TRANSCRIPTIE 🔗
WEBVTT
00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:14.070
2026 ISSA Playoffs, Steve Susi's Class 2A Playoff Analysis and Picks. This
00:00:14.070 --> 00:00:17.110
article is being read by an automated voice brought to you by
00:00:17.110 --> 00:00:23.150
Everlet. Round of 16 matchups. Eastland Pearl City,
00:00:23.310 --> 00:00:27.870
six and five versus Piotone, eight and two. Some might think Eastland
00:00:27.870 --> 00:00:31.310
Pearl City's presence here is a surprise, but few teams are more
00:00:31.310 --> 00:00:34.030
battle tested than a team that has to run through a Newark
00:00:34.030 --> 00:00:38.840
schedule as the Wildcats have been tough as nails thus far. Pietone's
00:00:38.840 --> 00:00:41.960
only losses come at the hands of Wilmington and Coal City, and
00:00:41.960 --> 00:00:45.240
the Blue Devils have the blueprint of a strong running game and
00:00:45.240 --> 00:00:51.690
gritty defense that should make them difficult to dispatch. Pick Pietone. Tri-Valley
00:00:51.850 --> 00:00:57.210
9-1 vs Wilmington 9-1. These two programs have run into each other
00:00:57.210 --> 00:01:02.090
an awful lot lately, including last year's 49-7 drubbing by Wilmington in
00:01:02.090 --> 00:01:06.490
the quarterfinals. Wilmington has won four of the last five meetings between
00:01:06.490 --> 00:01:11.690
the two teams going back to 2021, with Tri-Valley's 2022 victory sparking
00:01:11.690 --> 00:01:14.250
a run to the Class 2A title game where it fell to
00:01:14.250 --> 00:01:20.290
Decatur St. Teresa. Pick Wilmington. El Paso Gridley 10-0 versus
00:01:20.290 --> 00:01:25.890
Warren'sburg Latham 8-3. El Paso Gridley held an opponent under 10 points
00:01:25.890 --> 00:01:29.250
for the seventh time this season as it flattened Stillman Valley in
00:01:29.250 --> 00:01:32.930
the opening round of the playoffs. Warensburg Latham is aiming to win
00:01:32.930 --> 00:01:35.730
a third playoff game in a single season for the third time
00:01:35.730 --> 00:01:40.210
in school history. The last time came in 2016. Pick El Paso
00:01:40.210 --> 00:01:45.770
Gridley. Aurora Christian, nine and one vs. At Maroa Forsyth, nine and
00:01:45.770 --> 00:01:50.090
one. Aurora Christian has simply handled its business all season long. Its
00:01:50.090 --> 00:01:53.850
lone setback came at the hands of Bishop McNamara, and the Eagles
00:01:53.850 --> 00:01:58.300
have come out clean in a number of close games. Meroa Forsyth,
00:01:58.540 --> 00:02:03.180
last year's Class IIA title game representative from the South Bracket, now
00:02:03.180 --> 00:02:06.140
finds itself getting acquainted with the teams on the other side of
00:02:06.140 --> 00:02:09.340
the bracket, and didn't have much trouble with the first one dispatching
00:02:09.340 --> 00:02:15.430
Oregon. Pick Moroa Forsyth. Johnston City 10-0 vs Newton
00:02:15.510 --> 00:02:19.990
7-3. Johnston City once again was dominant in the Black Diamond Conference
00:02:19.990 --> 00:02:23.350
and hopes to carry those efforts into a deep run. If that
00:02:23.350 --> 00:02:26.230
happens, it will likely be thanks to a defense that is allowing
00:02:26.310 --> 00:02:29.910
8 points a game to opponents. Newton lost three of its first
00:02:29.910 --> 00:02:33.430
five games, but flipped a switch on offense in the second half,
00:02:33.590 --> 00:02:37.770
and the Eagles will try to ride that momentum now. Pick Johnston
00:02:37.770 --> 00:02:43.860
City. Nashville 8-2 versus Vandalia 8-2. It's the postseason,
00:02:43.940 --> 00:02:46.820
so it isn't surprising to see Nashville playing its best football of
00:02:46.820 --> 00:02:50.340
the year. The Hornets are in the midst of a five-game winning
00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:55.300
streak, which included beating rival DuQoyne twice in three weeks. Vandalia hasn't
00:02:55.300 --> 00:02:59.220
seen much resistance to scoring points this season, putting at least 28
00:02:59.220 --> 00:03:02.660
points in every games, and going for 40 or more in five
00:03:02.660 --> 00:03:08.710
games. Pick Nashville. West Frankfurt, 9-1 vs. Auburn,
00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:10.550
7-4. West
00:03:10.550 --> 00:03:11.110
Frankfort
00:03:11.110 --> 00:03:14.470
has cranked up its offensive productivity over the past few weeks, scoring
00:03:14.550 --> 00:03:18.470
47, 44, and 56 in its first round win over St. Teresa.
00:03:18.710 --> 00:03:22.630
Auburn was 2-4 through its first six games, but has now strung
00:03:22.630 --> 00:03:27.430
together 5 straight wins, riding a rejuvenated offensive attack that has one
00:03:27.430 --> 00:03:33.380
over 50 points three times during that stretch. Pick West Frankfurt. Flora,
00:03:33.700 --> 00:03:39.700
9-1 vs Shelbyville, 4-7. Flora's only loss was to undefeated Johnston
00:03:39.700 --> 00:03:42.420
City, and they haven't really been pushed in any of their nine
00:03:42.420 --> 00:03:46.020
victories, and that's thanks in large part to a defense that simply
00:03:46.020 --> 00:03:50.420
doesn't give up much. Shelbyville continues to make history, becoming just one
00:03:50.420 --> 00:03:53.860
of three 2-7 teams to win a playoff game, and after last
00:03:53.860 --> 00:03:58.830
week, the only 3-7 team to win another one. Shelbyville looks like
00:03:58.830 --> 00:04:02.350
an entirely different team that only won one regular season game on
00:04:02.350 --> 00:04:06.190
the field. Its other win was a forfeit. Pick Flora.