The 2026 Illinois High School Association (IHSA) football postseason has officially kicked off for Peoria-area teams, with the first round of the bracket now fully defined. Following a successful opening weekend where Metamora, Washington, LaSalle-Peru, Abingdon-Avon, Olympia, and Illini West secured victories on Friday, Oct. 23, the momentum continues. Farmington, Havana, and Princeton joined the winning column on Saturday, Oct. 24, setting the stage for a competitive weekend ahead.
Stark County, Pekin, and Morton host as top seeds look to extend winning streaks.
Attention now shifts to the next wave of action scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, or Saturday, Oct. 31. Several prominent Peoria-area programs, including Stark County, Annawan/Wethersfield, El Paso-Gridley, Macomb Dunlap, Pekin, and Morton, will serve as the hosts for their respective first-round matchups. These home-field advantages are crucial as teams aim to protect their seeds and advance deeper into the tournament.
One notable matchup features (20) LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy (5-5) traveling to face (4) Dunlap (8-1) at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. This game highlights the disparity in current form, with Dunlap entering as a strong favorite given their dominant record. As the brackets tighten, these initial clashes will determine which Peoria-area teams maintain their postseason momentum and which will face an early exit.
Source: Yahoo Sports
