Every Monday(-ish), I bracket the 256 playoff teams using the IHSA Playoff Outlook. This is NOT a prediction. These are NOT my opinions. It is simply the most logical way the playoffs would be bracketed, using the IHSA's specific system, if today's standings were the final standings.
Each week I usually have to add/subtract teams to get a true 256. The Outlook doesn't adjust for a conference champion falling below the cutoff. I take care of that before proceeding.
My adjustments.....
The Southwest Suburban Red leader (champ) was not in the playoff field. I inserted their conference leader, Andrew (3-3/21) into 7A. This gave us 257 teams.
I need to eliminate one team. Princeville, Pittsfield, and Dunlap are tied at 3-3/26 at the bottom of the playoff field. Next tie-breaker is wins by defeated opponents. Princeville is safe with 7, while Pittsfield and Dunlap each have 6. Princeville becomes team 255. The next tie-breaker is opponents faced in the playoff field. Dunlap has 4, while Pittsfield only has 2. Dunlap is team 256 in the playoff field, and Pittsfield is removed from 1A
Now I just need to adjust the classes to balance them at 32 teams each. Loyola petitioned up to 8A, so we move them up. Conant was the smallest 8A team, so they slide down to 7A. Geneva slides down to 6A. East St. Louis petitioned up to 6A, so we move them up. 6A has 34 teams at the moment. Prairie Ridge and Grayslake Central were the smallest 6A teams, so they slide down to 5A. Providence slides down to 4A. Wheaton Academy slides down to 3A. Elmwood-Brimfield slides down to 2A. Shelbyville slides down to 1A.
I still don't know what to do with Immaculate Conception. Does anyone have any insight?
THAT'S IT!
MY NOTES:
- North shore quad in 8A.
- MSL East quad in 7A
- The St. Rita and Brother Rice draws are nice.
- Battle of Wheaton in 7A
- ND versus ND
* is the smallest team in the class
^ is the biggest team in the class
~~~ 8A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Elgin at #1 Loyola
#17 Evanston at #16 New Trier
#25 Minooka at #8 Maine South
#24 Palatine at #9 Bolingbrook
#29 Lyons at #4 Lockport
#20 Bartlett at #13 Oswego
#28 Barrington at #5 Neuqua Valley
#21 Rich at #12 Oswego East
Lower Bracket
#31 East Aurora at #2 South Elgin
#18 Homewood-Flossmoor at #15 Marist
#26 Naperville Central at #7 Warren
#23 West Aurora at #10 Hinsdale Central
#30 Metea Valley at #3 York
#19 O'Fallon at #14 Lincoln-Way East
#27 Naperville North at #6 Glenbrook South
#22 Taft at #11 Glenbard West*
~~~ 7A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Andrew at #1 Batavia
#17 Plainfield North at #16 Downers North
#25 Rolling Meadows at #8 Buffalo Grove
#24 Willowbrook at #9 Prospect
#29 Conant^ at #4 Normal
#20 St. Rita at #13 Whitney Young
#28 Reavis* at #5 Collinsville
#21 Phillips at #12 Hoffman Estates
Lower Bracket
#31 Larkin at #2 Hononegah
#18 Yorkville at #15 Mount Carmel
#26 Wheaton-Warrenville South at #7 Wheaton North
#23 Edwardsville at #10 Moline
#30 Mundelein at #3 Hersey
#19 Glenbard North at #14 Plainfield Central
#27 St. Charles North at #6 Brother Rice
#22 Jacobs at #11 Glenbard East
~~~ 6A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Rockford East at #1 St. Ignatius
#9 Deerfield #8 Mather
#13 Crystal Central at #4 Riverside-Brookfield
#12 Hampshire at #5 Lake Forest
#15 Crystal Lake South at #2 Cary-Grove
#10 Geneva^ at #7 Belvidere North
#14 Vernon Hills at #3 Wauconda
#11 Libertyville at #6 Harlem
Lower Bracket
#16 Bremen at #1 Lemont
#9 Rock Island at #8 Washington
#13 Thornwood at #4 Richards
#12 Pekin at #5 TF South
#15 Centennial* at #2 Kenwood
#10 Normal West at #7 Crete-Monee
#14 Eisenhower at #3 East St. Louis
#11 Springfield at #6 Glenwood
~~~ 5A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Boylan at #1 Amundsen
#9 Lakes #8 Prairie Ridge
#13 Kaneland at #4 Grayslake Central^
#12 St. Viator at #5 St. Patrick
#15 Freeport at #2 Sterling
#10 Payton at #7 Sycamore
#14 Benet at #3 Glenbard South
#11 Antioch at #6 Fenwick
Lower Bracket
#16 Dunlap at #1 Kankakee
#9 LaSalle-Peru #8 Triad
#13 Brooks at #4 Mahomet-Seymour
#12 Peoria at #5 Metamora
#15 Simeon at #2 Morris*
#10 Carbondale at #7 Marion
#14 Centralia at #3 Mascoutah
#11 Morton at #6 Goode
~~~ 4A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Marengo at #1 Joliet Catholic
#9 Plano #8 Noble/Comer
#13 Rochelle at #4 St. Francis
#12 Evergreen Park at #5 Stillman Valley
#15 St. Laurence at #2 Immaculate Conception
#10 Sullivan at #7 Hyde Park
#14 Providence^ at #3 Richmond-Burton
#11 Coal City at #6 Dixon
Lower Bracket
#16 Streator at #1 Murphysboro
#9 Harrisburg* #8 Freeburg
#13 Civic Memorial at #4 Sacred Heart-Griffin
#12 Salem at #5 Mount Zion
#15 Effingham at #2 Rochester
#10 Peoria Notre Dame at #7 Quincy Notre Dame
#14 Waterloo at #3 Breese Central
#11 Paris at #6 Carterville
~~~ 3A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Winnebago at #1 Kewanee
#9 Genoa Kingston #8 Prairie Central
#13 Lisle at #4 Princeton
#12 Wheaton Academy^ at #5 Reed-Custer
#15 Montini at #2 Byron
#10 Monmouth-Roseville at #7 Mendota
#14 Carver at #3 Clark
#11 Peotone at #6 Du-Pec Coop
Lower Bracket
#16 Anna-Jonesboro at #1 Tolono Unity
#9 Paxton-Buckley-Loda at #8 Eureka
#13 Beardstown at #4 Benton
#12 DuQuoin at #5 Williamsville
#15 St. Joseph-Ogden at #2 Monticello
#10 Southwestern at #7 Greenville
#14 Hoopeston Area at #3 Mt. Carmel
#11 Newton* at #6 Carlinville
Each week I usually have to add/subtract teams to get a true 256. The Outlook doesn't adjust for a conference champion falling below the cutoff. I take care of that before proceeding.
My adjustments.....
The Southwest Suburban Red leader (champ) was not in the playoff field. I inserted their conference leader, Andrew (3-3/21) into 7A. This gave us 257 teams.
I need to eliminate one team. Princeville, Pittsfield, and Dunlap are tied at 3-3/26 at the bottom of the playoff field. Next tie-breaker is wins by defeated opponents. Princeville is safe with 7, while Pittsfield and Dunlap each have 6. Princeville becomes team 255. The next tie-breaker is opponents faced in the playoff field. Dunlap has 4, while Pittsfield only has 2. Dunlap is team 256 in the playoff field, and Pittsfield is removed from 1A
Now I just need to adjust the classes to balance them at 32 teams each. Loyola petitioned up to 8A, so we move them up. Conant was the smallest 8A team, so they slide down to 7A. Geneva slides down to 6A. East St. Louis petitioned up to 6A, so we move them up. 6A has 34 teams at the moment. Prairie Ridge and Grayslake Central were the smallest 6A teams, so they slide down to 5A. Providence slides down to 4A. Wheaton Academy slides down to 3A. Elmwood-Brimfield slides down to 2A. Shelbyville slides down to 1A.
I still don't know what to do with Immaculate Conception. Does anyone have any insight?
THAT'S IT!
MY NOTES:
- North shore quad in 8A.
- MSL East quad in 7A
- The St. Rita and Brother Rice draws are nice.
- Battle of Wheaton in 7A
- ND versus ND
* is the smallest team in the class
^ is the biggest team in the class
~~~ 8A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Elgin at #1 Loyola
#17 Evanston at #16 New Trier
#25 Minooka at #8 Maine South
#24 Palatine at #9 Bolingbrook
#29 Lyons at #4 Lockport
#20 Bartlett at #13 Oswego
#28 Barrington at #5 Neuqua Valley
#21 Rich at #12 Oswego East
Lower Bracket
#31 East Aurora at #2 South Elgin
#18 Homewood-Flossmoor at #15 Marist
#26 Naperville Central at #7 Warren
#23 West Aurora at #10 Hinsdale Central
#30 Metea Valley at #3 York
#19 O'Fallon at #14 Lincoln-Way East
#27 Naperville North at #6 Glenbrook South
#22 Taft at #11 Glenbard West*
~~~ 7A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#32 Andrew at #1 Batavia
#17 Plainfield North at #16 Downers North
#25 Rolling Meadows at #8 Buffalo Grove
#24 Willowbrook at #9 Prospect
#29 Conant^ at #4 Normal
#20 St. Rita at #13 Whitney Young
#28 Reavis* at #5 Collinsville
#21 Phillips at #12 Hoffman Estates
Lower Bracket
#31 Larkin at #2 Hononegah
#18 Yorkville at #15 Mount Carmel
#26 Wheaton-Warrenville South at #7 Wheaton North
#23 Edwardsville at #10 Moline
#30 Mundelein at #3 Hersey
#19 Glenbard North at #14 Plainfield Central
#27 St. Charles North at #6 Brother Rice
#22 Jacobs at #11 Glenbard East
~~~ 6A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Rockford East at #1 St. Ignatius
#9 Deerfield #8 Mather
#13 Crystal Central at #4 Riverside-Brookfield
#12 Hampshire at #5 Lake Forest
#15 Crystal Lake South at #2 Cary-Grove
#10 Geneva^ at #7 Belvidere North
#14 Vernon Hills at #3 Wauconda
#11 Libertyville at #6 Harlem
Lower Bracket
#16 Bremen at #1 Lemont
#9 Rock Island at #8 Washington
#13 Thornwood at #4 Richards
#12 Pekin at #5 TF South
#15 Centennial* at #2 Kenwood
#10 Normal West at #7 Crete-Monee
#14 Eisenhower at #3 East St. Louis
#11 Springfield at #6 Glenwood
~~~ 5A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Boylan at #1 Amundsen
#9 Lakes #8 Prairie Ridge
#13 Kaneland at #4 Grayslake Central^
#12 St. Viator at #5 St. Patrick
#15 Freeport at #2 Sterling
#10 Payton at #7 Sycamore
#14 Benet at #3 Glenbard South
#11 Antioch at #6 Fenwick
Lower Bracket
#16 Dunlap at #1 Kankakee
#9 LaSalle-Peru #8 Triad
#13 Brooks at #4 Mahomet-Seymour
#12 Peoria at #5 Metamora
#15 Simeon at #2 Morris*
#10 Carbondale at #7 Marion
#14 Centralia at #3 Mascoutah
#11 Morton at #6 Goode
~~~ 4A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Marengo at #1 Joliet Catholic
#9 Plano #8 Noble/Comer
#13 Rochelle at #4 St. Francis
#12 Evergreen Park at #5 Stillman Valley
#15 St. Laurence at #2 Immaculate Conception
#10 Sullivan at #7 Hyde Park
#14 Providence^ at #3 Richmond-Burton
#11 Coal City at #6 Dixon
Lower Bracket
#16 Streator at #1 Murphysboro
#9 Harrisburg* #8 Freeburg
#13 Civic Memorial at #4 Sacred Heart-Griffin
#12 Salem at #5 Mount Zion
#15 Effingham at #2 Rochester
#10 Peoria Notre Dame at #7 Quincy Notre Dame
#14 Waterloo at #3 Breese Central
#11 Paris at #6 Carterville
~~~ 3A ~~~
Upper Bracket
#16 Winnebago at #1 Kewanee
#9 Genoa Kingston #8 Prairie Central
#13 Lisle at #4 Princeton
#12 Wheaton Academy^ at #5 Reed-Custer
#15 Montini at #2 Byron
#10 Monmouth-Roseville at #7 Mendota
#14 Carver at #3 Clark
#11 Peotone at #6 Du-Pec Coop
Lower Bracket
#16 Anna-Jonesboro at #1 Tolono Unity
#9 Paxton-Buckley-Loda at #8 Eureka
#13 Beardstown at #4 Benton
#12 DuQuoin at #5 Williamsville
#15 St. Joseph-Ogden at #2 Monticello
#10 Southwestern at #7 Greenville
#14 Hoopeston Area at #3 Mt. Carmel
#11 Newton* at #6 Carlinville