IHSA

Who Hosts the Semifinals — 2009

WHO WILL HOST?

Looking forward to the semifinals, who will host the games? Here are the criteria used to make the decision:

The host is the school that has hosted fewer times during the current playoff series.
If tied, and the bracket was paired as one group of 16 teams, the host is the school with the higher seed.
If tied, and the bracket was paired as two groups of 8 teams, the host is the school with the higher initial seeding criteria, as follows:
a. Most wins at the end of the regular season.
b. If still tied, most playoff points at the end of the regular season.
c. If still tied, higher conference standing (if both teams are members of a conference).
If still tied, the team on the top half of the bracket will host.

To clarify the situation in those classes where teams were paired in groups of 8, here are all the possible semifinal scenarios:

CLASS 1A POSSIBLE SEMIFINAL ROUND PAIRINGS

Lower Bracket
#1 Lexington at #4 Lena (L.-Winslow) (fewer home games, 1-2)
#2 Alexis (United) at #4 Lena (L.-Winslow) (fewer home games, 1-2)
#3 East Dubuque at #1 Lexington (more wins, 9-8)
#2 Alexis (United) at #3 East Dubuque (more playoff points, 37-31)

CLASS 3A POSSIBLE SEMIFINAL ROUND PAIRINGS

Lower Bracket
#1 Carthage (Illini West) at #1 Stillman Valley (fewer home games, 2-3)
#1 Carthage (Illini West) at #6 Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) (fewer home games, 2-3)
#2 Wilmington at #1 Stillman Valley (more playoff points, 38-33)
#6 Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) at #2 Wilmington (more wins, 9-6)

CLASS 7A POSSIBLE SEMIFINAL ROUND PAIRINGS

Upper Bracket
#5 O'Fallon (H.S.) at #2 Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) (more wins, 8-6)
#5 O'Fallon (H.S.) at #4 Chicago (St. Rita) (more wins, 7-6)
#2 East St. Louis (Sr.) at #2 Wheaton (W. Warrenville South) (more wins, 8-7)
#2 East St. Louis (Sr.) at #4 Chicago (St. Rita) (more playoff points, 47-42)