In case you haven't already figured this out, I am a fan of high school athletics. I never have understood why thousands, perhaps millions of high school students every year go to football games at their high school and never watch the game. I, on the other hand, watch the game. Lots of them. Particularly come playoff time.

On 30 October 1998, in honor of the 25th year of the IHSA State Football Playoffs, Daily Herald DuPage County Sports writer Lindsey Willhite printed a list of ten of the best playoff games of the previous seven years (involving DuPage County schools, of course). I am proud to say I was there for five of them: 1991 at Glenbard West, 1992 semifinal, 1992 5A title game, 1993 first round, and the 1997 semifinal. I've been there for a few more, too; here is the complete list of playoff games I have seen, starting with the first one from way back in 1990, my freshman year at Naperville North, through the 1999 quarterfinal, the first-ever home playoff game in school history for perennial DuPage Valley Conference also-ran Glenbard East.

Date Class Round Location Winning School Losing School Score
10 November 1990 6A Second Naperville North Downers Grove North Naperville North 20-14 (OT)
06 November 1991 6A First Naperville Central Naperville North Waubonsie Valley 31-20
09 November 1991 6A Second Glenbard West Naperville North Glenbard West 19-16
15 November 1991 6A Quarterfinal Glenbard North Glenbard North Naperville North 31-0
04 November 1992 6A First Naperville North Naperville North Downers Grove South 31-25
07 November 1992 6A Second (Chicago) St. Rita Naperville North St. Rita 23-20
13 November 1992 6A Quarterfinal Naperville Central Naperville North Naperville Central 31-28
21 November 1992 6A Semifinal Naperville North Naperville North Waubonsie Valley 15-13
28 November 1992 5A State Final Illinois State University Wheaton-Warrenville South Joliet Catholic Academy 40-34 (2OT)
28 November 1992 6A State Final Illinois State University Naperville North Loyola Academy 21-11
03 November 1993 6A First Naperville North Downers Grove South Naperville North 29-28
04 November 1994 6A Second Lake Park (West) Naperville North Lake Park 36-3
03 November 1995 6A Second Downers Grove South Naperville Central Downers Grove South 40-21
04 November 1995 6A Second Lake Forest Naperville North Lake Forest 45-20
10 November 1995 6A Quarterfinal Naperville Central Naperville Central Naperville North 35-12
11 November 1995 6A Quarterfinal Wheaton-Warrenville South Wheaton-Warrenville South Glenbrook South 28-21
11 November 1995 6A Quarterfinal York York New Trier 6-0
30 November 1996 5A State Final Illinois State University (Chicago) Mt. Carmel Joliet Catholic Academy 17-6
30 November 1996 6A State Final Illinois State University Wheaton-Warrenville South Lincoln-Way 42-27
31 October 1997 6A First Naperville North Naperville North Hinsdale South 47-12
07 November 1997 6A Second Downers Grove South Naperville North Downers Grove South 34-28
15 November 1997 6A Quarterfinal Naperville Central Naperville Central Naperville North 16-12
22 November 1997 6A Semifinal Naperville Central Addison Trail Naperville Central 21-19
07 November 1998 6A Second Naperville North Naperville North Libertyville 27-21 (OT)
14 November 1998 6A Quarterfinal Naperville North Naperville North Lockport 20-17
21 November 1998 6A Semifinal Naperville North Barrington Naperville North 34-28 (2OT)
29 October 1999 6A First Naperville North Downers Grove North Naperville North 40-37
13 November 1999 6A Quarterfinal Glenbard East Glenbard East Downers Grove North 14-6