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In recent seasons the conversation for the 1A title seemed to surround the inevitable title run for Lena-Winslow.
Lena-Winslow got to the title game last season, falling to Camp Point Central in the championship.
That snapped a three-year streak of titles for Lena-Winslow. While the Panthers certainly haven’t gone away from the conversation of teams likely to be in the mix for the crown it seems like things have opened up a bit. Other contenders such as Belleville Althoff, Hardin Calhoun and the defending champions of Camp Point Central all look like they want a say in who ultimately gets the crown.
First-round matchups
LeRoy vs. Aurora Christian: The top-seeded LeRoy Panthers are a senior dominated crew that has been destroying everything in its path. No one has come closer than 21 points in hanging a loss on them, no opponent has scored more than 14 points and LeRoy has lit up the scoreboard for 40-plus points in all but one game this season. Aurora Christian has beat just one playoff bound team all season, a victory over Ottawa Marquette back in Week 1.
Pick: LeRoy
Annawan-Wethersfield vs. Rockford Lutheran: Annawan-Wethersfield is a playoff stalwart but early on it looked like the Titans might not be up to their usual standard. But since a 1-2 start, the Titans have gone 5-1, and the lone loss was an 8-6 defeat at the hands of undefeated Farmington. Rockford Lutheran took a surprising loss in Week 9 to Genoa-Kingston, but the Crusaders haven’t beat a team with more than five wins on the season all year.
Pick: Annawan-Wethersfield
Rushville vs. Ottawa Marquette: Although there have been a few close calls along the way, after a Week 1 loss to Stark County all Rushville has done is win. The offense has been particularly potent as of late, scoring at least 34 points in each of its last six games. Marquette enters the postseason on a two-game slide and the only postseason bound program they beat was Dwight back in Week 4, a win that was reversed by a Dwight victory in a rematch scheduled in Week 9.
Pick: Rushville
Stark County vs. Galena: Stark County has peppered the scoreboard this season and seems more than willing to simply try to outscore opponents if that’s the easiest path. Galena is a tricky read as the Pirates enter the postseason on a two-game losing streak, but one of those losses was the toughest encounter NUIC powerhouse Lena-Winslow has gotten all year.
Pick: Galena
Lena-Winslow vs. Clifton Central: Another year and another string of regular season wins for Lena-Winslow, but a few of the games were a little more competitive for the Panthers than most campaigns. That doesn’t mean they aren’t a serious threat to make a deep run, but it will mean they’ll have to take things up a notch. Clifton Central had to squeak out a narrow win in Week 9 just to get into the field, but it is interesting to see the 2A postseason regular slipping down to the 1A field.
Pick: Lena-Winslow
Princeville vs. Stockton: Princeville limped to the finish line of the regular season with back-to-back losses after rattling off seven straight wins to start the season in largely dominant fashion. Stockton’s story is almost the polar opposite starting 2-3 with three losses to stalwarts in the deep NUIC conference before dominating its last four opponents of the season.
Pick: Stockton
GCMS vs. Salt Fork: GCMS started the season modestly with a pair of narrow victories, but other than a Week 8 loss to LeRoy things have been pretty much on cruise control for the Falcons with a number of lopsided victories on their resume. The second half of the season hasn’t been very kind to Salt Fork as after starting 4-0 on the season its only triumph since was over a winless Georgetown-Ridge Farm.
Pick: GCMS
Newman Central Catholic vs. Hope Academy: Newman Central Catholic’s season was bookended by losses in Week 1 (Princeton) and Week 9 (Monmouth) but other than those missteps the Comets have been consistently strong on both side of the football, particularly on defense. Hope Academy beat just one playoff bound team this season, but certainly challenged itself against the opponents they lost to (Wilmington, Simeon, Wheaton Academy, Chicago Christian).
Pick: Newman Central Catholic
Belleville Althoff vs. Dupo: Belleville Althoff has flexed its muscles all season long in a schedule full of schools much larger than the Class 1A opponents it will now face. They capped an undefeated regular season with a win over 6A Kaneland despite not having the services of Oregon-bound RB Dierre Hill Jr.. Dupo has been outscored by opponents and didn’t beat a single team that amassed more than three wins.
Pick: Belleville Althoff
West Central vs. Carrollton: It’s hard to know what might happen with two teams from the Western Illinois Valley Conference, one of the more chaotic leagues around. West Central won the first meeting between the two teams, 12-7, back in Week 3. But that’s likely exactly the kind of game Carrollton would prefer happen in a rematch as its defense has been consistently better all year.
Pick: West Central
Casey-Westfield vs. Jacksonville Routt: Casey-Westfield’s defense is the shining star of this unit, holding all but three opponents to two touchdowns or less. The Warriors offense isn’t exactly a slouch either averaging well over 30 points per game. Routt just missed surprising Camp Point Central back in Week 6, but that also marked a stretch of season where the Rockets have dropped three of their last four heading into the playoffs.
Pick: Casey-Westfield
Greenfield vs. Brown County: Yet another repeat performance involving two teams from the Western Illinois Valley Conference. Greenfield edged out Brown County 6-0 in the first meeting of the teams all the way back in Week 1. Greenfield has been the more consistent team since the inaugural meeting, but Brown County can explode at times such as posting 60 points in a Week 6 win over Jacksonville Routt, the same Routt team that Greenfield would lose to in Week 7.
Pick: Greenfield
Hardin Calhoun vs. Moweaqua Central A&M: Calhoun served notice to many in Class 1A by clipping Camp Point Central 14-13 back in Week 2 and then promptly playing spectacular defense the rest of the way holding all remaining opponents to 16 points or less and five of them to six points or less. All five of A&M’s victories came over foes that did not qualify for the playoffs.
Pick: Hardin Calhoun
Sesser-Valier vs. Red Hill: Sesser-Valier barreled through the first six weeks of the season, tossing two shutouts and held three opponents to just six points (they also received a forfeit win). But the last two weeks have found the Red Devils on the short end of things including a surprising loss to Flora in Week 9. Red Hill has only played one team with a winning record this season and took a shutout loss in the contest.
Pick: Sesser-Valier
Camp Point Central vs. Nokomis: It’s pretty much been business as usual for the defending 1A champs – score a bunch of points and don’t allow many to the other side. It’s a largely new group of key contributors for Camp Point, though, and the bullseye on their back will be large. Nokomis started 5-0 but has dropped four consecutive games.
Pick: Camp Point Central
Cumberland vs. Tuscola: Cumberland gave up 66 points in its two losses this season to Sullivan and Arthur and just 43 points in the other seven games. The Pirates are also on a pretty good run offensively during its current four-game winning streak. Tuscola is all over the map offensively, having scored liberally in its wins, but either 7 or 8 points in all four of its losses.
Pick: Cumberland