The moment St. Patrick quarterback Tom Barrett found out he would be facing Maine South in Saturday's Class 8A playoff opener, he made a phone call to Maine South offensive coordinator Charlie Bliss.

"Forget about everything I ever taught you," Bliss said with a laugh.

They have known each other since Barrett was 4 when Bliss became his quarterback tutor. Bliss and Barrett's father of the same name had become close friends while riding a fire engine together in Chicago.

"Coach Bliss and I never thought this would happen," said Barrett, who has passed for 2,068 yards and 27 touchdowns. "He has taught me a lot, and I've gone to a lot of their games. We both know what each other is going to do."

Bliss helped instill a gunslinger mentality that resulted in Barrett passing for 324 yards and six touchdowns in a 48-45 loss to No. 1 Joliet Catholic.

The 6-foot-2-inch, 195-pound senior rallied the Shamrocks with two TD passes in the last 6 minutes--the 25-yard game-winner with 10 seconds left--for a 47-42 victory over Nazareth. His 45-yard touchdown pass with 1:30 to go provided a 21-14 victory over Notre Dame.

"A lot of kids, when they get down, they want to reset the video game and start over again," St. Patrick coach Dan Galante said. "Not Tom, because he has so much confidence in himself."

When asked about being bumped up to 8A by the Illinois High School Association's new playoff formula, Barrett said: "I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. We've been playing up to our competition all year."

Bliss' latest prize pupil is Maine South QB Tyler Knight, who has completed 68 percent of his passes for 1,834 yards and 24 TDs. Knight also has rushed for eight more touchdowns, kicked four field goals and 32 extra points and averages nearly 42 yards per punt.

"Our 6-3 record isn't exactly scary, and they are 26-1 over the last three regular seasons," Barrett said about the showdown in Park Ridge. "I hope they are a little overconfident. We'll come out and get their attention."

The winner would advance to likely face No. 7 Warren (8-1), which defeated Maine South in Week 2. No. 4 Stevenson (9-0) is expected to be waiting in the quarterfinals. Last week, Stevenson edged Warren 35-34 in double overtime.

The survivor of that rugged eight-team grouping could draw either No. 8 Fremd (9-0) or No. 11 Downers Grove North (8-1) in the semifinals. Neither of those teams will be tested as severely en route to the semis.

No. 2 Lincoln-Way East (9-0), led by a dominating defense and quarterback Anthony Kropp (1,614 yards passing and 23 TDs), is the favorite in the third quadrant with teams such as Andrew (7-2), Lincoln-Way Central (7-2), Stagg (8-1) and Brother Rice (7-2) in its path to the semifinals.

No. 6 Wheaton Warrenville South (9-0) faces a possible DuPage Valley rematch with Naperville North (7-2) in Round 2 and could draw No. 19 Bolingbrook (7-2), No. 20 Neuqua Valley (8-1) or Naperville Central (6-3) in the quarterfinals.