Round 1 of the IHSA playoffs...

...begins today! The games I'll be watching most closely are:

Class 8A: #16 seed New Trier at # 1 Stevenson;
                 #13 Curie at #4 Homewood-Flossmoor;
                 #12 Brother Rice at #5 Waubonsie Valley;
                 #14 Bolingbrook at #3 Mount Carmel.

Class 7A: #15 Highland Park at #2 St. Rita;
                 #10 Harlem (who?) at #7 Glenbrook North;
                 #14 Elgin at #3 Carmel;
                 #8 Benet at #1 Wheaton Warrenville South (ouch).

Class 5A: #7 Washington (again, who?) at #2 Joliet Catholic.

And tomorrow:

Class 8A: #13 Notre Dame at #4 Maine South;
                #15 Young at #2 Loyola;
                #11 Glenbrook South at #6 Barrington.

Class 7A: #9 Schaumburg at #8 Elk Grove;
                #7 Plainfield North at #2 Glenbard West;
                #5 Quincy at #3 Minooka.

Class 6A: #13 Fenwick at #4 Prairie Ridge.

Class 5A: #11 St. Francis at #6 Montini.