Last season: Nazareth defeated Lincoln-Way West 42-21.
Favorite: Peoria.
Dark horse: Peoria Notre Dame.
Best first-round game: Peoria Notre Dame at Washington. Both seem like as good a bet as any to make a run in this wide-open field. The winner just might.
Toughest road to Champaign: Decatur Eisenhower was 6-1 and in line for a high seed before it encountered heavyweights Rochester and Sacred Heart-Griffin the last two weeks. The result is a likely second-round matchup with Peoria.
Don’t forget about: Nazareth stumbled in at 5-4, but the Roadrunners are the defending champion, after all, and the field lacks its usual dominant private-school team. Sterling is 9-0 and the top seed in the North bracket.
Difference-makers: Devonte Dunn, Nazareth; Kendrick Green, Peoria; Kyle Hull, Vernon Hills; Quincy Patterson, Solorio; Nyrel Sullivan, Sterling.
FYI: Private schools have won 14 of the 15 5A title since class expansion. Metamora (2007) is the lone public-school champion.
CLASS 5A
North bracket
#16 Westinghouse (5-4) at #1 Sterling (9-0)
#9 Rich Central (6-3) at #8 Woodstock North (6-3)
#13 Sycamore (5-4) at #4 Solorio (7-2)
#12 Rochelle (5-4) at #5 Ridgewood (7-2)
#15 Nazareth (5-4) at #2 Goode (9-0)
#10 Urban Prep/Bronzeville (6-3) at #7 Vernon Hills (6-3)
More Top Picks Air Purifier Mini
#14 Marian Central (5-4) at #3 Payton (8-1)
#11 Glenbard South (5-4) at #6 Hillcrest (7-2)
South bracket
#16 Dunlap (5-4) at #1 Peoria (8-1)
#9 Jacksonville (6-3) at #8 Decatur Eisenhower (6-3)
#13 Peoria Notre Dame (6-3) at #4 Washington, Ill. (7-2)
#12 Mahomet-Seymour (6-3) at #5 Centralia (7-2)
#15 Waterloo (5-4) at #2 Highland (8-1)
#10 Metamora (6-3) at #7 Kankakee (6-3)
#14 Marion (5-4) at #3 Morris (7-2)
#11 Troy Triad (6-3) at #6 Geneseo (6-3)
CLASS 4A
North bracket
#16 Illinois Valley Central (9-0) at #1 Herscher (9-0)
#9 Dixon (7-2) at #8 South Shore (7-2)
#13 Kewanee (6-3) at #4 Phillips (8-1)
#12 Wheaton Academy (6-3) at #5 Aurora Central (8-1)
#15 Marengo (5-4) at #2 Johnsburg (9-0)
#10 Manteno (6-3) at #7 Plano (7-2)
#14 Coal City (5-4) at #3 Genoa-Kingston (9-0)
#11 Richmond-Burton (6-3) at #6 Rockford Lutheran (7-2)
South bracket
#16 Carterville (5-4) at #1 Belleville Althoff (9-0)
#9 Taylorville (7-2) at #8 Alton Marquette (7-2)
#13 Richland County (5-4) at #4 Mt. Zion (8-1)
#12 Bethalto Civic (5-4) at #5 Rochester (8-1)
#15 Greenville (5-4) at #2 Columbia (9-0)
#10 West Frankfort (6-3) at #7 Canton (7-2)
#14 Watseka (5-4) at #3 Herrin (8-1)
#11 Breese Mater Dei (5-4) at #6 Breese Central (7-2)
CLASS 3A
North bracket
#16 St. Joseph-Ogden (5-4) at #1 IC Catholic (9-0)
#9 Mercer County (7-2) at #8 Paxton-Buckley-Loda (8-1)
#13 Corliss (6-3) at #4 Wilmington (9-0)
#12 Eureka (6-3) at #5 Byron (9-0)
#15 Winnebago (5-4) at #2 Farmington (9-0)
#10 Bloomington Central (7-2) at #7 Elmwood-Brimfield (8-1)
#14 Marine Military (6-3) at #3 Westville (9-0)
#11 Clark (7-2) at #6 Monticello (9-0)
South bracket
#16 Auburn, Ill. (5-4) at #1 Newton (9-0)
#9 Marshall, Ill. (8-1) at #8 Pana (8-1)
#13 East Alton-Wood River (6-3) at #4 Carlinville (8-1)
#12 Hillsboro (6-3) at #5 Williamsville (8-1)
#15 Sesser-Valier (5-4) at #2 Mount Carmel, Ill. (9-0)
#10 Tolono Unity (7-2) at #7 Vandalia (8-1)
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#14 Beardstown (5-4) at #3 North Mac (8-1)
#11 Anna-Jonesboro (7-2) at #6 Fairfield (8-1)
CLASS 2A
North bracket
#16 Clifton Central (5-4) at #1 Sterling Newman (9-0)
#9 Peru St. Bede (6-3) at #8 St. Joseph (7-2)
#13 Orion (6-3) at #4 Deer Creek-Mackinaw (8-1)
#12 Knoxville (6-3) at #5 Hope Academy (8-1)
#15 Sciota West Prairie (5-4) at #2 Annawan-Wethersfield (8-1)
#10 El Paso-Gridley (6-3) at #7 Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (7-2)
#14 Taylor Ridge Rockridge (5-4) at #3 Eastland-Pearl City (8-1)
#11 Momence (6-3) at #6 Fulton (7-2)
South bracket
#16 Rushville-Industry (5-4) at #1 Downs Tri-Valley (9-0)
#9 Red Bud (7-2) at #8 DuQuoin (7-2)
#13 Flora (6-3) at #4 Eldorado (8-1)
#12 Johnston City (6-3) at #5 Maroa-Forsyth (8-1)
#15 Carthage Illini West (5-4) at #2 Unity-Payson (9-0)
#10 Shelbyville (6-3) at #7 Carmi-White County (7-2)
#14 Champaign St. Thomas More (6-3) at #3 Hamilton West Hancock (9-0)
#11 Sangamon Valley (6-3) at #6 Bismarck-Henning (7-2)
CLASS 1A
North bracket
#16 Milledgeville (5-4) at #1 Ottawa Marquette (9-0)
#9 Polo (6-3) at #8 Dakota (6-3)
#13 Oakwood-Armstrong-Potomac (5-4) at #4 Freeport Aquin (8-1)
#12 LeRoy (6-3) at #5 Kirkland Hiawatha (7-2)
#15 Luther North (5-4) at #2 Forreston (9-0)
#10 Westminster (6-3) at #7 Stark County (6-3)
#14 Catlin Salt Fork (5-4) at #3 Stockton (9-0)
#11 Manlius Bureau Valley (6-3) at #6 Lena-Winslow (7-2)
South bracket
#16 Oblong (5-4) at #1 Tuscola (9-0)
#9 Carrollton (6-3) at #8 Camp Point-Augusta (7-2)
#13 Red Hill (5-4) at #4 Decatur Lutheran (8-1)
#12 Hardin Calhoun (6-3) at #5 Arcola (7-2)
#15 Toledo Cumberland (5-4) at #2 Decatur St. Teresa (8-1)
#10 Athens (6-3) at #7 Pawnee (7-2)
#14 Warrensburg-Latham (5-4) at #3 Argenta-Oreana (8-1)
#11 Greenfield-Northwestern (6-3) at #6 Brown County (7-2)
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.