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The North bracket in 2A lived up to its lofty standards and the remaining eight teams have a collective record of 76-4 as we head into Round 2.
The South bracket had some interesting developments as well including the advancement of a No. 16 seed, Quincy Notre Dame, which was one of six 4-5 teams to qualify for the playoff field.
First round picks: 15-1
First-round matchups
Seneca vs. Rockridge: No one has been closer than 21 points of Seneca since its narrow Week 1 win against WIlmington, but it appears that the sledding gets much more difficult starting now. Rockridge is also on quite a run since a Week 1 loss to Sterling Newman, but unlike Seneca, there have been some close calls along the way.
Pick: Seneca
Tri-Valley vs. Wilmington: The last two postseasons have led to playoff matchups between these two schools with each having one victory on each side of the ledger. Tri-Valley has allowed more than two touchdowns to just one opponent all season, Wilmington has done the same in its lone loss to Seneca in Week 1.
Pick: Wilmington
Maroa-Forsyth vs. Momence: Maroa-Forsyth features one of the more high-octane offenses in Illinois, but the second half of the season hasn’t gone quite as smoothly as the first half of the season where Maroa-Forsyth won its first five games by an average of more than 50 points. Momence has experienced a rapid turnaround largely due to strong defensive play as Momence has held six of its last seven opponents to a touchdown or less.
Pick: Maroa-Forsyth
Bloomington Central Catholic vs. Farmington: Bloomington Central Catholic has barely been challenged during its Illini Prairie Conference slate and certainly started the postseason off on the right foot by breezing past Mendon Unity 47-0. The road hasn’t been as smooth for Farmington, which has included a few high wire acts including a narrow win over Bismarck-Henning in Round 1.
Pick: Bloomington Central Catholic
Quincy Notre Dame vs. Nashville: A rough schedule left the Raiders with a 4-5 record by enough playoff points to get them into the playoff field and apparently enough firepower to make an impact in the postseason. Making an impact in the postseason is what Nashville typically does as its won eight postseason games and made two finals in the last three playoff seasons.
Pick: Nashville
Athens vs. Red Bud: Athens is a break or two from an undefeated season and looks really dangerous in this 2A bracket and a comfortable win in Round 1 does little to dissuade that notion. It remains to be seen how Red Bud will fare outside of the confines of the Cahokia Conference, it played all but one of its regular season games and its first playoff game against league members.
Pick: Athens
Shelbyville vs. Vandalia: Both of these two teams are a bit of a difficult read. Shelbyville breezed through the first eight weeks of the season but were handily dispatched by Nashville in Week 9. Vandalia, on the other hand, hasn’t strung together anything longer than a four-game winning streak and has at times shown defensive stability while at other times has given up points in bunches.
Pick: Shelbyville
Johnston City vs. Breese Mater Dei: Johnston City is hoping to at the very least duplicate its semifinal appearance of a year ago and has consistently been able to lean on its defensive unit to put them in a good place. Mater Dei has played a considerably more strenuous schedule and its three losses (Mount Zion, Breese Central, Althoff) have all come to teams still alive in the playoffs.
Pick: Breese Mater Dei