Glenbard East takes the field for its eighth straight Illinois High School Association (IHSA) playoff appearance Friday, Oct. 23, hosting the Bartlett Hawks in a Class 7A opening-round game at 7 p.m. in Lombard.
The No. 17-seeded Rams (6-3) enter as heavy favorites against No. 48 Bartlett (2-7), which barely squeezed into the bracket as the last team in the 7A field, according to Shaw Local's playoff preview.
Glenbard East has been rolling since an 0-2 start. The Rams won six of their last seven regular-season games, capped by a 27-24 overtime victory over Upstate Eight West champion South Elgin on Oct. 17. In that game, Montii Perry intercepted South Elgin quarterback Oliver Johnston on the first play of overtime, and Moises Velazquez kicked a 23-yard field goal to seal it, the Daily Herald reported.
In coverage published in mid-October, coach John Walters said, "We've been in these spots before … And we're a winning program. Our guys believe in the process, and they believe what we're doing."
Perry is the Rams' engine on both sides of the ball. Through eight games, he rushed for 739 yards and 10 touchdowns at 8.7 yards per carry, per Shaw Local. Sophomore quarterback Carter Pohlman has thrown for 825 yards and nine touchdowns, with receiver Malachi Miller hauling in 32 catches for 398 yards and four scores. On defense, Asheco Triplett Jr. led the team with 61 tackles and nine tackles for loss through eight games.
Bartlett ended a four-year playoff drought by winning its final two regular-season games over Larkin and Streamwood. The Hawks' last playoff appearance came in 2021, and their last postseason win dates to 2012, Shaw Local reported. Sophomore running back Brayden Magsombol and sophomore quarterback Parker Mulhall each scored rushing touchdowns in Bartlett's 43-36 win over Streamwood.
The gap between the two programs shows in common opponents. South Elgin beat Bartlett 42-7 earlier this season. The Rams beat South Elgin in overtime.
Glenbard East's recent playoff history includes a quarterfinal appearance in 2023. The winner of Friday's game advances to play at No. 16 Kenwood (6-3) in the second round.
