Small Ball brackets

[Doctor_D]

4A

IC is basically a sure thing in the north bracket.
The south bracket it's Rochester and BMac. Heard from some folks that Rochester is way down from their usual. Does that mean a loss in the semis? Final? None of the above?

I gotta go with IC here. Great talent and speed all over with a great staff.

3A

Wide open for the publics this year and perhaps even for the south bracket. I believe the last true south team to win was in 2000, although Illini West won a couple titles.

Monticello had been recently sent north but get the south bracket this time.
Carlinville has been putting up a ton of points. Those two are the south favorites, I'll pick Monticello to take advantage of the new split.

Up north Byron is the clear favorite, although they have a very tough match up right off the bat. Wilmington has come around lately but would have to be considered underdogs after a 1-3 start. Lisle won the I-8 for the first time in ages, but played somewhat uneven and often just to the level of competition.

2A

Looking forward to Hope vs defending champ GCMS in round 2. This bracket is loaded with great teams and pound for pound might be the best overall. I'll go with Hope to win it all but there are probably 6-7 teams with a legit shot.

1A

I don't have too much. I guess I'll go with the winner of AC vs Lena-Winslow as the champ.

 

[Wilmatucky]

3a is lacking depth. Byron is my favorite but they still have lisle and Wilmo to get through. Wilmos quarter looks very favorable for a team that is a little shaky this year. Would be cool to see them play Hall again and revisit their early 2000s matchups. Will the south rise again? Possibly, I see the championship as a toss up but will slightly favor Byron over Monticello.

4a is stacked. Sucks for a team like CC who put together a good year and will run into some hammers (no not Wilmington lol). I predict a private final of IC vs Mac.

Agree that 2a might be the overall p4p most solid bracket. The north has GCMS, Hope, Newman, Illini West and the south is equally as tough. St. Theresa, Maroa and Tuscola would love to take it to the north at Memorial stadium. If you win this one you earned it. I’ll say GCMS vs Maroa in a rematch. Maroa with the edge this year.

1a I’ll admit I don’t follow much 1a ball. Geographically there just arnt many around and I don’t have ties to anyone in these schools. Ac, Lena, arcola all seem tough. I’ll take AC to win it all.

 

[cornerrat]

4A

IC is basically a sure thing in the north bracket.
The south bracket it's Rochester and BMac. Heard from some folks that Rochester is way down from their usual. Does that mean a loss in the semis? Final? None of the above?

I gotta go with IC here. Great talent and speed all over with a great staff.

3A

Wide open for the publics this year and perhaps even for the south bracket. I believe the last true south team to win was in 2000, although Illini West won a couple titles.

Monticello had been recently sent north but get the south bracket this time.
Carlinville has been putting up a ton of points. Those two are the south favorites, I'll pick Monticello to take advantage of the new split.

Up north Byron is the clear favorite, although they have a very tough match up right off the bat. Wilmington has come around lately but would have to be considered underdogs after a 1-3 start. Lisle won the I-8 for the first time in ages, but played somewhat uneven and often just to the level of competition.

2A

Looking forward to Hope vs defending champ GCMS in round 2. This bracket is loaded with great teams and pound for pound might be the best overall. I'll go with Hope to win it all but there are probably 6-7 teams with a legit shot.

1A

I don't have too much. I guess I'll go with the winner of AC vs Lena-Winslow as the champ.

All.... Rochester is "not down," Ratsy

 

[wasdo]

Small ball brackets ?? Wow ,you must of never played a down of football!

 

[Doctor_D]

All.... Rochester is "not down," Ratsy

Since that is your neck of the woods, I will certainly take your word for it.
I will also keep in mind the fact that being "down" is relative and means different expectations for different teams.

 

[crusader_of_90]

All.... Rochester is "not down," Ratsy

I’ve watched them. They are down, comparatively to past squads. That is undeniable.

 

[Doctor_D]

Small ball brackets ?? Wow ,you must of never played a down of football!

If this is directed at me, I don't quite follow.

Since the demographics of this board are mostly followers of the 5A and above crowd, the 4A and below realm is often referred to as "small ball", therefore my title seems appropriate. At least I thought so.

Believe it or not, I actually have played varsity high school football, although I was by no means any good. It was for a small school. I enjoy all of it, but 3A and 4A have always been my favorites.

 

[crusader_of_90]

These small ball titles are meaningless participation ribbons unlike 7A or 8A, depending on where MC lands.

 

[KingRich]

I’ve watched them. They are down, comparatively to past squads. That is undeniable.

Not sure “down” is the right word. This was a very young team to start the season with only 5 returning starters I believe. I think talented but inconsistent is a better description. The inconsistency has improved although they still make some stupid mistakes unlike past teams. They are playing at a very high level right now entering the playoffs. This Rochester team did suffer a blowout loss at the hands of shg earlier in the year but I do believe that was a fluke. Rochester has played a great schedule which prepares them well for 4A. They beat a tough 5A playoff team in Decatur MacArthur on their field, clocked 6A playoff team Springfield High and dominated previously undefeated and current 6A 3 seed Chatham Glenwood this past Friday. Saying all that, Rochester still has its work cut out for them. Bishop McNamara and IC Catholic are no joke and are capable of beating Rochester but it has nothing to do with Rochester being “down”.

 

[UIUC 17]

Could be an interesting matchup for IC in round 2 if Stillman Valley wins their round 1 matchup. In 4A, in the south, I think it comes down to the winner of Rochester-BMac. I see Bishop Mac winning the south

 

[wasdo]

If this is directed at me, I don't quite follow.

Since the demographics of this board are mostly followers of the 5A and above crowd, the 4A and below realm is often referred to as "small ball", therefore my title seems appropriate. At least I thought so.

Believe it or not, I actually have played varsity high school football, although I was by no means any good. It was for a small school. I enjoy all of it, but 3A and 4A have always been my favorites.

My son played on a 2a team,,I enjoy the lower numbered teams also.

 

[WDTT1215]

The Wilmington I saw the last 4 weeks is good enough to beat every team in 3A. They are my pick for the north.

 

[PanthersWildcats86]

4A...
Final four...IC-Coal City in the North, McNamara-Rochester in South
If semis @ home, IC-Rochester final, IC wins
Semis @ Mac & CC, I go upset Mac-CC final, Mac wins...I strongly believe IC's kryptonite is playing on grass, particularly wet/cold/sloppy grass

3A
Fairly weak bracket, private powers (Sterling Newman, McNamara, IC) gone elsewhere for playoffs...
North....Top bracket - Byron will take all comers, but boy did they get screwed by the draw...Bottom bracket- pick'em, I'll take Wilmo who has been humming on offense last four weeks...Byron to final...
South...Top bracket - Monticello just wrecked the Illini Prairie, don't see them being touched...Bottom bracket - Carlinville wrecked the South Central...Monticello to final...
Byron power run over Monticello spread in final...


2A
What crazy person put all these power teams in the same level...I thought 3A was rough the last couple years (okay, not as rough - no 8 win teams playing on road 1st round)...
North...Top bracket - GCMS blasts Watseka, then gets Hope, Sterling Newman...Bottom bracket - EPC over Orion in quarter...GCMS to final...
South...Maroa over St. Theresa in semi...
Title rematch...GCMS, their defense is just nasty....

1A
North...Top bracket...Aurora Christian loses quarter to Lena-Winslow...Bottom bracket...Ottawa Marquette over Milledgeville...Marquette to final...
South...Top bracket...Argenta...Bottom bracket...Camp Point Central...Camp Point to final
Ottawa Marquette title...

 

[Wilmatucky]

The Wilmington I saw the last 4 weeks is good enough to beat every team in 3A. They are my pick for the north.

I hope you’re right. I haven’t been going to as many games as I’d like. But that is why Reents is one of the best in the state. He always gets the most out of his team. I would love to see Lisle again, but at Becker field this time. Can’t imagine it would be an easy task for a squad to beat Wilmo twice in a year. Plus that means we are in the semis and a semifinal home game is a crazy atmosphere in Wilmington.

Wilmos quarter looks favorable. Real question will be how good is Byron? They are always solid, but some years I wasn’t as impressed as others.

I truly hope some of the bigger games end up close to home i.e. CCvsIC at CC or Rochester vs Mac @ Mac. It’s not every year you get to see quality games like that within a 20 minute drive.

 

[Coalertown44]

4A- Really a 3 team race with IC, Rochester and Mac. They are the cream of the crop. Second tier teams like RB, CC, Taylorville and Pontiac are good but not at the level of those 3. I am going with IC over Rochester in a very close game. Couple of good first round match-ups will be Dixon/SV, Effingham/MD. And a couple of top seeds get tested first round. Pontiac/Herrin is a tough game for the 5 seeded Indians. CC/Wheaton Academy is going to be a very good game. Wheaton played a great schedule, have size and speed. Tough match-up for the 2 seed Coalers

3A- I am quite sure there was a big sigh of relief form the 3A teams when they did not see Bishop Mac in the 3A brackets. I think this is a two team race between Byron and Mnticello. I like Monticello to win it all. A few teams that could make a bit of a run, Wilmington, Spring Valley Hall, Lisle, Carlinville and Williamsville

 

[cornerrat]

Not sure “down” is the right word. This was a very young team to start the season with only 5 returning starters I believe. I think talented but inconsistent is a better description. The inconsistency has improved although they still make some stupid mistakes unlike past teams. They are playing at a very high level right now entering the playoffs. This Rochester team did suffer a blowout loss at the hands of shg earlier in the year but I do believe that was a fluke. Rochester has played a great schedule which prepares them well for 4A. They beat a tough 5A playoff team in Decatur MacArthur on their field, clocked 6A playoff team Springfield High and dominated previously undefeated and current 6A 3 seed Chatham Glenwood this past Friday. Saying all that, Rochester still has its work cut out for them. Bishop McNamara and IC Catholic are no joke and are capable of beating Rochester but it has nothing to do with Rochester being “down”.

All.... The loss to SHG was no fluke. The Rockets were dominated in the second half of that game by the Cyclones. Not the word your HC used but close. Accept what happened. Ratsy

 

[KingRich]

All.... The loss to SHG was no fluke. The Rockets were dominated in the second half of that game by the Cyclones. Not the word your HC used but close. Accept what happened. Ratsy

I totally accept it and really couldn’t care about the loss as seeding in the 4A doesn’t really mean too much. My point wasn’t that SHG beating Rochester was a fluke. I was more talking about the performance of Rochester and that meaning Rochester is “down”. 1st half of that game I believe Rochester was in the red zone 4 times and had 10 points to show for it. Same first half they had 4 turnovers. Both are flukes. 2nd half Rochester folded and SHG dominated. That being said both teams play perfectly and my money is on SHG more times than not. Sorry if I misworded that the loss to shg was a fluke I meant the performance.