DuPage playoff pairings full of surprises

Thirty-five years later, the IHSA football playoff brackets still find a way to surprise.

Fifteen DuPage County teams learned their postseason fate Saturday night when the IHSA announced the brackets for the eight classes. While some coaches came away satisfied with the draw, others were left scratching their heads.

Among the latter was Wheaton Warrenville South's Ron Muhitch, whose Tigers (8-1) had the criteria of a No. 4 overall seed in Class 7A but wound up as the No. 2 seed in an eight-team quadrant. In a nod to the four 7A St. Louis-area teams, the two southern quadrants were formed to reduce travel times.

Because of the division into quadrants, the Tigers, who open against St. Laurence (6-3), sit in a brutal eight-team group with Bogan (9-0), Geneva (8-1) and St. Rita (7-2).

"We should have been the fourth seed of all 32 teams, and we're not even close to that," said Muhitch, whose team wrapped up the outright DuPage Valley Conference title on Friday. "Our playoff points meant nothing this year. Our 8-1 record and our playoff points should have earned us a better seed."

If WW South faces Glenbard West (9-0) for only the second time in the playoffs, it won't be until the 7A title game.

The Hilltoppers, West Suburban Silver champs, garnered the top seed in the northern 16-team bracket and open at home against Rockford Guilford (5-4). Wheaton North (5-4), also in the northern bracket, travels to No. 2 Rockford Boylan (9-0).

"We're just fortunate to come out with a top seed," said Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet, whose team reached the 7A semifinals last year. "Once you clinch that playoff spot, it's hard not to look forward to Week 10."

Class 8A, featuring seven DuPage County teams including 2008 state runner-up Hinsdale Central, saw an interesting twist this year.

Unlike past seasons when the two 16-team brackets were divided north and south, this time the split went east and west. The area team most affected by that switch was Glenbard North (8-1), which in past years landed in a northern bracket away from its DuPage Valley Conference rivals.

Now, however, the third-seeded Panthers sit in the same western bracket as Naperville Central (7-2) and Naperville North (5-4). They'll open at home against No. 14 Andrew (6-3).

Also in the 8A western bracket, No. 16 Naperville North has a tough opener at top-seeded Fremd (9-0). Lake Park (7-2), the ninth seed, makes the long trek to No. 8 Belleville East (7-2) while No. 10 Waubonsie Valley (6-3) plays at No. 7 Downers Grove South (7-2) and No. 11 Sandburg (6-3) travels to No. 6 Hinsdale Central (7-2).

After playing its first home game of the season last week, No. 5 Naperville Central gets back-to-back games at Memorial Stadium. The Redhawks play host to Lockport in the opening round.

"It's a team we haven't played, so I'd rather have that than a team we've already seen," said Redhawks coach Mike Stine. "You always like to play somebody new in the playoffs."

Only one DuPage County team resides in the Class 6A playoffs. Fenton (6-3), co-champs of the Metro Suburban Conference, plays at No. 4 Crystal Lake Central (7-2).

In another surprising shift, Glenbard South (7-2), a 6A quarterfinalist last year, dropped to Class 5A as a third seed. The Raiders open at home against Western Sun Conference mate Rochelle (5-4), which fell to Glenbard South 49-34 in Week 8 as the Raiders went on to claim a share of their first conference title in 32 years.

"It's a little bit surprising, but I thought we had a chance to be 5A," said Raiders coach Dan Starkey. "It's tough to see another conference team, though. I'd rather not see that, especially since we had such a hard time with them."

Suburban Christian Conference rivals Montini (5-4) and St. Francis (7-2) hook up in Class 5A in Wheaton.

A third area 5A SCC team, No. 16 Wheaton Academy (5-4), barely qualified for the program's first postseason appearance. With 38 playoff points the Warriors beat the cutoff by a single point.

Wheaton Academy will travel to Country Club Hills next weekend to face top-seeded Hillcrest (8-1).

"We definitely have our hands full, but we're excited about our kids getting a chance to play in the playoffs," said Warriors coach Ben Wilson. "We're just thrilled to be a third-year varsity program and be in the playoffs."

Dates and times of the first-round games will be announced Monday afternoon.