(11-1-26) The top seeds did most of the damage, but ten losing-record teams are still standing.

The 41 at-large teams that entered the IHSA playoffs with losing records and survived the Opening Round went 10-31 in the First Round on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 30-31 — every one of the ten wins an upset over a winning-record opponent.

By entering record: 4-5 teams went 5-21, 3-6 teams went 4-8, and 2-7 teams went 1-2. Friday was the rougher day, 4-21; Saturday was better, 6-10.

The ten survivors advance to the Second Round next weekend, Nov. 6-7.

The upsets

The biggest stunner came in Class 1A, where Eastland-Pearl City (4-5) beat unbeaten No. 1 seed Port Byron Riverdale (9-0) 11-8 on the road Saturday. Riverdale had not lost all season.

The other 2-7 survivor made its own history. Shelbyville (2-7) won 28-13 at No. 6 Pana (7-2) in Class 2A on Saturday — its second straight postseason win over a winning-record team, after beating Carmi-White County 42-6 in the Opening Round. Shelbyville, now 4-7, is the only 2-7 team still alive.

The most lopsided upset was in Class 5A, where Wheaton St. Francis (4-5) routed No. 2 Kaneland (8-1) 48-12 on Friday.

The rest of the ten:

  • LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy (4-5) 28, No. 4 Dunlap (8-1) 7 (Class 6A, Saturday)
  • Burbank St. Laurence (3-6) 28, No. 7 Plainfield South (8-1) 13 (Class 7A, Saturday)
  • Carol Stream Glenbard North (3-6) 35, No. 6 Algonquin Jacobs (8-1) 13 (Class 7A, Friday)
  • LaSalle-Peru (4-5) 40, No. 2 Chicago Agricultural Science (8-1) 12 (Class 5A, Friday)
  • Pontiac (3-6) 40, No. 7 Chicago UCCS/Woodlawn (7-2) 12 (Class 3A, Saturday)
  • Aurora Central Catholic (3-6) 7, No. 6 Chicago Noble/Rauner (7-2) 0 (Class 4A, Saturday) — a shutout
  • Chicago Simeon (4-5) 28, No. 5 Oak Lawn (7-2) 19 (Class 6A, Friday)

The 2-7 teams

All three 2-7 survivors from the Opening Round are accounted for. Shelbyville won, as above. Rolling Meadows (2-7) lost 35-0 at No. 7 Wheaton North (Class 6A) on Friday, ending 3-8 — its Opening Round upset of Addison Trail was its only postseason win. Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (2-7) lost 35-7 at No. 7 Woodstock (7-2) in Class 5A on Saturday, also ending 3-8.

The rest of the weekend

The other headliners from the Opening Round all fell to top seeds: Princeton (4-5) lost 42-3 at No. 1 Richmond-Burton; Woodstock Marian (3-6) lost 27-0 at Johnsburg; Marmion (3-6) lost 35-21 at Sterling; Lakes (4-5) lost 42-14 at Wauconda; DePaul College Prep (3-6) lost 56-22 at Mt. Prospect Prospect.

The heaviest defeats of the round: Tinley Park (4-5) lost 70-0 at No. 1 Morris, and Burbank Reavis (4-5) lost 69-0 at No. 4 East St. Louis.

Muse AI assisted on this story