ROCHELLE — The Rochelle Hub varsity football team rolled over Chicago (Payton) in the first round of the IHSA 5A Playoffs this past week, rushing for nearly 450 yards in a 36-3 victory. The Hubs will look to do more of the same on Friday, when the No. 5 seed Rochelle hits the road for a second-round matchup against No. 13 seed Chicago (St. Patrick) at Triton College. The Hubs and Shamrocks, who upset No. 4 seed Sterling on Saturday, will kick off at 7:30 p.m.

“St. Patrick did a really good job of controlling the line of scrimmage,” head coach Kyle Kissack said. “Their second and third-level kids rallied to the ball really well and they play well in space. Their quarterback is really good and he’s able to extend plays and runs the football really well. They’re big up front and they present a number of challenges for us on both sides of the ball.”

The Shamrocks (6-4, 4-0 Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference Purple Division) dominated their matchup at Sterling, totaling about 250 yards in the first half and scoring six consecutive unanswered touchdowns in a 44-14 win against the Golden Warriors. Senior quarterback Jermaine Young shined for the Shamrocks in the victory, throwing for 120 yards and three touchdowns while adding 100 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

“What St. Patrick likes to do offensively is something we’re defending on a week-to-week basis with a few wrinkles here and there,” Kissack said. “It’s important for us to get better at what we’re doing already and we’ve faced some tough teams this year. We’re continuing to get better defensively as the season moves forward and I think we’ll be ready to go.”

The Hubs (8-2, 5-1 Interstate 8/Kishwaukee River Blue Division) are coming off a win over Chicago (Payton) in which junior running backs Garrett Gensler and Cody Stover-Cullum each topped the 100-yard mark on the ground. The winner of the matchup between Rochelle and Chicago (St. Patrick) on Friday will advance to the quarterfinal round against either No. 1 seed Glenbard South or No. 9 seed Sycamore. The Hubs are seeking their eighth win in a row.

“We need to control the line of scrimmage, which isn’t different from any other week we’ve had over the last few decades,” Kissack said. “Controlling the point of attack, sustaining drives and finishing with points will be our keys offensively. St. Patrick has really good personnel and we’ll have to defend space well and make sure our eye discipline is elite.”