CCL football: Here are 5 storylines to watch in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 IHSA playoffs

Will Mount Carmel end Lincoln-Way East’s season again?What was built up to be a heavyweight battle played out as a one-sided blowout when the Caravan and Griffins collided last season.Mount Carmel intercepted USC quarterback recruit and IHSA record-setter Jonas Williams twice, held him under 200 yards passing and rolled on offense to hand the Griffins a 48-7 loss. It was the most lopsided defeat in the last decade for Lincoln-Way East, which has lost only six games since 2022, two of them in the state finals.On Saturday, the Caravan and Griffins will compete for a place in the semifinal round. Mount Carmel, which blew out Barrington 56-0 last weekend, has seen quarterback Brady Cloherty break multiple school records and skill players like Marshaun Thornton and Quentin Burrell feast on opposing defenses. The Caravan average 445 yards a game.That high-powered offense will be tasked with breaking a Lincoln-Way East squad that has allowed an average of only 8.5 points per game this season.