October 26, 2024
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2024 IHSA playoff pairings: First-round information for NewsTribune/BCR teams

Princeton open playoffs at home for fifth straight season

By Kevin Chlum
Princeton's Noah LaPorte stiff arms his way into the end zone in Friday's 57-20 win over Mercer County at Bryant Field.

Princeton's Noah LaPorte stiff arms his way into the end zone in a 57-20 win over Mercer County at Bryant Field. LaPorte and the Tigers (8-1) will play Oregon (5-4) in the first round of the Class 3A playoffs. (Mike Vaughn)

Here are the first-round matchups for each NewsTribune/BCR area team. Dates and times will be updated when confirmed.

Class 3A

No. 13 Oregon (5-4) at No. 4 Princeton (8-1)

When: 7 p.m. Friday

About Oregon: The Hawks rolled to a 57-14 victory over Athens on Friday - their third win in the last four games - to earn their fifth win and a second consecutive playoff berth. Oregon is in the postseason for back-to-back years for the first time since 2013-14. The Hawks lost 34-0 to Durand-Pecatonica in the first round of the 3A playoffs last fall. Oregon plays in the Big Northern Conference, which had six of its nine teams qualify for the playoffs. The Hawks beat a pair of 5-4 playoff teams in Genoa-Kingston (3-0) and Stillman Valley (21-13) and lost to three playoff teams in 9-0 Byron (49-7), 8-1 Dixon (35-0) and 6-3 Rockford Lutheran (24-0).

About Princeton: The Tigers will be playing at home to start the playoffs for the fifth postseason in a row. Princeton is 7-4 in home playoff games in five playoff appearances under coach Ryan Pearson. The Tigers have advanced to the quarterfinals or deeper in four straight playoffs and are 5-0 in first-round games under Pearson. Princeton has won four games in a row by a combined score of 216-48 since losing to Monmouth-Roseville, which snapped the Tigers’ streak of six straight Three Rivers Conference Mississippi Division titles. The Tigers are 4-1 against playoff teams this season with wins over 7-2 Newman (28-14), 7-2 Rockridge (27-18), 5-4 Kewanee (44-15) and 5-4 Erie-Prophetstown (5-4) and a loss to the 8-1 Titans (31-3). Looking ahead, the Tigers would face No. 5 Chicago Marshall (8-1) or No. 12 King (6-3) in the second round with No. 1 Byron (9-0) or No. 9 Montini (7-2) likely in the quarterfinals.

Illinois 8-Man

No. 13 West Central (6-3) at No. 4 Amboy co-op (8-1)

When: TBD

About West Central: The Heat are back in the playoffs after going 3-6 last season. West Central won the Illinois 8-Man Association state title in 2022, beating Amboy 44-36 in the championship. The Heat won their first six games against teams that finished a combined 11-41 before losing the final three games against playoffs teams that are a combined 21-5.

About Amboy: The Clippers begin their state title defense against a team they beat 50-8 in Week 8. After having its 17-game winning streak snapped in Week 5, Amboy has won its last four games by a combined score of 228-28, including 64-6 in Saturday’s regular season finale. The Clippers have scored 45 points or more in seven of nine games and held seven teams to 14 points or less.