IHSA Football Playoffs 2024

[therealmiket86]

Another thing to keep in mind is that 90% of the private schools aren't an issue in football. The CCL/ESCC is just a different beast, especially with 24 teams all recruiting over each other to be the best football team in the state. They split the teams into 6 4-team conferences by quality/locality, and I wonder if it just makes sense for IHSA to classify each division up front (so the top 2 divisions are 8A, next two are 7A, bottom two 6A). Could be more spread out I guess as enrollment dips in some programs, but there's an inherent advantage in being in the CCL for football, for better or worse.

People hate the multiplier and the waiver (for different reasons), but the waiver is correctly applied most of the time, it's just weird that it's on the 2 year cycle (so a team like IC Catholic that is a perennial 4A power will get bumped down to 2A this year because they automatically get the waiver for lack of playoff wins in this recent 2 years).

There are other things that should be addressed too, like certain schools pulling in senior transfers to overwhelm a small division and effectively buy a state title, which doesn't feel good for anybody.

On the flip side, the losing teams are all extremely salty and looking for any way to declare the situation unfair, and to them I say suck it up, sometimes you just get beat, or it's not your day.

The rumor is the ccl/escc is going to break up. Iccp is a 3a school. Besides Althoff who is recruiting a ton of transfers to overwhelm a small division. Montini’s qb was on that freshmen team at St viator last year. He transferred because he wasn’t going to start over kmet.

Iccp is a 3a school that was success factored up to 4a. They have like 40 kids in their program and people act like they should be in 8a

 

[therealmiket86]

State Champ predictions for next year

1a - Lena
2a - Iccp
3a- Byron
4a- Rochester
5a - st Francis
6a - Naz
7a- DGN
8a - mt Carmel

 

[Ryllini]

Thanks for the thread, guys. I had fun watching highschool football and look forward to it next year. If anty of you hear of any rules changes, please share.

 

[Pikeillinifan]

I think LW East will be the 8a champs next year.

They lose a few key pieces, but it will be Jonas Wiliams's second year in the system, and they have a lot coming back.

 

[therealmiket86]

I think LW East will be the 8a champs next year.

They lose a few key pieces, but it will be Jonas Wiliams's second year in the system, and they have a lot coming back.

Mt Carmel losses Elliott but they have a ton coming back. They return 8 starters on offense and 6 on defense. Obviously it’s hard to say now because transfers will happen

 

[IlliniUnited]

State Champ predictions for next year

1a - Lena
2a - Iccp
3a- Byron
4a- Rochester
5a - st Francis
6a - Naz
7a- DGN
8a - mt Carmel

ICCP has to make the playoffs. Not going to be easy with the schedule in the ESSC/CCL

 

[therealmiket86]

ICCP has to make the playoffs. Not going to be easy with the schedule in the ESSC/CCL

Iccp returns a lot and will get in with 5 wins. After next year the ccl will redo their divisions and they will drop down.

 

[therealmiket86]

St Francis returns 19 starters and will be a heavy favorite in 5a

 

[therealmiket86]

CATHOLIC LEAGUE LOSING ITS GILDED EDGE

Nothing`s wrong with Catholic League football that a state championship can`t cure, but unless trends are reversed, the most vaunted prep football division in the state will be on the outside looki…

www.chicagotribune.com

 

[Battle89]

I'm late to the party on this debate, but the situation does need to be addressed. The private schools won what.....7 out of the 8 class championships with East St Louis, a national powerhouse, being the outlier?

I agree with you 100% that schools should be able to play up upon a waiver being granted. ESL in 6A is an absolute joke. It was never a matter of if they were going to win, it was just a matter of by how much.

Hopefully all 8 classes of playoffs, highlighted by the championship games will at least create some discussion.

* except when playing Cary-Grove

 

[therealmiket86]

East St. Louis should actually be a 5a school. Their conference will only let them petition up one level.

Also ESL has won 4 state championships since 2010. While they are very good it’s not like they are Rochester and win 10 years in a row

 

[Second place is 1st loser]

* except when playing Cary-Grove

My son played at Hampshire, so we got a steady dose of Cary-Grove the year they beat ESL. We were lucky to get all of our boys on the buses upright after that one.

 

[therealmiket86]

Was the system broke in 2023 when public schools won 5 state championships.

 

[From the cheap seats]

I would not count out Rochester next year, but they still will rely heavily on juniors and sophomores. This year’s freshman class might be one of Derek Leonard’s best classes. This year’s sophomores also have been really good…and looking further ahead, the 7th graders are also loaded.

 

[therealmiket86]

I would not count out Rochester next year, but they still will rely heavily on juniors and sophomores. This year’s freshman class might be one of Derek Leonard’s best classes. This year’s sophomores also have been really good…and looking further ahead, the 7th graders are also loaded.

Rochester will be the 4a favorites

 

[Piotyr]

Good news: Chicago Christian only loses 11 starters this year.

Bad news: 9 of those starters played both ways, so they really lose 20 starters and over 1/3 of their roster. Plus they're going to get multiplied to 3A or 4A next year.

 

[Battle89]

My son played at Hampshire, so we got a steady dose of Cary-Grove the year they beat ESL. We were lucky to get all of our boys on the buses upright after that one.

Twice, 2021 and 2023.

Prairie Ridge and Geneva, not so much. ESL owns 6A outside of CG. Interesting in that light to read the above posts about Naz and JCA moving to 6A. Is this a sure thing?

 

[therealmiket86]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1728583801021120742

We need to start recruiting Lake Michigan like mt Carmel does

 

[NashvILLe05]

Part of Lombard goes to glenbard south also part of bloomingdale goes to glenbard east

Part of Bloomingdale and Glendale Heights go to Glenbard North (Carol Stream). I went there but we were rarely any good.

 

[IlliniUnited]

Part of Bloomingdale and Glendale Heights go to Glenbard North (Carol Stream). I went there but we were rarely any good.

Glenbard North has been to the semifinals and championship a few times. A lot of teams would trade history with the Panthers. Lyons Township is one of the biggest public schools is the state and they have never reached the final 4.

 

[NashvILLe05]

Glenbard North has been to the semifinals and championship a few times. A lot of teams would trade history with the Panthers. Lyons Township is one of the biggest public schools is the state and they have never reached the final 4.

Yep, my senior year in 2001 lost to Maine South in the State Championship. Lacks consistency though. It’s tough to go up against the Wheaton and Naperville high schools and the money those families have for player development.

 

[IlliniUnited]

Yep, my senior year in 2001 lost to Maine South in the State Championship. Lacks consistency though. It’s tough to go up against the Wheaton and Naperville high schools and the money those families have for player development.

That Naperville is not a levels playing field which is why they left the DVC and now compete with St. Charles, Batavia and Geneva along with the Wheaton schools. Still a tough conference

 

[NashvILLe05]

That Naperville is not a levels playing field which is why they left the DVC and now compete with St. Charles, Batavia and Geneva along with the Wheaton schools. Still a tough conference

Yes 100%. That 2001 GBN squad was chock full of tough kids from largely blue collar families that grew up and played football together for years. They were all Juniors and Seniors when they went on the run to the Championship game. A 6-3 regular season team that lost those combined games by a total of 4 points. Great defense and no FG kicker in a school of 2700 lol. That was a fun year.

 

[therealmiket86]

Yep, my senior year in 2001 lost to Maine South in the State Championship. Lacks consistency though. It’s tough to go up against the Wheaton and Naperville high schools and the money those families have for player development.

Demographics in dupage have changed a lot in the last 5-10 years. Nequa Valley is now like 55% Indian. Football participation is also way down. Carol stream panthers only field a couple teams now. I remember when they were a huge youth program. I think they only had a couple teams last year. Numbers are up post Covid but no where close to what they used to be.

 

[Pikeillinifan]

That Naperville is not a levels playing field which is why they left the DVC and now compete with St. Charles, Batavia and Geneva along with the Wheaton schools. Still a tough conference

Naperville Central, North and Nequa Valley joined a football conference with Lincoln-Way East, Lockport, Sandburg and other West/Southwest schools.

They joined the Southwest Valley for football.

Batavia, Geneva and St. Charles are in a different football conference.