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The favored teams survived the first round of the playoffs which is already leading to what should be considered some pretty strong second round matchups. But some upstarts didn’t want to leave the party either as under seeds Ottawa Marquette and Galena picked up what could be classified as surprising wins.
First round predictions: 14-2
Second-round matchups
LeRoy vs. Rockford Lutheran: LeRoy gave up the most points they have all season but still rolled to a win over Aurora Christian in the opening round of the playoffs. LeRoy has scored at least 34 points in every game it has played this season. Rockford Lutheran’s offense re-emerged last week in a win over Annawan-Wethersfield posting 40-plus points for the first time since Week 4.
Pick: LeRoy
Ottawa Marquette vs. Galena: By seed, it looks like Ottawa Marquette pulled off a pretty big upset in its win over Rushville. But by the scoreboard the margin of victory shows that maybe the seeds were just way off as the Crusaders rolled to an easy victory. Galena had to work a lot harder to claim its upset by seed as it clipped Stark County by one point, scoring late in the fourth quarter to secure the win.
Pick: Galena
Lena-Winslow vs. Stockton: Lena-Winslow scored with frightening regularity in its win over Clifton Central taking a massive lead that only held off the running clock because it isn’t allowed to be turned on until the second half. Stockton was one of the few teams that gave Lena-Winslow a pretty strong battle in the regular season, losing 30-14, but finding a way to slow down the playoff version of the Panthers is going to be a tough task.
Pick: Lena-Winslow
GCMS vs. Newman Central Catholic: GCMS put together another strong defensive performance in its opening round win over Salt Fork, limiting the Storm to just a solitary touchdown, the fifth time this season a GCMS opponent had been held to a touchdown or less. Newman Central Catholic got its offensive back on track after being shut out in Week 9 by dropping a 50-spot on Hope Academy in is playoff starter.
Pick: GCMS
Belleville Althoff vs. Carrollton: Althoff got Oregon recruit Dierre Hill Jr. back in the lineup and the Crusaders looked pretty dominant in its opening round win over Dupo. A full strength Althoff roster appears that it’s going to be a very difficult out. Carrollton avenged a regular season loss to West Central in Round 1, but its defense will need to turn in a herculean effort to keep them in this one.
Pick: Belleville Althoff
Casey-Westfield vs. Brown County: Casey-Westfield got a little bit more resistance from Jacksonville Routt than expected as Routt was just the third opponent to net 21 points off the Warriors defense. Brown County was yet another Western Illinois Valley Conference team that was able to avenge a regular season loss as it edged Greenfield. The Hornets would prefer this one turn into a low scoring scrap.
Pick: Casey-Westfield
Hardin Calhoun vs. Sesser-Valier: Since its lone loss of the season in Week 6 to Carrollton, Hardin-Calhoun has been flattening things in its path. That’s largely due to its defense with has allowed just 53 points over its last five games. Sesser-Valier snapped a two-game losing streak that closed its regular season and hopes that momentum can carry them into this one.
Pick: Hardin Calhoun
Camp Point Central vs. Cumberland: The defending Class 1A champions didn’t have much difficulty breezing past Nokomis in Round 1 as its defense continues to stifle opponents. Cumberland rans its winning streak to five games by shutting down Tuscola as the effort marked the seventh time this season the Pirates had held an opponent to a touchdown or less.
Pick: Camp Point Central