Soucie: Week 7 playoff projection

There is a strange amount of consistency running through the projection at this point, which likely means chaos is still yet to come.

But one thing is fairly clear: 4-5 teams with high playoff points are in much better position to make the playoff field than ever before. A whopping 14 of those teams are projected to make the field.

The list of teams that entered the projected field this week – either they had been in the projection before and departed for some reason or are entirely new to the draw – was just 12 teams. That’s the lowest number of the season to date, establishing that more and more teams are cementing their place and the instability is slowly starting to fade.

The bubbles between classes are still fascinating to look at. Wilmington continues to pop us as one of the largest teams in Class 2A, while Rochester gets closer and closer to being virtually assured a return to the Class 4A fray as one of the classes larger teams.

Prairie Ridge was an interesting addition to the Class 5A field as the largest member of that group. That classification continues to be one that has teams enter and leave on a week-to-week basis. This isn’t uncommon for the middle classifications, but still more than worthy of note.

Here’s a look at all eight classes with the final two weeks projected to make up the 256-team playoff field. Maps are provided for Class 1A through 6A to see where the north/south dividing line could break. Class 7A and Class 8A are not divided into geographic groups.

Class 8A

Class 8A Playoff Projection
(32) Sandburg	at	(1) Loyola
(17) Naperville Central	at	(16) Marist
(25) New Trier	at	(8) Glenbard West
(24) Minooka	at	(9) Lincoln-Way East
(29) Edwardsville	at	(4) Warren
(20) O’Fallon	at	(13) Hinsdale Central
(28) Conant	at	(5) Lockport
(21) Oswego East	at	(12) Glenbrook South
(31) Rich Township	at	(2) Neuqua Valley
(18) Homewood-Flossmoor	at	(15) Taft
(26) Bartlett	at	(7) York
(23) Palatine	at	(10) Oswego
(30) Plainfield South	at	(3) South Elgin
(19) Evanston	at	(14) Bolingbrook
(27) Downers Grove South	at	(6) Maine South
(22) Naperville North	at	(11) Plainfield North

New Teams in Class 8A Field

Team	Reason
Bartlett	Fifth place in the Upstate Eight really seems like it is up for grabs.
Conant	Razor thin margins in the Mid-Suburban.
Plainfield North	Was in 7A.

Class 7A

Class 7A Playoff Projection
(32) Yorkville	at	(1) Batavia
(17) T.F. South	at	(16) Pekin
(25) Thornwood	at	(8) Plainfield Central
(24) Willowbrook	at	(9) Brother Rice
(29) Wheaton Warrenville South	at	(4) Normal Community
(20) Libertyville	at	(13) Moline
(28) Rolling Meadows	at	(5) Wheaton North
(21) Jacobs	at	(12) Glenbard East
(31) St. Charles North	at	(2) Hononegah
(18) Mt. Carmel	at	(15) Prospect
(26) Geneva	at	(7) Collinsville
(23) Whitney Young	at	(10) Glenbard North
(30) Lincoln-Way West	at	(3) Hersey
(19) Downers Grove North	at	(14) Buffalo Grove
(27) Lake Zurich	at	(6) Hoffman Estates
(22) Larkin	at	(11) St. Rita

New Teams in Class 7A Field

Team	Reason
Pekin	Was in 6A.

Class 6A

Class 6A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) Von Steuben	at	(1) St. Ignatius
(9) Vernon Hills	at	(8) Mather
(13) Rockford East	at	(4) Machesney Park Harlem
(12) Riverside-Brookfield	at	(5) Deerfield
(15) Hampshire	at	(2) Cary-Grove
(10) Crystal Lake Central	at	(7) Lake Forest
(14) Crystal Lake South	at	(3) Wauconda
(11) Grayslake Central	at	(6) Belvidere North
South Bracket
(16) Danville	at	(1) Lemont
(9) Blue Island Eisenhower	at	(8) Rock Island
(13) Shepard	at	(4) Crete-Monee
(12) Kennedy	at	(5) East St. Louis
(15) Bremen	at	(2) Kenwood
(10) Normal Community West	at	(7) Springfield
(14) Centennial	at	(3) Richards
(11) Glenwood	at	(6) Washington

New Teams in Class 6A Field

Team	Reason
Hampshire	Two consecutive big wins in the Fox Valley.
Crystal Lake South	Wild race for potential last bid in the Fox Valley.

Class 6A North/South Map

Class 5A

Class 5A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) St. Patrick	at	(1) Amundsen
(9) Antioch	at	(8) Fenwick
(13) Noble/Bulls Prep	at	(4) Sterling
(12) Marmion	at	(5) Sycamore
(15) Payton	at	(2) Goode
(10) Lakes	at	(7) Noble/Comer
(14) Nazareth	at	(3) Glenbard South
(11) Rockford Boylan	at	(6) Prairie Ridge
South Bracket
(16) Centralia	at	(1) Mascoutah
(9) Peoria	at	(8) Brooks
(13) Carbondale	at	(4) Kankakee
(12) LaSalle-Peru	at	(5) Marion
(15) Highland	at	(2) Mahomet-Seymour
(10) Metamora	at	(7) Morton
(14) Dunlap	at	(3) Morris
(11) Morgan Park	at	(6) Triad

New Teams in Class 5A Field

Team	Reason
Morgan Park	Mammoth win over Simeon gets it in the draw.
St. Patrick	Path is murky, but has a bunch of playoff points.
Prairie Ridge	Was in 6A.

Class 5A North/South Map

Class 4A

Class 4A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) Evergreen Park	at	(1) Joliet Catholic
(9) Dixon	at	(8) Wheaton St. Francis
(13) Chicago Sullivan	at	(4) Phillips
(12) Plano	at	(5) Stillman Valley
(15) Marengo	at	(2) Richmond-Burton
(10) Peoria Notre Dame	at	(7) Rochelle
(14) St. Laurence	at	(3) Coal City
(11) Hyde Park	at	(6) Wheaton Academy
South Bracket
(16) Effingham	at	(1) Rochester
(9) Paris	at	(8) Mount Zion
(13) Cahokia	at	(4) Murphysboro
(12) Columbia	at	(5) Carterville
(15) Waterloo	at	(2) Breese Central
(10) Macomb	at	(7) Freeburg
(14) Salem	at	(3) Sacred Heart Griffin
(11) Civic Memorial	at	(6) Quincy Notre Dame

New Teams in Class 4A Field

Team	Reason
Columbia	Hard team to read, but has some quality wins.
Effingham	Pivotal win last week, appears to be in good shape if four win teams do indeed reach field.
Rochelle	Was in 5A.

Class 4A North/South Map

Class 3A

Class 3A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) King	at	(1) Kewanee
(9) Mendota	at	(8) Reed-Custer
(13) Julian	at	(4) Clark
(12) Monmouth	at	(5) Princeton
(15) Peotone	at	(2) Byron
(10) Carver	at	(7) Genoa-Kingston
(14) Winnebago	at	(3) IC Catholic
(11) Lisle	at	(6) Durand-Pecatonica
South Bracket
(16) St. Joseph Ogden	at	(1) Tolono Unity
(9) Paxton	at	(8) Monticello
(13) Beardstown	at	(4) Williamsville
(12) Newton	at	(5) Fairfield
(15) Harrisburg	at	(2) Mt. Carmel
(10) Piasa Southwestern	at	(7) Prairie Central
(14) Eureka	at	(3) Benton
(11) Elmwood	at	(6) Carlinville

New Teams in Class 3A Field

Team	Reason
King	Win over Hyde Park makes bid more likely.
Harrisburg	Was in 4A.
Paxton	Big win over previously undefeated Monticello.
Winnebago	Straight toss-up game with North Boone this week.

Class 3A North/South Map

Class 2A

Class 2A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) Taylor Ridge Rockridge	at	(1) Wilmington
(9) Erie	at	(8) Clifton Central
(13) Bishop McNamara	at	(4) Farmington
(12) Momence	at	(5) Knoxville
(15) Mendon Unity	at	(2) Tri-Valley
(10) Tremont	at	(7) North Lawndale
(14) El Paso	at	(3) Bismarck-Henning
(11) Mercer County	at	(6) Deer Creek Mackinaw
South Bracket
(16) Red Bud	at	(1) St. Teresa
(9) Westville	at	(8) Chester
(13) Arthur	at	(4) Johnston City
(12) North Mac	at	(5) Maroa-Forsyth
(15) Flora	at	(2) Pana
(10) White County	at	(7) Nashville
(14) Shelbyville	at	(3) Breese Mater Dei
(11) Lawrenceville	at	(6) Vandalia

New Teams in Class 2A Field

Team
Mendon Unity	Western Illinois Valley Conference has been really tough to parse.
Nashville	Was in 3A.

Class 2A North/South Map

Class 1A

Class 1A Playoff Projection
North Bracket
(16) Illini West	at	(1) Lena-Winslow
(9) St. Bede	at	(8) Forreston
(13) Galena	at	(4) Camp Point Central
(12) Ridgeview	at	(5) Ottawa Marquette
(15) Annawan-Wethersfield	at	(2) Rushville
(10) Aurora Christian	at	(7) Iroquois West
(14) Princeville	at	(3) Abingdon
(11) Hope Academy	at	(6) Fulton
South Bracket
(16) Tuscola	at	(1) Carrollton
(9) Nokomis	at	(8) Winchester West Central
(13) Macon Meridian	at	(4) Salt Fork
(12) Greenfield	at	(5) Arcola
(15) Warrensburg-Latham	at	(2) Cumberland
(10) Brown County	at	(7) Sesser-Valier
(14) Villa Grove	at	(3) Moweaqua Central A&M
(11) Casey-Westfield	at	(6) Athens

New Teams in Class 1A Field

Team	Reason
None