Big Byron, Forreston wins key Rockford-area football playoff roundup
One of the defending state champions from the Rockford area, Lena-Winslow, fell to rival Forreston in a playoff football showdown on Halloween afternoon, while the other, Byron, easily soared into the next round. Le-Win, last year's Class 1A state champs and the perennial power out of the NUIC, was no match for Forreston in the first round on Saturday as the Cardinals rolled to a 22-6 victory. The Panthers had won seven 1A state championships since 2010, and they had made six straight 1A state championship games. More Rockford-area sports: Led by Harlem's dramatic comeback, top NIC-10 football teams move on That won't happen this year, as Forreston made sure of that. "It's been five years since we've beaten them," Forreston head coach Keynon Janicke said, "and this is so unbelieveably huge to finally overcome these guys." Now Forreston will face another NUIC power, Stockton, which steamrolled over Orion 50-13 on Saturday, Oct. 31. Byron, like Stockton, had little trouble moving on, disposing of Prairie Central 44-0 on Saturday. "We were very disciplined on defense, and it was just a full-on team effort," said Jeff Boyer, head coach of the Class 3A defending state champions from Byron. "This was maybe
