FROM PERFECT SEASONS TO SECOND CHANCES: TWIN PIKES FOOTBALL TEAMS BEGIN PLAYOFF RUN

An undefeated powerhouse has a week to prepare. A two-win team has a fresh chance to make something of its season. And several familiar conference rivals could find themselves meeting again with far more than bragging rights on the line. The Illinois high school football playoffs are here, and the new postseason format has created some compelling storylines across the Twin Pikes and surrounding counties.

The 2026 Illinois High School Association playoff field has grown from 256 to 384 teams. Each of the eight classes now has 48 qualifiers, with 16 teams receiving a bye through the opening round. That means teams with losing records are still playing, while higher-seeded programs await the winners of this weekend's games.

BROWN COUNTY: AN UNBEATEN SEASON, AND NO ROOM FOR COMPLACENCY

Brown County of Mount Sterling finished the regular season 9-0 and earned the No. 1 seed in the southern half of the Class 1A bracket. The Hornets' unbeaten record survived one of their toughest tests last Friday, October 16, when they defeated previously undefeated Calhoun 32-31 in overtime.

Brown County had led 24-7 at halftime before Calhoun mounted a fierce comeback, tying the game at 24 late in regulation. The Warriors scored first in overtime to move ahead 31-24, but the Hornets answered with a 17-yard touchdown run by Beau Little. Matt Boylen's two-point conversion secured the one-point win.

Now the Hornets get an opening-round bye. Their first playoff opponent will be the winner of Saturday's Carrollton-Athens matchup, giving Brown County extra preparation time but no certainty about the team it will face.

CALHOUN: A CLOSE LOSS DOES NOT END THE CHASE

Calhoun's overtime defeat was its first loss of the season, leaving the Warriors at 8-1. Their reward for a strong regular season is the No. 3 seed in the southern Class 1A bracket and an opening-round bye. They will host the winner of Saturday's Nokomis-Carlyle game in the next round.

The Brown County loss was painful, but it also showed the Warriors can rally against elite competition. Both programs remain on the same side of the Class 1A playoff draw, although another meeting would require each to keep advancing.

PLEASANT HILL/WESTERN: A SECOND CHANCE UNDER THE NEW FORMAT

For Pleasant Hill/Western, the expanded postseason offers an entirely different opportunity. The Wolves finished 2-7 but qualified for the Class 1A field. Seeded No. 24 in the southern bracket, they travel to face No. 9 Oakwood (6-3) in Fithian on Saturday, October 24, at 2 p.m.

The matchup is a steep challenge on paper, but the prize is clear. If Pleasant Hill/Western wins, the Wolves would advance to play No. 8 Greenfield-Northwestern, a familiar conference opponent. It is the kind of potential rematch that makes the new playoff format especially interesting for smaller schools.

GREENFIELD-NORTHWESTERN AND CARROLLTON: TWO MORE PATHS THROUGH CLASS 1A

Greenfield-Northwestern ended the regular season 7-2 and earned that No. 8 seed and an opening-round bye. The Tigers will host whichever team emerges from Pleasant Hill/Western at Oakwood.

Carrollton (5-4), meanwhile, gets an immediate assignment. The Hawks host Athens (4-5) at 1 p.m. Saturday. A Carrollton victory would send the Hawks to Mount Sterling to face unbeaten Brown County in the next round.

OTHER AREA TEAMS TO WATCH

West Central's Winchester-Bluffs cooperative team (6-3) hosts Sesser-Valier (3-6) Saturday at 2 p.m. Triopia (3-6) travels to Havana (6-3), also at 2 p.m. Camp Point Central (8-1) has an opening-round bye and will await the winner of the West Central-Sesser-Valier contest.

The opening round is scheduled for October 23 and 24, followed by first-round games the next weekend. The Class 1A state championship is scheduled for Friday, November 27, at Illinois State University's Hancock Stadium in Normal.

For RiverNewsLive's local teams, the road begins in very different places: some resting, some traveling, and some playing at home. By Saturday evening, the postseason picture will be clearer. Until then, every team still in the field has one thing in common: its season is not finished.