December 17, 2023
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2023 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 3A semifinal-round analysis

By Steve Soucie
Montini Catholic's Santino Florio runs the ball down the field as Princeton's Common Green chases him down on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023 at Bryant Field in Princeton.

Montini Catholic's Santino Florio runs the ball down the field as Princeton's Common Green chases him down during the Class 3A state quarterfinals last weekend. (Scott Anderson)

Class 3A has a little bit of everything in its last four teams.

In Byron it has one of the most high-powered offenses in state history. The Tigers have already scored more than 700 points, one of just 10 teams in state history to do so and are trying to run down the state record of 815 points scored by Peoria in 2016.

Montini is a six-tiByron hasn’t been pressed by a single opponent on its schedule this season, allowing an opening kickoff for a touchdown in the quarterfinal round against Durand-Pecatonica only to score 42 unanswered points for another runaway win. Montini has certainly been more battle-tested in its schedule than Byron in a rigorous CCL/ESCC schedule, but the question still remains if Montini can figure out a way to stop a Byron offenw that certainly hasn’t been stopped all year and its rarely even been slowed down.

Roxana is a whole other story as it has emerged from relative obscurity with a chance to advance to its first title game since 1987.

First-round picks: 13-3

Second-round picks: 6-2

Quarterfinal-round picks: 3-1

Semifinal-round matchups

Byron vs. Montini: Byron hasn’t been pressed by a single opponent on its schedule this season, allowing an opening kickoff for a touchdown in the quarterfinal round against Durand-Pecatonica only to score 42 unanswered points for another runaway win. Montini has certainly been more battle-tested in its schedule than Byron in a rigorous CCL/ESCC schedule, but the question still remains if Montini can figure out a way to stop a Byron offense that certainly hasn’t been stopped all year.

Pick: Byron

Mount Carmel vs. Roxana: Mount Carmel has become a Class 3A/4A postseason fixture, reaching at least the second round in nine of the last 10 playoff-contested seasons. The same can’t be said for Roxana, which prior to this season, had only qualified for the playoffs six times in the last 20 years and hadn’t moved past the second round of the playoffs since 1987.

Pick: Mount Carmel