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2022 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 2A first-round analysis

By Steve Soucie
Wilmington's Kyle Farrell jumps the pile in their away game against Streator at Dieken Stadium on Friday, Oct. 14, 2022 in Streator.

Wilmington's Kyle Farrell jumps the pile in their away game against Streator in Week 8. (Katy Arnold for Shaw Local News Network)

Schools that in the past have found themselves in 3A have begun to make themselves at home in the Class 2A field which makes for a deeper field.

The geography construct of 2A is also pretty interesting this season as two of the prime contenders, St. Teresa and Maroa-Forsyth, were split between the north and south brackets something that hasn’t happened in a very long time.

First-round matchups

Maroa-Forsyth vs. North Lawndale: Maroa-Forsyth’s presence in the north bracket is something one has to get used to, but the Trojans look well positioned to make a run in their new home. North Lawndale is making a repeat appearance in the postseason draw for the first time in school history but have never won a playoff game.

Pick: Maroa-Forsyth

Farmington vs. El Paso-Gridley: Farmington’s outcomes this season have either been easy wins or lopsided losses so if this turns into a close game it will be uncharted territory for the Farmers. El Paso-Gridley hadn’t beat a playoff bound opponent until Week 9, but it picked up a good one in the final week by besting Tri-Valley.

Pick: El Paso-Gridley

Rockridge vs. Sterling Newman Central Catholic: A long standing rivalry is rekindled for the second time this season as Rockridge breezed to a comfortable win in the Week 2 matchup of the two squads. Rockridge dropped its season-opener to undefeated Princeton, but no opponent has been closer than two touchdowns since then during its eight-game winning streak.

Pick: Rockridge

Mercer County vs. Bloomington Central Catholic: Mercer County hopes to continue the momentum it gained by earning a share of the Lincoln Trail Conference title with a lopsided win over Annawan-Wethersfield. Bloomington Central Catholic is back in the playoff field for the first time since 2017 and looks pretty dangerous as a Class 2A entrant.

Pick: Bloomington Central Catholic

Bismarck-Henning vs. Westville: Yet another opening round rematch from conference opponents as Bismarck-Henning manhandled Westville 52-7 in two weeks. No one has done much of anything to stop the Bismarck-Henning offense as it has scored at least 43 points in every one of its contests. Westville has topped 50 points twice this season as well but doesn’t look equipped to get into a point trading contest.

Pick: Bismarck-Henning

Knoxville vs. Mendon Unity: Knoxville earned a share of the Lincoln Trail Conference championship, but there have been some adventures along the way. Knoxville is still trying to establish some postseason consistency having only advanced past the first round twice in its last 10 postseasons. Mendon Unity started the season 1-2, but has really thrown down the gauntlet over the second half of the season.

Pick: Knoxville

Wilmington vs. Chicago Christian: The defending Class 2A state champions have an unsightly blemish on their resume this year as they were routed by rival Reed-Custer, but anyone ready to put the Wildcats to rest had better think again. Chicago Christian punched its way into the field with a win over a five-win Ridgewood team in Week 9, but that accounts for nearly half of the wins that the Knights’ opponents amassed this year.

Pick: Wilmington

Tri-Valley vs. Clifton Central: An early round pairing of two programs that have typically done pretty well for themselves in the 2A postseason. Tri-Valley was probably figuring on a bit higher seed prior to a loss to El Paso-Gridley in Week 9, but still look capable of making a run. Clifton Central is a few years removed from when a deep run looked to be in the cards but are hoping for a quick regroup after it dropped two of its last three regular season contests.

Pick: Tri-Valley

St. Teresa vs. Chester: St. Teresa’s numbers to this point look pretty ominous for opponents. After a somewhat close 18-0 win over Effingham in Week 1, St. Teresa beat every other opponent on its schedule by at least 26 points and most of them by many more than that. The Bulldogs gave up just 53 points on the season. Chester is a bit of a conundrum having defeated two playoff bound teams, but losing to three schools that didn’t make the field.

Pick: St. Teresa

White County vs. Athens: The first seven weeks of the season were a breeze for White County but back-to-back losses to close the season puts them in a situation where they have to regain their mojo. Athens looked as if it might be falling into Class 1A for awhile, but the Sangamo Conference squad is well prepared for whatever it might find in either classification.

Pick: Athens

Pana vs. Auburn: A matchup of two Class 2A teams that have had more than their fair share of postseason success stories. After losing its Week 1 matchup with Vandalia, Pana hasn’t looked back winning eight consecutive games by at least two touchdowns in every game. Auburn is another team from the Sangamo who can’t be judged by record alone.

Pick: Pana

North Mac vs. Fairfield: Everything was coming up roses for North Mac over the first seven weeks of the season, but Pana derailed the hopes of an undefeated season by hanging 42 points on them in a Week 8 matchup. It turned out to be more points allowed in that game than the Panthers would allow over their other eight games. Fairfield’s schedule was definitely front loaded with its better opponents as the Mules have outscored opponents 216-12 over the last four weeks.

Pick: North Mac

Johnston City vs. Flora: Johnston City made relatively easy work of everyone in the Black Diamond Conference and begins its playoff march with a repeat game against a conference foe they defeated 43-15 in Week 5. Flora needed to pull a rabbit out of its hat just to get into the field, besting a 7-1 White County squad in Week 9 to secure its place.

Pick: Johnston City

Vandalia vs. Arthur: Consistency has been a bit of an issue for Vandalia this season. They opened the year with promise handing Pana what turned out to be its only loss of the year, but late in the year a perplexing loss at the hands of a non playoff qualifier brings some question of exactly where the Vandals are right now. Arthur drummed up some big offensive numbers in its five-game winning streak to cap the season, but none of those wins came against playoff caliber competition.

Pick: Vandalia

Shelbyville vs. Althoff: Shelbyville put together an impressive season blending a high-powered offensive attack that posted 40-plus point efforts in seven of its nine games, while limiting all but one opponent to two touchdowns of less. That one opponent was St. Teresa, so that can be understand. Althoff is a hard team to figure but is not an appealing opponent for a high seed to have to deal with having only played two opponents smaller than Class 4A all year.

Pick: Shelbyville

Red Bud vs. Nashville: Red Bud is the higher seed, but the Muskeeters haven’t played many measuring stick games against quality competition in its schedule. They will certainly get one now. Nashville, who has developed a postseason pedigree in recent seasons, has a track record of overproducing from a lower seed position.

Pick: Nashville