pulls in a pass for a TD against Glenbard North in the second quarter of a Class 7A state quarterfinal game in Batavia on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. (H. Rick Bamman / The Beacon-News)
Batavia counters with strong-armed junior quarterback Michael Vander Luitgaren, who has been here before after leading the Bulldogs to last year’s Class 7A championship game.
This season, Vander Luitgaren has completed 67% of his passes (169 of 252) for 2,412 yards with 29 TDs and just three interceptions.
His favorite targets are senior receiver Brett Berggren with 53 catches for 841 yards and junior receiver Darin Ashiru with 50 catches for 736 yards.
Senior running backs Henry Hahn and Preston Brummel lead the ground game with 780 and 732 yards, respectively.
X-factor: Gavin Pecor, Batavia, senior, defensive lineman.
Rick Armstrong’s prediction: Batavia.
