𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻

Defensive Coordinator @FenwickFB | 5x State Champion

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

The 3-3-5 Defense: The Complete Series - Throw Deep Publishing

Use Code “GRAYSON20” for 20% off the entire ⁦@TDPublishing⁩ catalog! https://t.co/2DuO62Pyvj

[Holy Crossbars @HolyCrossBars]

⚫️Fenwick (8-3) won 38-13 on Saturday at Hononegah, the seventh straight playoff win for the Friars. First-year starting QB Myles Hill had perhaps his best game of the season, completing 17 of 20 passes for 315 yards and four touchdowns. Three of those went to Jake Thies, who finished with 124 total yards and six tackles. Senior Jimmy Watts caught the fourth. Rocco Nero, whose excellence all season has allowed Fenwick to move Thies around the field, ran for 77 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Led by All-Staters Kam Rutlin and Jack Woods, the Friars dominated the line of scrimmage, which they’ll need to do again this weekend against their most battle-tested playoff opponent. It’s the eighth time in school history that Fenwick has played in the quarterfinals. With a win, they’d face Harlem or Notre Dame.

🔵Quarterfinal: Home vs. Wheaton North (8-3), 1:00 Saturday
Most expected Geneva to be in this spot. The Falcons, though, had other ideas. They pulled out a win for the ages, leading the top-ranked team in 6A for essentially the entire game. After Geneva took a 35-30 lead with 83 seconds to play, the Falcons used 81.4 of those seconds to charge all the way back down the field. The game-winning 80-yard drive culminated in a 17-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Grant Neibch to Johnny Clayton. The 36-35 final stood in stark contrast to their matchup on the same field just four weeks earlier, when Wheaton North fell to Geneva 42-14. It’s the Falcons’ first quarterfinal berth since 2021, the year they won the 7A state title. They’ll lean on Mac Murray’s running and the arm of Neibch, who took over at the beginning of October after an injury to his older brother.

☑️Illinois Media poll: Receiving votes in 6A (12th)
🗓️Regular season schedule: Fairly tough - 41 opponents’ wins, 3 ranked teams
🏈Scoring averages: Offense 23.8 / Defense 17.3
🏆Best regular season win: Week 4 at St. Charles North, 34-17
👀One player to watch: Senior TE/LB Adam Schilling is a big target in the red zone. He’s rebounded from a season-ending injury last September to make an impact on both sides of the ball for the Falcons this fall

@FenwickFB @FenwickAD @myleshill_9 @JakeThies2 @JackWoods5592 @KamRutlin @Corey_Griffin5 @JimmyWatts2027 @JonathanPavalon @Noah0Marshall @tristau_28 @jpbordeauxwalsh @jackhaagenson_1 @CalebRJ5 @RoccoNero22 @Ryder_mach_ @quinnparis_3 @MaxElfvin4 @HankHolland95 @ConniesPizza

[Jake Thies '27 @JakeThies2]

Honored to be named 1st Team All State!

Quarterfinals this Saturday vs Wheaton North at 1pm! @FenwickFB

[Jack Woods @JackWoods5592]

Thank you @IHSFCA1, @FenwickCoachB, and 13 years of football coaches & teammates for the honors @PrepRedzoneIL @EDGYTIM @mikeclarkpreps @coach_crabbDU @MattWalkerDU @sixstarfootball @5StarScouting @fenwickfriars @HolyCrossBars @varsity_voices1 @DeepDishFB

[Friday Night Drive - Shaw Local @FNDrive]

Players from Mount Carmel, Loyola, St. Rita, DePaul, Fenwick, Carmel, Niles Notre Dame, Joliet Catholic, St. Francis, Montini, Leo and IC Catholic Prep have received all-state honors from the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association for the 2026 season.

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

Swim move Savage 🌊

[Kameron Rutlin ‘27 @KamRutlin]

Honored to be named First team All State! Looking to finish the season on top!
@FenwickCoachB @FenwickCoachB @JRGrayson @CoachKenney1

[Friday Night Drive - Shaw Local @FNDrive]

Fenwick's Myles Hill, Providence's Broden Mackert, St. Ignatius's Nino Capuano and Mount Carmel's Brady Cloherty are just some of the standout performers from CCL football teams during the Second Round of the 2026 IHSA playoffs.

[Rocco Nero @RoccoNero22]

6 A Playoffs 2nd Round
18 Carries
77 Yds, 1 TD @FenwickFB

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

Big dog might have to get some reps on D!!

[Tim Woods @DocWoods56]

Big Guy open field tackle (3rd of season) at 1:37

[Holy Crossbars @HolyCrossBars]

SATURDAY FINAL SCORES, powered by @ConniesPizza 🍕

Congrats to @ICCPFootball @CelticsFootball @SFHSFBWheaton @FenwickFB @FootballNaz @NDCP_Football @BrotherRiceFB @IgnatiusFB @Loyola_FB on advancing to the quarterfinals!

[MikeClarkPreps @mikeclarkpreps]

Here’s my story on Fenwick’s Jake Thies breaking an NFL player’s record:
@JakeThies2 @FenwickFB @HawkeyeFootball

https://t.co/1VptKPV5OR

[Fenwick Football @FenwickFB]

SECOND ROUND
🆚 Hononegah
📍 Hononegah High School
🕐 1:00pm
🎟️ https://t.co/iq1zTrID5D
📺 https://t.co/XtZSFhW36q

Photo Credit: @shoultzy_shoots

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

47 and sunny at kickoff. Is there anything better than Saturday playoff football with a 1pm kickoff?

[Friday Night Drive - Shaw Local @FNDrive]

.@FenwickFB senior and @HawkeyeFootball commit @JakeThies2 set a new school record in Friday's win over Highland Park. Thies, who now has 41 career touchdowns, broke the previous mark set by @Patriots linebacker @14rspillane

@RussellJHodges story:

https://t.co/AYLn1eb5LD

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

@FNDrive More wonderful picture selections

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

The complete student athlete. Relentless pursuit in everything he does. Tone setter for our defense @FenwickFB

https://t.co/DBGSsCFb4h

[Holy Crossbars @HolyCrossBars]

⚫️Fenwick (7-3) rolled to a comfortable first-round win against Highland Park. Though the final was 38-20, the score was 35-0 shortly after halftime. Jake Thies didn’t record a safety, but he scored in just about every other possible way, on a rush, a reception, and a pick near midfield that he took all the way to the end zone. Freshman Noah Marshall had 110 receiving yards and a TD, and Rocco Nero continued to shine, with 11 carries for 99 yards and a score. Junior DE Hank Holland had eight tackles for the Friars. With a road win in the second round, Fenwick would come back home to face Geneva or Wheaton North in the quarterfinals.

🟣Next Game: At Hononegah (9-1), 1:00 Saturday
The Indians’ 32-3 defeat of Willowbrook on Friday was their first playoff win in three years, but they’re a perennial presence in the postseason - the last time they didn’t qualify was 2006. The Indians lost 42-13 to Nazareth in the first round last year. It can be tough to judge the NIC-10. With no non-conference games, most strength of schedule metrics create a closed loop. The conference is 5-4 in the playoffs so far, with the other wins coming from first-place Harlem (over St. Charles East), Guilford (over Zion-Benton), and Belvidere North (over Wheaton Academy and NIC rival Freeport). Of note, last weekend’s 32-3 game was much closer than the score indicates. The Indians’ defense held Willowbrook to 154 yards, but the offense didn’t muster much until the fourth quarter. The score heading into the fourth was 9-3.

☑️Illinois Media poll: #6 in 6A
🗓️Schedule: A bit below average - 37 opponents’ wins (see comment above), 1 ranked team
🏈Scoring averages: Offense 40.2 / Defense 9.3
🏆Best regular season win: Week 5 vs. Guilford, 17-14
👀One player to watch: Senior DE Logan Wilson is a quality pass rusher, but one of the perks of playing in the CCL is that Fenwick’s offensive line will be well prepared for him

@FenwickFB @FenwickAD @myleshill_9 @JackWoods5592 @KamRutlin @Corey_Griffin5 @JimmyWatts2027 @JonathanPavalon @Noah0Marshall @tristau_28 @jpbordeauxwalsh @jackhaagenson_1 @CalebRJ5 @RoccoNero22 @Ryder_mach_ @quinnparis_3 @MaxElfvin4 @HankHolland95 @ConniesPizza

[Holy Crossbars @HolyCrossBars]

🏈These CCL WR, RB, QB are putting on a clinic:
➡️➡️These players are a masterclass under pressure‼️ @ConniesPizza #cclfootball #holycrossbars #holycrossbarspodcast @hites_connor
@BrodenMackert @RoccoNero22 @TiviasCaldwell @JakeThies2 @FenwickFB @d1_lovx @Donivencamp27 @BrandonJ2027 @StPatrickFB @FenwickFB @NDCP_Football

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

@michaelsobrien Incredible photo selection 👌🏻

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

I was kinda right, DL pick!

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

Can Jeffry Simmons play corner? 🐻⬇️

[𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝘆𝘀𝗼𝗻 @JRGrayson]

Can Jeffry Simmons play corner? 🐻⬇️