Hinsdale Central football heads to Chicago for a Halloween playoff game.
The No. 17 Red Devils (7-3) will face No. 16 Von Steuben at noon Saturday, Oct. 31, at Winnemac Stadium, the program announced on X. The Class 8A second-round matchup comes after Hinsdale Central routed Lake Park 41-19 in the opening round on Friday, Oct. 23.
Von Steuben (7-1) earned an opening-round bye as a top-16 seed in the IHSA bracket, according to Shaw Local. The Panthers will be playing their first postseason game of 2026.
Hinsdale Central is riding momentum into the trip. Senior wide receiver James Skokna hauled in 12 receptions for 188 yards and three touchdowns against Lake Park, Shaw Local reported. Junior quarterback Beau Gatewood completed 22 of 33 passes for 314 yards and five touchdowns.
Skokna, the seventh and last of his brothers to play football at Hinsdale Central, told Shaw Local after the win: "I love football, I started playing before first grade. I grew up watching my brothers play here and I dreamed of playing here too."
The Red Devils' defense delivered, too. Charlie Miller recorded three sacks. Owen Sunderson grabbed an interception, blocked an extra point and ran in a two-point conversion. Kicker Orestas Bockus added a pair of 38-yard field goals.
Head coach Brian Griffin told Shaw Local the opening-round performance was one of the team's most complete efforts across all three phases. His squad played eight playoff teams during the regular season.
Entering the playoffs, Skokna had 48 catches for 674 yards and seven touchdowns through eight regular-season games, according to Shaw Local's pre-playoff preview. Gatewood had thrown for more than 2,166 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions in his first year as starter.
The winner Saturday advances in the Class 8A bracket. Kickoff is at noon at Winnemac Stadium in Chicago.
