The blind drawing that determines the state final pairings in bracketed team sports was held at the IHSA Office on Wednesday, December 15, starting at approximately 2:30 pm. This drawing covered the winter sports of girls basketball, boys basketball, and dual team wrestling.
Traditionally, the pairings are made by ordering the sites that feed into the state finals in alphabetical order and numbering them. Then numbered peas are drawn from a bottle. The number on the first pea drawn represents the site whose winner will occupy the first position on the bracket, and so on.
Boys Class 1A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of LeRoy Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of LeRoy Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of Morrison Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of Morrison Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of Roxana Sectional
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of Roxana Sectional
Pea #7 represents winner of Match 1 of Wilmington Sectional
Pea #8 represents winner of Match 2 of Wilmington Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Quarterfinal bracket position #1: pea #7, Match 1 of Wilmington Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #5, Match 1 of Roxana Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #8, Match 2 of Wilmington Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Match 1 of Morrison Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #4, Match 2 of Morrison Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #6, Match 2 of Roxana Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #1, Match 1 of LeRoy Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #2, Match 2 of LeRoy Sectional
Boys Class 2A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of Bensenville (Fenton) Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of Bensenville (Fenton) Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of LaSalle (L.-Peru) Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of LaSalle (L.-Peru) Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of Sandwich Sectional
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of Sandwich Sectional
Pea #7 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA Sectional (central and southern Illinois)
Pea #8 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA Sectional (central and southern Illinois)
Bracket drawing:
Quarterfinal bracket position #1: pea #7, Match 1 of TBA Sectional (central and southern Illinois)
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #3, Match 1 of LaSalle (L.-Peru) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #4, Match 2 of LaSalle (L.-Peru) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #1, Match 1 of Bensenville (Fenton) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #8, Match 2 of TBA Sectional (central and southern Illinois)
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #6, Match 2 of Sandwich Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #2, Match 2 of Bensenville (Fenton) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #5, Match 1 of Sandwich Sectional
Boys Class 3A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of Darien (Hinsdale South) Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of Darien (Hinsdale South) Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of Elmhurst (York) Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of Elmhurst (York) Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA #1 Sectional (northern Illinois)
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA #1 Sectional (northern Illinois)
Pea #7 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA #2 Sectional (south suburbs and downstate Illinois)
Pea #8 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA #2 Sectional (south suburbs and downstate Illinois)
Bracket drawing:
Quarterfinal bracket position #1: pea #6, Match 2 of TBA #1 Sectional (northern Illinois)
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Match 2 of Elmhurst (York) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #7, Match 1 of TBA #2 Sectional (south suburbs and downstate Illinois) Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #2, Match 2 of Darien (Hinsdale South) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #5, Match 1 of TBA #1 Sectional (northern Illinois)
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #8, Match 2 of TBA #2 Sectional (south suburbs and downstate Illinois) Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #3, Match 1 of Elmhurst (York) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #1, Match 1 of Darien (Hinsdale South) Sectional
Girls Class 1A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of DeKalb (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Jacksonville (Illinois College) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #4, Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #3, Jacksonville (Illinois College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #2, DeKalb (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #1, Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Girls Class 2A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Decatur (Millikin U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Monmouth (M. College) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Villa Park (Willowbrook) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #3, Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #2, Monmouth (M. College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #1, Decatur (Millikin U.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #4, Villa Park (Willowbrook) Super-Sectional
Girls Class 3A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Chicago (Loyola U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Pontiac Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of TBA Super-Sectional (probably in northwest suburbs)
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #3, Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, TBA Super-Sectional (probably in northwest suburbs)
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #2, Pontiac Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #1, Chicago (Loyola U.) Super-Sectional
Girls Class 4A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Barrington Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Chicago (Loyola U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Chicago (St. Xavier U.) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #1, Barrington Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #3, Chicago (Loyola U.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #2, Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #4, Chicago (St. Xavier U.) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 1A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Jacksonville (Jacksonville Bowl) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #2, Jacksonville (Jacksonville Bowl) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Salem (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #1, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 2A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Joliet (Central) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of West Frankfort (Frankfort) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #1, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #2, Joliet (Central) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #4, West Frankfort (Frankfort) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 3A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Hoffman Estates (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Springfield (Prairie Capitol Convention Center) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of TBA Super-Sectional (Chicago)
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #4, TBA Super-Sectional (Chicago)
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #1, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #3, Springfield (Prairie Capitol Convention Center) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #2, Hoffman Estates (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 4A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Hinsdale (Central) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of TBA Super-Sectional (Chicago)
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #1, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #2, Hinsdale (Central) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #3, Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #4, TBA Super-Sectional (Chicago)
Sectional Pairings
In boys wrestling, the regional winners will be paired at the sectional level as follows:
- The names of the four regional sites will be alphabetized according to standard IHSA naming protocol and numbered from 1 to 4.
- The first sectional match (Match 1) will pair the winner of Regional #2 and the winner of Regional #4.
- The second sectional match (Match 2) will pair the winner of Regional #1 and the winner of Regional #3.
- The winners of Match 1 and Match 2 will both advance to the state final tournament. The pairings for the state final tournament are outlined above.
In boys and girls basketball tournaments where teams are assigned directly to regionals, the regional winners will be paired at the sectional level as follows:
- The names of the four regional sites will be alphabetized according to standard IHSA naming protocol and numbered from 1 to 4.
- The first sectional semifinal will pair the winner of Regional #2 and the winner of Regional #1.
- The second sectional semifinal will pair the winner of Regional #4 and the winner of Regional #3.
An exception to these pairings is made for the southernmost sectional in the following tournaments: Class 4A girls basketball and Class 4A boys basketball. In these sectionals, the two regional winners from the Metro-East area will be paired in one semifinal and play at a local site. The winners of the other two regionals will play their semifinal at the sectional site.