Round 1 (Oct. 31 vs. Huntley)

Coming off a dominant 8-1 regular season, Fremd picked up right where it left off in the first round, piling up 41 unanswered points in the first half. Huntley’s best early push—a drive to the Fremd 12—was cut short when senior Marquan Brewster jumped a third-down pass and raced 100 yards for a touchdown. The Vikings eased off the gas in the second half but still rolled to a 41-14 win.

Round 2 (Nov. 7 vs. Lyons)

Fremd stayed home the following week for what was expected to be a tight matchup with a Lyons team ranked in the state’s top 25. Instead, the Vikings delivered more of the same dominance. Lyons opened with some spark, turning a fumble recovery into a long, run-heavy march to the Fremd 9. But a string of penalties pushed the Lions back to the 23, where a missed field goal halted the threat—and the momentum swung for good.

The Vikings responded with four straight touchdowns, capped by a 55-yard strike from senior quarterback Johnny O’Brien to junior receiver Ben Riddle. Lyons added a late 6-yard touchdown before halftime, trimming the deficit to 28-7, but Fremd closed the door in the second half and advanced with a 45-21 victory.

Round 3 (Nov. 15 at Bolingbrook)

For the first time in the postseason, Fremd met real resistance. Playing at the No. 12 seed, the Vikings trailed for the first time in their playoff run after Bolingbrook broke off a 27-yard touchdown run within the first three minutes. A rare interception on Fremd’s opening drive set up another rushing score, and suddenly the Vikings were down 14-0.

But Fremd clawed back. O’Brien connected with Riddle late in the first quarter, and a field goal early in the second cut the deficit to four. The momentum fully shifted after a perfectly executed onside-kick recovery led to back-to-back goal-line touchdowns by Jayden Faulkner, giving Fremd a 24-21 halftime lead.

The second half turned into a back-and-forth battle. Bolingbrook trailed 34-27 with six minutes left and leaned on its powerful ground game to drain the clock. The Raiders punched in a goal-line touchdown with seconds remaining, setting up a do-or-die two-point try.

Fremd’s defense delivered. A dramatic stand at the goal line sealed a 34-33 win and sent the Vikings to the first state semifinals in school history.

State Semifinal (Nov. 22 at Mount Carmel)

Fremd entered the semifinals as clear underdogs for the first time this season. Mount Carmel, coming off three consecutive Class 7A state championships, was seeking a four-peat—this time in 8A. The Caravan, boasting multiple Power Five recruits, held a clear size advantage. But as shown on the game’s opening possession, Fremd refused to back down.

Mount Carmel had to fight its way down the field, barely breaking the plane on a fourth-down quarterback keeper at the Vikings’ 1-yard line. Fremd’s offense struggled uncharacteristically in the first half, with dropped passes and stalled drives giving the Caravan repeated opportunities. Mount Carmel relied on its elite athleticism for chunk plays and screens and entered halftime up 21-0.

Fremd showed signs of life to open the second half. A 90-yard kickoff return by Brewster set up his touchdown grab later in the possession. But Mount Carmel responded with three consecutive touchdowns and took a 42-6 lead into the fourth quarter. Fremd added two late touchdowns, but the rally wasn’t enough.

Though the 42-21 loss ended their championship hopes, the Vikings closed the year having made school history—capping a season defined by grit, resilience and breakthrough success.