The playoff season is here! After a quick regular season, the 5-4 Warren Blue Devils take on the 8-1 Palatine Pirates in the first round of the 2024 High School Football Playoffs. On Saturday the 26th, the IHSA announced that the Blue Devils received the 27th seed in the 8A bracket facing off against the number 6 seed Pirates. This will be no easy task for Warren, as they must travel to Palatine to play this game. Let’s take a look at both of these teams. 

The Blue Devils had an up-and-down season in 2024. The run game was a strong point in the Warren offense. Junior, Aaron Stewart, finished the season with 1,763 rushing yards averaging 195.9 a game with 24 rushing touchdowns. The passing game is where Warren struggled with 824 passing yards combined between Senior, Jack Wolf, and Sophomore, Reed Dangel, but on only 132 attempts which is almost 11 per game. The offense averaged a respectable 27 points a game during the regular season, but stopping Palatine will be key to the team’s success. Preventing the big play must be a focus for Warren’s defense. There were multiple occasions when the opposing team’s running back rushed from their side of the 50-yard line and scored a touchdown. Senior safety Justice Humphreys, cornerbacks Zion Vines-Peterson, and Antonio Moore led the team in tackles during the season and will be crucial if the Blue Devils beat Palatine. They also have to pressure the Palatine quarterback and not allow anything in the run game. Senior Anthony Soto and Junior Jackson Wiklund had 10 and 8 tackles for loss needed to continue their dominance as they led the team during the regular season. Justice Humphreys will also be impactful, making the quarterback feel pressure as he had 5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks to go along with it, the only player with multiple sacks on the team. It is also worth noting that the Warren defense only allowed 21 points per game in a competitive North Suburban conference. However, playing away will be a challenge. They went 1-4 on the road and lost by a touchdown or less only once. On the contrary, the Blue Devils have momentum heading into the playoffs. They beat Lake Zurich 10-3 to clinch the playoff spot, a win they badly needed. Then, they marched into Libertyville and played a competitive game, only losing 35-28 against a team that finished 8-1 and was awarded the 2 seed in the 6A playoff bracket. The Devils have momentum and need to use every ounce of it heading into Palatine on Friday. 

From Palatine’s perspective, they’ve had a great season. They lost their first game of the year to a team that finished 8-1 and never looked back, going undefeated the rest of the way. What stands out about the Pirates is their 5 players who have received D1 offers including Defensive Lineman Jaylen Williams who is committed to playing football at Michigan next fall. Their Quarterback Junior, Will Santiago has also been effective in passing the ball this season with a solid run game. What their coach raves about is their offensive line. After a game against Barrington, he was quoted in the Daily Herald saying, “Our identity is the core of our offensive line.” He believes in his offensive line giving the quarterback time to deliver good passes and creating holes for the running backs to run through. The Pirates average a little north of 30 points per game while only holding the opposition to around 15 points per game. This team is a legit top 6 seed and should be considered a threat in this playoffs.

The odds are currently against the Blue Devils and they have their backs against the wall. They need everything to go right to be a highly competent team in Palatine, and I have three keys to success for this team. One: Aaron Stewart is not the only one that will be able to beat this defense. It is up to the rest of the offense and the passing game to relieve pressure off of Stewart and have a plan B in case the run game isn’t working. Two: limit the big plays. Making key tackles and not allowing a foot race with the other team’s running back is something Warren has to do to have a chance. Three: play with confidence and momentum. The talent on Warren’s roster is better than their record reflects, hence why we were ranked so high in the pre-season. Now, they have to walk into Palatine prove everyone wrong, and show how dominant Warren football can be when it matters most. 

The Warren Blue Devils kickoff against the Palatine Pirates at 7:30 on Friday, November 1st in Palatine. This could be the last football game for seniors including the players and the fans. With everything on the line, I encourage you to be there in blue for Blue Out. GO BLUE DEVILS!!!