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The seeds pretty much served their purpose in Round 1 as higher seeds won 14-of-16 games and one of the lower-seed wins came in the 8 vs. 9 game between Hardin-Calhoun and Heyworth.
As such, there are a number of intriguing second-round matchups between teams hoping to make their mark by going deep into the draw as well as a number of the usual suspects trying to protect their turf.
First round picks: 14-2
Second-round matchups
Lena-Winslow vs. Forreston: Lena-Winslow is a dominant 1A program looking to continue its postseason prowess. This is not surprisingly a matchup of NUIC teams after the first round but in something of a surprise, after this game, only one NUIC team will remain in the 1A draw. Lena-Winslow beat Forreston in Week 9 (36-8), but if there’s any team in the NUIC that has proven it can beat Lena-Winslow in the right situation, its Forreston.
Pick: Lena-Winslow
Annawan-Wethersfield vs. Morrison: Someone’s very strong defense is likely going to have to blink here. Annawan-Wethersfield has only allowed 21 points to one opponent this season and Morrison has done the same. Both teams have largely held foes to single digit scoring in games this season, with Annawan-Wethersfield having a slight tendency to put up more points.
Pick: Morrison
Stark County vs. ROWVA: After going 5-5 in 2022, Stark County wouldn’t have been the best bet to be 10-0 at this point, but the Rebels seem to be able to do just enough to keep opponents at arm’s length. That includes a 24-14 win by Stark County over ROWVA back in Week 5. That was one of the few times ROWVA’s offense has been hemmed in, however, and the Tigers are riding high after a quality win over Newman Central Catholic in Round 1.
Pick: Stark County
Hope Academy vs. Aurora Christian: These two teams were two parts of a three-way tie atop the Chicagoland Christian Conference, but despite being the lower seed of the two here, Aurora Christian emerged with the head-to-head win during the regular season (27-22). Both teams defenses have recorded six games this season where they have held opponents to less to 10 points.
Pick: Hope Academy
Camp Point Central vs. Hardin Calhoun: Camp Point Central hasn’t been pressed very much at all this season but if you go back to Week 2 you find the only real challenge the Panthers faced. That was a 30-22 victory over Hardin Calhoun who remains the only team to have scored more than 13 points against the Camp Point Central defense all year.
Pick: Camp Point Central
Althoff vs. LeRoy: LeRoy’s lone blip on the season came in an out-of-character 8-6 loss to GCMS in Week 8, but the Panthers will need that kind of defensive effort along with a big effort from its offense that routinely posts 40-plus points to run with Althoff. The Crusaders have played a gauntlet of larger schools and stacked up points in bunches all year.
Pick: Althoff
Sesser-Valier vs. Salt Fork: Sesser-Valier has held five of its last six opponents to a touchdown or less, but the Red Devils offense has been the constant, posting 30 of more points in all but one of its games. Salt Fork has won games in a variety of ways this season but might be best served by trying to turn this one into a defensive grind.
Pick: Sesser-Valier
Greenfield vs. Casey-Westfield: The closest anyone’s come to toppling Greenfield is 14 points and the Tigers are really stacking points as of late going over 50 in each of their last three games. Casey-Westfield’s defense might be up to the test though as it started the first six games of the season allowing just six total points.
Pick: Greenfield