IHSA First Round playoff football schedule for Rockford area

The Opening Round is over, and now it's on to the official First Round of the new IHSA football playoff format as we continue to whittle things down.And plenty of Rockford-area teams will be looking to build momentum.More Rockford-area sports: Zavian McElroy rushes for 284 to boost Belvidere North past Freeport"It's just nice to be in the playoffs," Belvidere North running back Zavian McElroy said after he rushed for 284 yards and 5 TDs in last week's postseason opener, "and being in playoff-mode again."Eight Rockford-area teams had byes last week and will play in their first playoff games of the year this weekend. Seven others won last week to earn the right to play one of those top seeded teams that were off last week.It makes for some interesting matchups up and down the classes, including a Class 1A showdown between the defending state champs from Lena-Winslow and their NUIC rivals from Forreston. Sycamore heads to Belvidere for a 5A playoff game that could be interesting as well, and 7-2 Guilford hosts 7-3 Zion-Benton in a 6A showdown.Here is quick look at all of the First Round matchups, with each team's seeds, their records, where the game will be played, and when.Class 1A#18 Orion (5-5) at #2 Stockton (8-1), 1 p.m. Saturday#10 Lena-Winslow (7-3) at #7 Forreston (7-2), 1 p.m. SaturdayClass 2A#15 Stillman Valley (5-5) at #2 El Paso Gridley (9-0), 7 p.m. Friday#14 Winnebago (6-4) at #3 Aurora Christian (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday#22 Oregon (4-6) at #6 Maroa-Forsyth (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday#17 Eastland-Pearl City (5-5) at #1 Port Byron Riverdale (9-0), 1 p.m. SaturdayClass 3A#4 Durand/Pecatonica (8-1) vs. #13 Sandwich (6-4) at Pecatonica, 1 p.m. Saturday#18 Prairie Central (5-5) at #2 Byron (9-0), 2 p.m. SaturdayClass 4A#3 Chicago Clark (8-1) vs. #14 Rochelle (6-4), at Rockne Stadium, noon SaturdayClass 5A#9 Sycamore (6-4) at #8 Belvidere (6-3), 7 p.m. Friday#12 Belvidere North (6-4) at #5 Wheaton Academy (7-2), 7 p.m. FridayClass 6A#17 St. Charles East (4-6) at #1 Harlem (9-0), 6:30 p.m. Friday#14 Villa Park Willowbrook (6-4) at #3 Hononegah (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday#21 Zion-Benton (7-3) at #12 Guilford (7-2), 7 p.m. FridayJay Taft is a Rockford Register Star sports reporter. Email him at jtaft@rrstar.com and sign up for the Rockford High School Sports Newsletter here at rrstar.com. Jay has covered a variety of sports, from the Chicago Bears and Blackhawks to local youth sports, since the turn of the century at the Register Star.This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: IHSA First Round playoff football schedule for Rockford area