There were 269 teams that reached the threshold of 5-4 or better. I would say 10 to 15 of these teams I am simply unsure they will get there. I give all teams the benefit of the doubt until the prove unworthy of it. For the record, I do not figure exact playoff points until Week 8, it is too unwieldy to do so before that. As such certain things must be considered. Teams in the Chicago Public League Illini Conferences will be getting a boost in points, but since we don’t know who they are playing it is impossible to guess. So more often than not, CPL Illini teams will likely be bumped a seed or two or three over the course of the season. There aren’t that many of them but it is worthy of keeping in mind.
Now the tricky part. The IHSA hasn’t decided what to do with a potential CPS strike and neither have I. I can adjust the projection to reflect it as soon as I have to (if I have to), I won’t do so until I must. The IHSA could go two ways with it. Keep them in and award forfeits or take them out which would almost certainly mean the inclusion of 4-5 teams.
At this point, I believe the point total will be high. If I had to guess right now, you’ll need 38.
The 13 teams currently eliminated on points: Willowbrook, East Alton-Wood River, Oblong, Dwight, Kewanee, Benton, West Frankfort, East Dubuque, Lewistown, Clifton Central, Illinois Valley Central, Reavis and Evanston.
Class 8A
Note: Some real shaky teams in this field. As such keep in mind the teams hovering around that bubble line. Oswego East, O’Fallon and Edwardsville are those teams in order. Maine South and Glenbard West are next.
Smallest school in 8A: St. Charles East
(32) Downers Grove South at (1) Loyola
(17) Joliet West at (16) Taft
(25) Niles West at (8) Palatine
(24) New Trier at (9) Marist
(29) Naperville Central at (4) Neuqua Valley
(20) Aurora West at (13) Niles Notre Dame
(28) Fremd at (5) Lyons
(21) Curie at (12) Oswego
(31) Minooka at (2) Barrington
(18) Oak Park-River Forest at (15) Huntley
(26) Bolingbrook at (7) Stevenson
(23) Bloom at (10) Lincoln-Way East
(30) Lockport at (3) Homewood-Flossmoor
(19) Leyden at (14) Brother Rice
(27) Waubonsie at (6) St. Charles East
(22) Hinsdale Central at (11) Naperville North
Class 7A
Note: The biggest thing here was Fenwick sliding into Class 6A as the largest school there. Other teams very close to the bubble are Lincoln-Way East and Batavia (both ended up in 6A this week). Makes for a somewhat thinner class than expected initially.
Largest School in the field: Oswego East
Smallest School in the field: Lake Zurich
(32) O’Fallon at (1) Glenbrook North
(17) Plainfield North at (16) Glenbard North
(25) St. Patrick at (8) Bradley-Bourbonnais
(24) McHenry at (9) Edwardsville
(29) Addison Trail at (4) Oswego East
(20) Machesney Park Harlem at (13) Normal Community
(28) Belleville West at (5) Glenbard West
(21) Lincoln-Way Central at (12) Highland Park
(31) Jacobs at (2) Lincoln Park
(18) Lake Zurich at (15) Maine South
(26) St. Rita at (7) Hononegah
(23) Simeon at (10) Schaumburg
(30) Larkin at (3) East St. Louis
(19) Libertyville at (14) Benet
(27) Pekin at (6) St. Charles North
(22) Mount Prospect at (11) Chicago Mount Carmel
Class 6A
Note: The heavy hitters on the big side of the 6A draw lead to an interesting field. The north/south line isn’t all that hard to guess the divide on, but I’ve been fooled before.
Smallest school: Lemont (interesting)
Largest school: Fenwick
North
(16) Deerfield at (1) Prairie Ridge
(9) Rockford Auburn at (8) Lake Villa Lakes
(13) Montini at (4) Fenwick
(12) Lake Forest at (5) Cary-Grove
(15) Wauconda at (2) Rockford Boylan
(10) Grayslake North at (7) DeKalb
(14) Hoffman Estates at (3) Rolling Meadows
(11) St. Ignatius at (6) Batavia
South
(16) Chicago Hubbard at (1) Lemont
(9) T.F. South at (8) Richards
(13) Glenwood at (4) Chicago Perspectives/Leadership
(12) Shepard at (5) Quincy
(15) Rock Island at (2) Sacred Heart Griffin
(10) Lincoln-Way West at (7) Riverside-Brookfield
(14) De La Salle at (3) St. Laurence
(11) Danville at (6) Crete-Monee
Class 5A
Note: North/South line is sort of weird with some very strange road trips in the South Bracket. This is also the field with the most teams I’m simply not sure of.
Smallest team in the field: Evergreen Park
Largest team in the field: Oak Forest
North
(16) Nazareth at (1) Sterling
(9) Oak Forest at (8) Rochelle
(13) Thornridge at (4) Woodstock North
(12) Vernon Hills at (5) Payton
(15) Belvidere at (2) Morgan Park
(10) Maple Park Kaneland at (7) Woodstock Marian
(14) Tinley Park at (3) Antioch
(11) Evergreen Park at (6) Solorio
South
(16) Mattoon at (1) Peoria
(9) Rich Central at (8) Decatur Eisenhower
(13) Bloomington at (4) Centralia
(12) Galesburg at (5) Peoria Notre Dame
(15) Morris at (2) Highland
(10) Mahomet-Seymour at (7) Washington
(14) Jacksonville at (3) Metamora
(11) Triad at (6) Waterloo
Class 4A
Note: Of course the most interesting watch here is Phillips. Smallest school in the field. Should be a great watch to see whether or not they slide down one space. Once again, too many northern schools for 16-team brackets and a very heavy amount of 8-1’s projected in this field.
Smallest team in the field: Chicago Phillips
Largest school in the field: Chicago Urban Prep-Bronzeville
North
(16) Wheaton Academy at (1) Johnsburg
(9) Dixon at (8) South Shore
(13) Marengo at (4) Phillips
(12) Rockford Lutheran at (5) Genoa-Kingston
(15) Urban Prep-Bronzeville at (2) Aurora Central Catholic
(10) Clemente at (7) Plano
(14) Ridgewood at (3) Goode STEM Academy
(11) Elgin St. Edward at (6) Richmond-Burton
South
(16) Murphysboro at (1) Columbia
(9) Alton Marquette at (8) Taylorville
(13) Olney Richland County at (4) Herrin
(12) Breese Mater Dei at (5) Mount Zion
(15) Bethalto Civic Memorial at (2) Althoff
(10) Manteno at (7) Rochester
(14) Coal City at (3) Geneseo
(11) Carterville at (6) Canton
Class 3A
Note: Surprising number of undefeated teams potentially in the draw and Phillips some how slips down the North Bracket becomes a war zone. As is the custom, south bracket isn’t quite as deep.
Smallest school in field: Corliss
Largest School in field: Herscher
North Bracket
(16) Lisle at (1) Elmwood
(9) Phoenix Military at (8) Watseka
(13) Princeton at (4) Herscher
(12) Corliss at (5) Byron
(15) Eureka at (2) IC Catholic
(10) Bloomington Central Catholic at (7) Farmington
(14) St. Joseph-Ogden at (3) Wilmington
(11) Winnebago at (6) Paxton
South Bracket
(16) Piasa Southwestern at (1) Mount Carmel
(9) Beardstown at (8) Marshall
(13) Tolono Unity at (4) Newton
(12) Anna-Jonesboro at (5) Monticello
(15) Sullivan at (2) Fairfield
(10) Williamsville at (7) Breese Central
(14) Greenville at (3) Virden North Mac
(11) Hillsboro at (6) Carlinville
Class 2A
Smallest school in the field: Fulton
Largest school in the field: Pana
North Bracket
(16) Peru St. Bede at (1) Tri-Valley
(9) Mercer County at (8) Orion
(13) Knoxville at (4) Kewanee Wethersfield
(12) Westchester St. Joseph at (5) Pearl City-Eastland
(15) Robeson at (2) Sterling Newman
(10) El Paro at (7) Hope Academy
(14) Rockridge at (3) Fulton
(11) Gibson City-Melvin Sibley at (6) Deer Creek Mackinaw
South Bracket
(16) Auburn at (1) Pana
(9) DuQuoin at (8) Flora
(13) Johnston City at (4) Hamilton West Hancock
(12) Illini West at (5) Carmi White County
(15) Maroa-Forsyth at (2) Mendon Unity
(10) Red Bud at (7) Eldoroado
(14) Sangamon Valley at (3) Westville
(11) Shelbyville at (6) Bismarck-Henning
Class 1A
Largest school in the field: St. Thomas More
North Bracket
(16) Luther North at (1) Forreston
(9) Stark County at (8) Dakota
(13) Astoria South Fulton at (4) Freeport Aquin
(12) LeRoy at (5) Westminster Christian
(15) Ashton Franklin Central at (2) Ottawa Marquette
(10) Bureau Valley at (7) Lena-Winslow
(14) St. Thomas More at (3) Stockton
(11) Kirkland Hiawatha at (6) Milledgeville
South Bracket
(16) Chester at (1) Decatur St. Teresa
(9) Decatur Lutheran at (8) Greenfield
(13) Kincaid South Fork at (4) Brown County
(12) Camp Point Central at (5) Athens
(15) Toledo Cumberland at (2) Argenta-Oreana
(10) Warrensburg-Latham at (7) Pawnee
(14) Hardin Calhoun at (3) Tuscola
(11) Salt Fork at (6) Arcola