Lincoln-Way E. eyeing 8A repeat

Lincoln-Way East set the bar as high as could be last football season, running the table en route to winning the Class 8A state championship.

Could this year’s Griffins be even better? It’s not a rhetorical question in Frankfort.

“This group’s got a goal, and they want to be known as perhaps the best that’s come through here,” said coach Rob Zvonar, who has guided East to the playoffs every season and won two titles since the program's inception in 2001.

“To do that, you’ve got to duplicate or do a little better than what we did a year ago.”

Next weekend, the Griffins (9-0) start their quest to become 8A’s first repeat champion since Maine South won three

straight titles from 2008-10.

Lincoln-Way East is one of three unbeatens — Brother Rice and Oswego are the others — in the 32-team 8A bracket, which was revealed Saturday along with pairings for the other seven classes. The Griffins earned the second seed in 8A by virtue of their opponents’ win total, with Brother Rice first and Oswego third.

The Griffins feature a potent offense led by Illinois State commit Jack Baltz at quarterback and a deep crew of running backs — including AJ Henning, the state's top-ranked junior — and receivers.

They also have a defense that has allowed only 56 points while pitching five shutouts. No wonder East has been the consensus top-ranked team in the Chicago area and in 8A since the season began.

In Class 7A, the top six seeds are 9-0. Michigan State-bound quarterback Alante Brown leads topseeded Simeon.

No. 2 seed Glenbard East is one of the year’s feelgood stories due to a trio of milestones: first unbeaten regular season, first conference title since 1965 and first playoff berth since ’99.

Defending 7A champ Batavia, seeded fourth, is seeking its third title in six years.

In 6A, Phillips (7-2) is trying to win its third title in three classes in a fourseason span. The Wildcats, led by Alabama recruit Jahleel Billingsley, could see north bracket top seed Cary-Grove (9-0) in the quarterfinals. Richards (9-0) is the south’s top seed.