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2002 7A Playoff Central

Throughout the playoffs this page will be updated with the most recent information and playoff out looks. Follow scores and rankings at Playoff Central & The Big 30.

Brackets & Scores
1A / 2A / 3A / 4A / 5A / 6A / 7A / 8A

Last Years Champ; Mt. Prospect (Prospect) (14-0) Runner-up; Edwardsville (H.S.) (12-2)

2002 Title Game Date & Time; Nov. 30th 7pm

Favorites to win the title;Buffalo Grove, Chicago (Hubbard), & Edwardsville (H.S.)
Other Title Threats; Mt. Prospect (Prospect), Libertyville,Oswego (HS)
Sleeper teams: Arlington Heights (Hersey), Chicago (Simeon),Chicago (St. Rita)& Zion (Z.-Benton)

Favorites to win the title;
Buffalo Grove(9-0) - The Bison had a goal this season, beat Mt. Prospect (Prospect). With a possible quarterfinal matchup between the two, Buffalo Grove will have to prove they can do it twice if they want a shot at the title. They have yet to give up more than one TD to any team except Mt. Prospect (Prospect), who they beat 20-14.

Chicago (Hubbard) (9-0) - The Greyhounds became the talk of the town when they made the semifinals in 2000. They lost in a 7-0 game to 7A Runner-upEdwardsville (H.S.) last year in the quarterfinals in which coach Elton Harris talk about as the season they would be the first Chicago Public team to win state. The Greyhounds have the talent this year. With a good group of seniors and juniors who started almost all of last season. This could be the year. A possible second round matchup withChicago (St. Rita)will show if they are for real.

Edwardsville (H.S.) (8-1) - The Tigers have been over looked by many people but IHSFW.com. A heavily populated group of returning starters makes up a team of good looking Tigers. You might say that Edwardsville got the better bracket, but truthfully 7A is the most evenly matched playoff in all of the 8 classes. A possible quarterfinal matchup withOswego (HS)orBolingbrookwill prove how well (or not) the Tigers can handle the northern teams.


Other Title Threats;
Mt. Prospect (Prospect) (7-2) - The Knights are one of the best 7-2 teams in the state. The Knights can make a claim for undefeated status to IHSFW.com if they win the title by beatingArlington Heights (Hersey)&Buffalo Grove. Who they may very well face again in the 2nd round & quarterfinals. Those two teams gave the reigning 7A champs their only losses.

Libertyville (8-1) - Libertyville has beaten five out of six playoff teams, the only one out of the five they didn't was a school half their size, North Chicago . Bu this may say more about their opponent than it does about them. Teams they racked up "W"s against, Lincolnshire (Stevenson), Gurnee (Warren) , Moline & Mundelein (H.S.) .

Oswego (HS)(8-1) - Oswego would be a favorite to win the title if their teams game was judged on defense. The Panthers are giving up 7.8 points a game. And while they're winning by a 20 point margin, out of the 5 winning teams they've played they are 4-1 and have only won one game by more than a touchdown. If the D can hold, look for the Panthers to make it to at least the quarter or semifinals.


Sleeper teams:
Arlington Heights (Hersey)(6-3) - Hersey first & second round may have been a lucky draw for the Huskies. While most teams at 6-3 would be happy to get a 5-4 opponent in round one, they would also be equaly unhappy with possibly facing 7A Champ Mt. Prospect (Prospect), that is unless you've already beaten them like Hersey has. A win over Prospect could mean another rematch withBuffalo Grove. If the Huskies are looking to be 7A's Cinderella, they have to put a little more weight on their scoring. Seeing as how they got blanked 21-0 by BG in week 6.

Chicago (Simeon) (5-4) - The ultimate dark horse of the playoffs. Has played against 7 teams that are in the playoffs, tied for the most of any playoff team this year.

Chicago (St. Rita)(6-3) - The Mustangs find themselves in familiar territory at 6-3. They made it all the way to the semifinals and wound up on the preseason rankings of many, but that was 6A. If St. Rita can win a possible matchup with Chicago (Hubbard) in round 2, it might be back in the semifinals again.

Zion (Z.-Benton) (8-1) - Maybe everybody just gets tired of looking at the scores and stops somewhere around Tremont or Urbana, because the Zee-Bees have gotten no attention this season. And while we hate calling a team with one loss a sleeper, everyone will be surprised, as they were last year when Edwardsville (H.S.) made the finals, if ZB is in the title game.

By Vincent Johnson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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