Gates open at 1:30 p.m. for the third round of Class 7A football playoffs.

Buy tickets for $7.00 or watch online on the NFHS Network. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. A student fan bus will leave the fieldhouse parking lot at noon on Saturday.

Hononegah (11-0) play against Chicago St. Rita (9-2) on Saturday, after Hononegah won the regional match against Pekin, their first such victory since 1996. 

St. Rita's potential forces include promising sophomore running back Ethan Middleton and Kaleb Brown, the future Ohio State receiver who is back in uniform just in time for the playoffs. So is running back Kyle Clayton, who was on the injured list for four games.

Hononegah's potential forces include all-conference defensive tackle Aiden Peters, senior running back Stuart Hale, senior quarterback Isaac Whisenand and a commitment to the basics, well-played. And they are very big, with an offensive line averaging 300 pounds. And they have the only undefeated record in the Class 7A  playoffs.