Class 5A was the hardest class to figure out when looking at the bracket on pairings night.

Two weeks later, if anything, there’s even less clarity as to how things might play out.

One of the few favorites to advance deep into the tournament, Prairie Ridge, bowed out with a loss to Wheaton St. Francis, leaving a remaining field of eight teams where it feels like almost any of them have a chance of making a deep run.

First round predictions: 15-1

Second round predictions: 5-3

Quarterfinal round matchups

St. Francis vs. King: St. Francis was relentless on offense in pulling off the win over Prairie Ridge and that’s how the Spartans have played for much of the season. The Spartans look well-positioned to keep this run going. King is a surprising member of the group of quarterfinalists, but the Jaguars were helped by playing back-to-back Chicago Public League opponents in the first two rounds of the playoffs.

Pick: St. Francis

Belvidere North vs. Cary-Grove: Belvidere North is the lone remaining undefeated team in Class 5A and is just one of two undefeated teams still playing between 5A and 8A, but the Thunder still seem to be flying comfortably under the radar. Cary-Grove knows the feeling after losing a Week 1 matchup to Prairie Ridge the Trojans also seemed to fade off the radar as a title threat.

Pick: Cary-Grove

Washington vs. Providence: Washington ran its winning streak to 10 after losing to Niles Notre Dame by one point in Week 1 and the Panthers seem to bring a consistent steady effort to the field every week. Providence, on the other hand, is a bit of a rollercoaster. The Celtics have several underclassmen, albeit talented ones, in key positions so the efforts can sometimes be all over the map. But there’s no denying it is a very capable football team.

Pick: Providence

Oak Forest vs. Peoria: Aside from its lone loss to Hillcrest, the Bengals have been roughing up almost every on in its path. Oak Forest got out to a fast start in its win over Bloomington in Round 2 and added another team to the list of not particularly competitive games. Peoria pulled one out of the fire against Morton in Round 2, needing to score quickly to secure a win. Fortunately scoring quickly is a staple of Peoria’s attack.

Pick: Peoria