Hinsdale Central opens the Class 8A playoffs at home Friday, Oct. 23, after winning four of its last five games heading into an opening-round matchup against Lake Park.

Kickoff is 7 p.m. at Hinsdale Central. The No. 17-seeded Red Devils (6-3) face the No. 48 Lancers (2-7) in what Shaw Local's Joshua Welge projects as a Hinsdale Central win.

The Red Devils bring firepower. Junior quarterback Beau Gatewood has thrown for 2,166 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions in his first season as starter, according to Shaw Local. Five receivers have at least 20 catches, led by senior James Skokna with 48 catches for 674 yards and seven touchdowns across eight games. George Zilliox (30 catches, 339 yards, four touchdowns) and Beau Knapp (28 catches, 544 yards, six touchdowns) round out the top targets.

Skokna, the youngest of 10 siblings, is on pace to break every Hinsdale Central receiving record. He had 53 catches for 770 yards last season.

"He's not flashy about it. He just goes out there, does the work, gets the hard yards and the big plays," head coach Brian Griffin told Shaw Local in a September feature on Skokna. "Whatever the team needs."

On defense, senior end Tommy Riordan anchors the front. The Iowa recruit has 39 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and seven sacks this season. John Breton adds 10 tackles for loss and six sacks. Safety Henry Kohn leads the team with 54 tackles.

Lake Park enters as a heavy underdog but earned its spot through schedule strength. The Lancers accumulated 50 playoff points as all eight DuKane Conference teams qualified for the postseason. Their two wins came against St. Charles East and Glenbard South.

Senior quarterback Tay Smith is the Lancers' triple threat. He has thrown for 1,357 yards with six touchdowns and eight interceptions, rushed for 500 yards and five touchdowns and also punts, according to Shaw Local. Receiver TJ Ogunribido has 42 catches for 535 yards and five touchdowns.

This is Lake Park's first playoff appearance since 2017. The program's last playoff win came in 2009.

Hinsdale Central closed the regular season with a 21-19 win over Oak Park-River Forest on Oct. 16, recording six regular-season wins for the second straight year. The Red Devils lost in the second round of last year's 8A playoffs to Maine South, 33-29.

The winner travels to No. 16 Von Steuben (7-1) in the first round.