There's going to be a lot of juju in the air when the 7-2 Evergreen Park Mustangs host 7-3 Dixon High School in round one of the 4A IHSA football playoffs on a rare Saturday Halloween afternoon, which won't happen again until 2037.
The Mustangs come off a record-breaking season that saw Garret Kazmierowicz named the South Suburban Conference's Defensive Player of the year.
Six Mustangs made the All-Conference team, including Kazmierowicz, Gavin Wheeler, Landon Robinson-Gwin, Jacob Ruvalcaba, Esau Ruvalcaba and Tyler Phelps. Cory Isaac was named an All-Conference Honorable Mention.
Evergreen Park Community High School had an opening-round playoff bye. The Dixon Dukes defeated Plano High School 28-13 in the opening round playoff game last Friday.
Kickoff is 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 31. Gates open at noon.
The student section theme is Halloween. Students and fans are encouraged to wear Halloween costumes. A costume contest will be held during half-time, with a $100 gift card, and a $25 gift card going to the adult costume winner. All costumes must be school-appropriate.
Tickets are $8 for all and can be purchased online at Omella or bought at the gate. Your phone is your ticket.
No backpacks or bags will be allowed in the stadium. Youth who do not attend EPCHS or Dixon must be accompanied by an adult.
The postseason will have a significantly different look this year after IHSA member schools voted to expand the football playoffs for the first time since 1985.
Classes 1A through 8A will have 48 playoff qualifiers, up from 32. The change expands the total field from 256 to 384 teams.
The top 16 seeds in each class received a bye—including the Evergreen Park Mustangs—will host the first-round game this weekend against Dixon High School.
The state championship games are scheduled for Nov. 27 to Nov. 28 at Hancock Stadium on the Illinois State University in Normal.
To maintain historical consistency in the number of teams competing in each stage, the playoff rounds will be called the Opening Round, First Round, Second Round, Quarterfinals and Semifinals.
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