January 31, 2025
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2023 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 1A quarterfinal-round analysis

By Steve Soucie
Forreston's Alex Riya (3) wraps up Lena-Winslow's Lucas Fye (24) during second round action of the 1A playoffs at Lena-Winslow on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. The Cardinals fell to the Panthers 46-14.

Forreston's Alex Riya (3) wraps up Lena-Winslow's Lucas Fye (24) during second-round action of the Class 1A playoffs. The Cardinals fell to the Panthers 46-14. Lena-Winslow is trying to collect its third consecutive Class 1A title. ( Ear Earle)

There’s been a potential Class 1A title game brewing since the pairings were announced a few weeks ago.

Lena-Winslow and Belleville Althoff have been the bracket favorites and there’s still plenty of reasons to believe that they will match up on Thanksgiving weekend.

But there’s an awful lot of other sources of thunder in this field, teams that are more than capable of finding themselves in Normal as well.

First-round picks: 14-2

Second-round picks: 7-1

Quarterfinal-round matchups

Lena-Winslow vs. Annawan-Wethersfield: No one has come within 21 points of Lena-Winslow all season, can Annawan-Wethersfield be the first? The first step would be holding the Panthers vaunted offense to a reasonable total. That hasn’t happened all year. The fewest points they’ve scored was 32 and they’ve scored at least 46 points in all but two games. Annawan-Wethersfield’s defense may be up to the task though. Eight of its 11 games have seen it hold opponents to six points or less.

Pick: Lena-Winslow

ROWVA vs. Hope Academy: It’s fairly rarified air for both of these programs. Hope is making its first appearance in the quarterfinals. ROWVA is making its second with the last coming nearly 20 years ago. ROWVA avenged an early regular-season loss to Stark County in Round 2. Hope pulled the same trick itself, avenging its only regular-season loss to Aurora Christian in a narrow win.

Pick: Hope Academy

Camp Point Central vs. Althoff: The result could go in the favor of either of these very talented teams, but one thing is for sure, this game will be played at a high level. Camp Point Central beat the only team that has given it a competitive battle all season, Hardin Calhoun, in Round 2 of the playoffs. CPC has outscored the eight opponents between those two meetings 421-31. Althoff has scored 132 points in two playoff games and has posted at least 38 points in each one of its 10 wins.

Pick: Althoff

Sesser-Valier vs. Greenfield: Sesser-Valier’s defense has dug in and is playing its best football at the right time. The Red Devils have allowed single-digit points in six of its last seven games. It also breezed to a 34-8 win over Carrollton in the opening round of the playoffs. That’s the same team Greenfield had to work a lot harder to edge 14-0 in Week 7 of the regular season.

Pick: Sesser-Valier