Week 16: Semifinal previews

 Dublin Brawlers (9-6) at Lockport Distillers (12-3)

at Lockport Township High School

Playoff records: Herigodt 8-4; Cassidy 5-6-1

Head to head: Distillers 44, Brawlers 43, Week 4; Distillers 61, Brawlers 52, Week 7

The skinny: Can the Distillers beat the Brawlers for a third time this season? The Brawlers enter the semifinals with six consecutive wins. Their last loss was 44-19 to the Jays in Week 9. ... This matchup is a rematch of Finger Bowl 27 in 2020 when the Brawlers won 58-48. ... The Brawlers are in the Finks League playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. ... The Distillers won eight of nine to start the season. ... The Distillers finished with the best record in Finks League this season and became the 13th team in league history to win 12 games in a season. No team has ever won 13 games. ... The Distillers hope to become the second team in three years to win a Finger Bowl after claiming the season's best record. Fantasy accomplished the feat in 2021. 

Projeected starters: Brawlers -- L. Jackson, McCaffrey, R. White, Metcalf, Evans, J. Sanders; Distillers -- J. Allen, Barkley, Mostert, Ty. Hill, G. Davis, McManus.

The pick: Distillers 55, Brawlers 45.

Boom Town Blue Jays (8-7) at Chicago Heights Mafia (10-5)

At Bloom Township High School, Chicago Heights

Playoff records: A. Quagliano 5-1; Goff 11-11

Head to head: Mafia 81, Jays 64, Week 10

The skinny: Mafia's 81 points in the regular season matchup against the Jays was the second highest total for a game this season in Finks League. Mafia scored 82 points in Week 8. ... This is a rematch of Finger Bowl 26 in 2019 won by the Jays, 74-19, over Goff's former Serkus Act franchise. That game was the most lopsided Finger Bowl in league history and the final game for Goff under the Serkus brand. ... Under the Mafia moniker, this is Goff's second playoff appearance. Mafia reached the playoffs in their first season in 2020 after relocating to Chicago Heights and finished fourth. ... The Jays are the only returning playoff team from last year's semifinalists. The Jays were the runner-up in 2022 after a one-point loss to daddy's Hurricanes in Finger Bowl 29. That was owner Anthony Quagliano's first career playoff loss. ... Cowboys fan Goff has been starting as many as three Dallas players during much of the second half of the Finks season.

Projected starters: Jays -- Fields, Henry, Conner, St. Brown, Moore, Dicker; Mafia -- Prescott, Montgomery, Edwards, Lamb, AJ Brown, Aubrey. 

The pick: Mafia 45, Jays 40.