Class 4A is where you start to clearly see the impact of some of the adjustments made following last season to the IHSA’s multiplier waiver process.

Multiple teams won state titles without being exposed to the multiplier process, allowing teams to play at classifications that most felt were lower than they should have been.

Nearly three times as many teams were multiplied this season and that led to an interesting cause and effect with teams largely in middle classifications.

Schools that are typically placed in the 5A field started to filter down to fill spots left by the schools that are now multiplied up to larger classification leading to the 4A bracket looking considerably different than it has years before.

First-round matchups

Montini vs. Urban Prep-Bronzeville: Montini was unable to defend its Class 3A title of a year ago as it was then subjected to a multiplier by winning that title. The Broncos immediately become if not one of the favorites, the favorite to win a 4A title after its undefeated season in the CCL/ESCC, a feat that just two teams managed in that powerful league (Mount Carmel the other one). Urban-Prep Bronzeville was the last team to qualify for the playoff, surviving a six-tier tiebreaker process to secure the last spot.

Pick: Montini

Marengo vs. Peoria Notre Dame: Marengo surprised a few people with its 5-0 start, but the Indians did have a few hiccups down the stretch leading some to wonder if they have playoff staying power. Peoria Notre Dame started 0-2 with losses to Big 12 Conference powerhouses Peoria and Normal Community West, but the Irish have played great since then, winning seven straight including an impressive runaway win over Bloomington.

Pick: Peoria Notre Dame

Dixon vs. Woodstock North: It may not have been the strongest season for depth in the Big Northern Conference, but Dixon made sure none of the second division teams got any hope of springing an upset. The Dukes shut out four consecutive opponents in the heart of their schedule and later added a fifth shutout to further speak to the strength of this team. After earning the program’s first-ever playoff win last season, Woodstock North continues to place solid building blocks in its foundation.

Pick: Dixon

Coal City vs. Sterling: Coal City might still be licking its wounds a little bit after its loss to Wilmington in the Week 9 rivalry war between the two schools, but there’s no doubting that Coal City is still a team that is poised to make a major impact in the postseason. Sterling is an example of a team that is making a class transition. The Golden Warriors have made playoff appearances in 21 of the last 22 seasons, all of those appearances had been in 5A. Sterling’s last appearance in a Class 4A draw was 1999.

Pick: Coal City

Morris vs. Woodstock: Morris was denied an undefeated regular season because of a sloppy performance against Byron Center, Michigan where they had seven first-half turnovers. Obviously, Morris will look to atone for that performance here. Woodstock had a substantial turnaround season, advancing to the postseason for the first time since 2009. The Blue Streaks didn’t beat a single team that had a winning record, but progress was still very much made.

Pick: Morris

Metamora vs. South Shore: It was a wild year in the Mid-Illini Conference and Metamora wasn’t immune to the chaos. The Redbirds had a chance to close out the season with an 8-1 record which would have set them up well in this bracket, but a loss to Dunlap sets them into the tournament as a middle of the pack seed. South Shore is only in the field because of a coin flip that separated itself from Benton, a school with the same exact enrollment. Benton “won” the coin flip and was included in the Class 3A field.

Pick: Metamora

Macomb vs. Hillcrest: It’s a 230-mile trip between Macomb and Country Club Hills and that’s not the only wide disparity between these two teams. Macomb is a program that has spent the majority of its season playing opponents at the 2A/3A level while Hillcrest has spent its last 17 playoff appearances in either Class 5A to Class 6A postseason. Hillcrest’s last appearance in the 4A field was in 1996, back when there were just six classifications.

Pick: Hillcrest

Geneseo vs. Rochelle: Rochelle dominated Geneseo in the opening game of the season, collecting a 41-14 win. Both teams have been through a lot since then. Geneseo has played very strong football as of late, stringing together five consecutive wins, including solid victories over playoff-bound teams Quincy, East Moline United and Sterling. Rochelle’s season has been marked by a very serious injury to Dylan Manning, who is still recovering from brain surgery. Since that unfortunate injury an inspired Hubs team has pieced together three straight solid wins.

Pick: Rochelle

Richland County vs. Jacksonville: This might be a good case study for how much competition level matters. Undefeated Richland County played no school with an enrollment larger than 726 and it is clearly the largest school in its conference. Every school but one had a football enrollment of larger than 750 on Jacksonville’s schedule and the Crimsons played multiple Class 5A schools.

Pick: Jacksonville

Centralia vs. Cahokia: Yet another first-round matchup that pairs two teams that played in the regular season. Cahokia rolled to a 40-8 victory in Week 7 and Centralia hasn’t been very impressive against playoff bound teams this season. The Orphans were just 1-2 in those games this season. Until a narrow Week 9 loss to Sycamore, Cahokia had been undefeated against Illinois-based teams with its other loss coming to a out-of-state opponent, Lift for Life from Missouri.

Pick: Cahokia

Breese Central vs. Columbia: Excluding a Week 3 loss to Mount Zion, Breese Central has overwhelmed the majority of the teams on its schedule including a 41-6 victory over this weekend’s opening round playoff opponent in Week 8. During Breese Central’s current six-game winning streak only one team (Roxana) has been closer than 35 points. Columbia appears to be limping into the playoffs dropping two straight games to close the season including a misstep against Jersey, a team that closed the season 2-7.

Pick: Breese Central

Freeburg vs. Highland: Freeburg has been on a nice little roll after a substantial setback at the hands of Breese Central in Week 4. The Midgets have ripped off five consecutive victories, scoring 194 points during that stretch. Highland’s regular season was a bit up and down this year with the Bulldogs benefiting from a forfeit win but having two different setbacks against schools that did not make the playoffs. Highland has a very strong postseason pedigree but it remains to be seen if this version of the Bulldogs can maintain that history.

Pick: Freeburg

Carterville vs. Alton Marquette: Carterville tore through the majority of its schedule this season, but still doesn’t own what could be classified as a marquee victory. The Lions saw no opponents that won more than six games and its only six-win foe, Marion, they won the matchup by a lone point. Alton Marquette, as an independent, plays a bit of a hodge podge schedule that has some tiny schools and a pair of out of state opponents so it is tough to get a read on how it might fare. In any case it is a rapid turnaround for a program that went 0-9 last season.

Pick: Carterville

Quincy Notre Dame vs. Sacred Heart Griffin: 4A is sprinkled with numerous matchups that are repeat games from the regular season and this is another. Sacred Heart Griffin earned a 42-26 win back in Week 4, one of the few rough nights for the Quincy Notre Dame defense. The Raiders have allowed seven or fewer points in all but two of their games this year. The Cyclones do enter the season on back-to-back losses, but those losses came to two teams with a combined 17-1 record and both losses were by four points or less.

Pick: Sacred Heart Griffin

Rochester vs. Taylorville: Rochester continues to be one of the most potent offensive attacks in the state but the Rockets have had to fend off a few challenges to get through the season with just one setback. Glenwood was responsible for that loss but Rochester still managed to post 42 points. Taylorville had a bit of a scare in Week 9 needing a win to get into the playoff field, but the Tornadoes put some things together to get that victory offsetting the team’s 1-3 start that required that they dig out of a hole.

Pick: Rochester

Mt. Zion vs. Waterloo: Mt. Zion, a Class 4A finalist, did a pretty solid job of picking up where it left off last season with its only setback coming at the hands of Rochester in Week 2, since then the Braves have had little problem stacking up victories. Waterloo has a four-game winning streak snapped with a loss to a solid Rochelle team, but the Bulldogs might prove to be a tricky team to dispatch though as they own some soild wins over playoff-bound teams Centralia and Highland.

Pick: Mount Zion