High School Football Playoff Pairings: Who Does Your Favorite Team Face in the First Round?

Class 8A

Upper Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #12 Homewood-Flossmoor (6-3) at #5 Chicago (7-2); #11 Sandburg (6-3) at #6 Brother Rice (6-3).

Favorites: Loyola Academy (9-0) and Maine South (9-0). When they would meet: Semifinals. Keep an eye on: Marist (7-2) and Bolingbrook (8-1). Marist is rolling following back-to-back wins over Carmel and Joliet Catholic Academy. Bolingbrook would like nothing better than to settle a score with Mount Carmel in Round 2.

Class 7A

Upper Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #16 Plainfield South (5-4) at #1 Lincoln-Way East (9-0); #9 Providence Catholic (6-3) at #8 Wheaton Warrenville South (6-3); #14 (5-4) at #3 St. Rita (7-2); #11 Andrew (6-3) at #6 Eisenhower (7-2).

Favorites: Lincoln-Way East (9-0) and Glenbard West (9-0). When they would meet: Championship game. Keep an eye on: Rockford Boylan (9-0) and Providence (6-3). The Celtics would face Lincoln-Way East in Round 2.

Class 6A

Upper Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #5 Oak Forest (6-3) at #4 Thornton Fractional North (6-3); #7 Richards (5-4) at #2 Hyde Park (7-2).

Favorites: Lemont (9-0) and Batavia (9-0). When they would meet: Championship game. Keep an eye on: Normal West (9-0) and Prairie Ridge (8-1). Oak Forest could face Lemont in a rematch of their regular-season finale in Round 2.

Class 5A

Upper Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #5 Lincoln-Way West (7-2) at #4 Joliet Catholic Academy.

Lower Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #10 Grayslake Central (7-2) at #7 Tinley Park (7-2).

Favorites: Morris (8-1) and Kaneland (9-0). When they would meet: Championship game. Keep an eye on: Joliet Catholic Academy. The Hilltoppers look to rebound following a 56-51 loss to Marist. Lincoln-Way West shared the Southwest Suburban Red title with Andrew.

Class 4A

Lower Bracket Southland Patch Qualifiers: #13 Evergreen Park (6-3) at #4 Chicago Marshall (8-1).

Favorites: Manteno (8-1) and Richmond Burton (8-1). When they would meet: Championship game. Keep an eye on: Mahomet-Seymour (8-1), Bloomington Central Catholic (8-1) and Charleston (8-1). Evergreen Park could find 13 to be a lucky number. The Mustangs are a better team than their seed number indicates.

Note: All first-round games will be played Friday, Oct. 28, or Saturday, Oct. 29. Exact times and dates of games will be announced by 3 p.m. Monday on IHSA.org.