Notre Dame College Prep takes its playoff run on the road Saturday, Nov. 7, facing Libertyville in the second round of the IHSA Class 6A football playoffs.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. at Libertyville, the higher seed. Notre Dame posted on X that tickets are limited and everyone, including students, must have a ticket to enter.
The Dons (7-4) enter as the No. 12 seed after a 43-16 rout of No. 5 Grant in the first round on Oct. 30, according to statewide scores compiled by the Peoria Journal Star. Libertyville (8-2), seeded fourth, rolled past Chicago Noble/Muchin 61-0 in its opener.
Two Dons stood out in the win over Grant. Senior running back Deonte Macon scored on the ground and through the air, carrying 10 times for 74 yards and catching two passes for 67 yards, Shaw Local reported. Senior lineman Sean Cook led the defense with 15 tackles and seven tackles for loss. Cook also helped pave the way for an offense that gained 431 total yards.
Second-year head coach Dan DeFranza, a 1990 NDCP graduate, has the Dons back in the postseason for the first time since 2022. That year, Notre Dame reached the Class 6A quarterfinals. The program has qualified for the IHSA playoffs in 15 of the last 19 seasons in which a postseason was held, according to the school's athletics page.
The winner advances to the quarterfinals. IHSA championship games are scheduled for Nov. 27 and Nov. 28, according to the Journal Star's full second-round bracket.
