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Five Players To Watch in the 2nd Round

St. Rita running back Jahwon Akui at Marian Catholic in Class 7A at 7 p.m. on Friday: Jahwon Akui has been out the past three weeks nursing an injured ankle. He's expected to return to action on Friday. He was the area's leading running back before the injury and will likely look to make up for missed time. In his seven games this season, he rushed for 1,386 yards and 25 touchdowns.

Lake Zurich running back Jacob Brinlee vs. Crystal Lake South in Class 7A at 1 p.m. on Saturday: Jacob Brinlee is an elusive running back. Rolling Meadows thought it had him contained a number of times last week, only to find him maneuvering around tacklers and into open space. He had 218 yards against the Mustangs. For the season, he's rushed for 1,393 yards. Eight of his 21 touchdowns have been the 50-plus-yard variety. Crystal Lake South coach James Stuglis said, "Brinlee is one of the best backs we have played against in the last five years."

Morgan Park quarterback DaRon Brown at Lemont in Class 6A at 6 p.m. on Saturday: DaRon Brown is one of the area's most athletic quarterbacks. He can make an opponent pay in a variety of ways. Last week against Quincy, he rushed for 145 yards, which included an 82-yard touchdown. If the Mustangs are to pull off the win at Lemont, he'll need to have a big game.

Joliet Catholic running back Josh Ferguson at Cahokia in Class 5A at 2 p.m. on Saturday: Josh Ferguson has been one of the area's leading rushers all season, but hasn't received as much publicity as some guys. He is just as good. Last week, he rushed nine times for 214 yards in Joliet Catholic's 48-7 win over Triad. He could be the key for the Hilltoppers to have an enjoyable long ride home from Cahokia.

Johnsburg tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz vs. Herscher in Class 4A at 1 p.m. on Saturday: Johnsburg was fighting just to get into the playoffs late in the season, and the Skyhawks are now on the verge of reaching the quarterfinals. C.J. Fiedorowicz, who is considered one of the nation's top tight ends, has been a major reason for Johnsburg's success. For the team to take one more step, it'll need one more memorable game from him.

Five games to watch in the 2nd round

Stevenson (10-0) vs. Mount Carmel (7-3) at Gately in Class 8A at 7 p.m. on Friday: This has the makings of a classic. Both are established programs. Both have historic coaches. Both have strong running games and respectable passing attacks.

"They are athletic and have some good team speed," Mount Carmel coach Frank Lenti said. "The two running backs [Mark Weisman and Matt Harris] are tough, and they run hard. They have some great talent on the perimeter with receivers. Defensively, they play hard and have the potential to stop drives. We know they are 10-0 for a reason."

Stevenson coach Bill Mitz said, "They run the option very well. Defensively, they look physical and quick. It is a great match up. It's a chance for us to get some respect." ESPN 1000's GameNight will be in attendance.

Naperville Central (8-2) at Marist (8-2) in Class 8A at 7 p.m. on Saturday: This is a matchup of two of the area's top quarterbacks with Naperville Central's Nick Linne and Marist's Mike Perish.

Linne is headed to play baseball next season at Northwestern, but very well could have been a Division I quarterback.

"Nick is a coach's dream," Naperville Central coach Mike Stine said. "He is a fantastic leader. He seems to never get rattled. He has the ability to make plays with his head, arm or with his legs. He is the engine that makes our offense go. We trust him with making the proper checks and calls during the game. He makes all the players around him better. He is not afraid to have the ball in his hands when the game is on the line."

Marist coach Pat Dunne said, "I really believe [Perish] is the overall package. He has all those intangibles. He's a remarkable quarterback, but he's a better person."

Perish is headed to Western Michigan next season.

Downers Grove South (8-2) at Bolingbrook (9-1) in Class 8A at 6 p.m. on Saturday: This is a rematch of Week 1. In the first game, Bolingbrook survived at home thanks to a blocked field goal. Downers Grove South is riding an eight-game winning streak into this game. Bolingbrook's lone loss came against Lockport early in the season. This game features a number of Division I recruits on both sides of the ball.

Warren (8-2) at Loyola (9-1) in Class 8A at 1 p.m. on Saturday: Warren's offense likes to put up a lot of points. Loyola's defense likes to allow few of them. Something will have to give in this matchup. Warren running back Greg Kennedy has put together a impressive season. Loyola defensive end Chance Carter came up big in the opening round and has been the Ramblers' top defensive player all season.

"Loyola is an outstanding football team," Warren coach Dave Mohapp said. "I am impressed by their overall team speed and size. They play great team defense -- hard to find any weaknesses. Our team has been a stronger run team than throw team, and they are very, very, very strong against the run, so it makes this matchup very difficult for us."

Danville (10-0) at Richards (9-1) in Class 6A at 7 p.m. on Saturday: Danville is the No. 1 seed and hasn't been tested much this season. It's closest games were a 30-28 win over Bloomington and a 12-6 win over Normal Community. Other than that, they've been blowing out teams. Richards' lone loss this season came to Lockport during Week 2. Senior Keith Sconiers is an explosive player and can make things happen at wide receiver and as a kick returner. Richards will be without junior star Jarrell Williams, who suffered a concussion last week.

Scott Powers covers high school and college sports for ESPNChicago.com and can be reached at preps@espnchicago.com.