Stevenson
First-round matchup: Friday vs. 24th-seeded Huntley in Class 8A.
Record: 8-1 (7-0 North Suburban).
Best win: 17-14 at Lake Zurich on Oct. 7. Jack Worwa drilled a 29-yard field goal on the final play of the game that handed the Patriots first place in the NSC. The game-winner capped an 11-play, 69-yard drive with just over a minute to play.
Offensive MVP: Senior quarterback Aidan O’Connell passed for 24 touchdowns and threw for nearly 2,500 yards for an elite offense that averaged 36 points a game and scored more than 40 in four different games.
Defensive MVP: Junior middle linebacker Sam Marks is the leading tackler and centerpiece of the Patriots’ physical and athletic 3-5 formation that caused havoc for opposing offenses.
Scouting report: “Offensively, they are very talented,” Mundelein coach Larry Calhoun said. “Their passing game is great. They have a lot of people they can go to. It’s not as though they are one-dimensional. Their running game has added some things with the jet motion look that is a bit different than what most teams run. They hit the ground, and at the snap they are running full speed.” — Patrick Z. McGavin
