2026 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 5A playoff analysis and picks
Anita Patel, a graduate of DePaul University, has over 8 years of experience covering high school athletics for various local publications. She has a deep passion for sports and youth development, often championing the stories of student-athletes making an impact in their communities.
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Round of 32 matchupsGlenbard South (6-4) at Antioch (9-0): Glenbard South snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Payton in the opening round of the playoffs, but the Raiders have lost each game they’ve played to an opponent with an above .500 record. Antioch has continued to score points at a fervent pace, one of the few teams in the state that have scored of 400 points this season. They also only gave up 13 points over the last four weeks of the year.Pick: AntiochSycamore (6-4) at Belvidere (6-3): Sycamore seems to have completely recovered from a stretch of games where the Spartans lost four of five games earlier in the year. The Spartans have posted 97 points over the last two weeks, a complete reversal from what plagued them earlier in the year. Belvidere started 0-3 against the best three teams in the NIC-10 and had little trouble navigating the last six weeks of the regular season after it.Pick: SycamoreLakes (5-5) at Wauconda (7-2): Lakes earned its first playoff victo