BLOOMINGTON – The Illinois High School Association announced their 2024 football playoff pairings in a statewide-televised show on Saturday evening, where the organization celebrated the 50th anniversary of the playoffs, which takes place this year.
The playoffs were first contested in 1974, with five classes, and have since expanded to eight classes and have become an annual staple of the season, with the finals being played on Thanksgiving weekend.
The local teams open up their quest for the state championships next weekend, which will continue for five straight weekends through the finals.
In the Class 1A South bracket, Belleville Althoff Catholic (9-0) gained the top seed in the bracket, and will host number 16 Dupo (5-4), while Carrollton (6-3) copped the ninth seed, and travel to number eight Winchester West Central (6-3). Jacksonville Routt Catholic (5-4) was seeded 13th and will play at fourth seed Casey-Westfield (8-1), while Mt. Sterling Brown County (5-4) was seeded 12th and plays at fifth seed Greenfield Northwestern (7-2).
In the bottom half of the South bracket, Hardin Calhoun (8-1) was seeded second and hosts number 15 Moweaqua Central A&M (5-4), while Camp Point Central (8-1) copped the number three seed, and host 14th seeded Nokomis 5-4).
Over in Class 2A, in the South half of the bracket, Johnston City (8-1) was seeded number one, and will host number 16 Red Bud (5-4), with Vandalia (8-1) being seeded fifth and will host number 12 Niantic Sangamon Valley. Virden North Mac (6-3) ended up being seeded 11th and will travel to sixth seeded Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond (8-1).
In the Class 3A South bracket, St Joseph-Ogden (9-0) was seeded first, and will host number 16 West Frankfort (5-4), while Roxana (7-2) was seeded eighth and hosts ninth seed Tolono Unity (6-3). Nashville (8-1) copped the fourth seed, and hosts 13th seed Stanford Olympia (6-3), and Greenville (8-1) was seeded fifth and will host the number 12 seed Fairfield (6-3).
In the lower half of the bracket, Benton (6-3) won the 10 seed, and will play at seventh seed New Berlin (7-2), while Carlinville (5-4) was seeded 14th and plays at third seed Williamsville (8-1), and DuQuoin (6-3) got the 11th seed, and plays at number six Monticello (7-2).
The South bracket in Class 4A shows Breese Central (9-0) capture the top seed, and will host 16th seeded Harrisburg (5-4), while Murphysboro (7-2_ was seeded ninth, and will play at number eight Macomb (7-2). In the lower half of the bracket, Waterloo (8-1) was seeded third and will host number 14 Taylorville (5-4), while Cahokia (7-2) was seeded number six, and hosts number 11 Columbia (6-3).
Over in the South bracket of Class 5A, Chicago Morgan Park Academy (8-1) was awarded the top seed, and will host number 16 Tinley Park (5-4), while Centralia (6-3) was seeded eighth and will have a home game against number nine Metamora (6-3), while Triad (7-2) was seeded fourth and will host number 13 Morris (5-4), and Highland (6-3) was seeded fifth, and will host number 12 Marion (6-3).
In the lower half of Class 5A, Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin (5-4) was seeded 14th and travels to third seed Mahomet Seymour (7-2), while Jacksonville (6-3) was seeded 11th and plays at sixth seed Joliet Catholic Academy (6-3).
Over in the South bracket of Class 6A, East St. Louis (8-1) was seeded first and hosts number 16 Springfield (5-4), while Chatham Glenwood (7-2) took the number five seed, and hosts number 12 Crete Monee (6-3).
In the Class 7A pairings, where the schools are seeded number one through number one through number 32, Chicago Whitney Young (9-0) was seeded first, and hosts number 32 Chicago Kenwood (4-5), while Collinsville (5-4) was seeded 29th and travels to fourth seed Batavia (8-1). In Class 8A, where the same seeding system is used, Belleviille East (6-3) was seeded 21st, and plays at number 12 and two-time defending state champion Wilmette Loyola Academy (7-2), while Edwardsville (6-3) was seeded 19th and will have a rematch of last year’s quarterfinals at number 14 Elmhurst York (7-2).
In the eight-man football playoff pairings, Metro-East Lutheran (5-4) achieved its preseason goal of qualifying for the playoffs, and was seeded 16th, traveling to top-seeded Pawnee (9-0) for their first playoff game.
The dates and kickoff times for all the games will be announced by the IHSA on Monday afternoon, with the state finals set for Nov. 29-30 at Hancock Stadium on the campus of Illinois State University, the original home of the finals. The Class 1A-4A finals are set for that Friday, while the Class 5A-8A finals will be played on Saturday. Kickoff times are 10 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m, and 7 p.m. The Illinois 8-Man Football Association will announce the times for their first-round games this coming week as well.
