The blind drawing that determines the state final pairings in bracketed team sports was held at the IHSA Office on Friday, December 18, starting at approximately 10:30 am. This drawing covered the winter sports of girls basketball, boys basketball, and dual team wrestling.
Greg Halbleib, radio announcer for the WJBC, made the drawings. 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 Wrestling Sectional Pairings
In boys wrestling, regional champions will be paired randomly at the sectional, according to the following system:
- The names of the four regional sites will be alphabetized according to standard IHSA naming protocol and assigned a letter from A to D.
- The first sectional match (Match 1) will pair the winner of Regional C and the winner of Regional D.
- The second sectional match (Match 2) will pair the winner of Regional A and the winner of Regional B.
- The winners of Match 1 and Match 2 will advance to the state final tournament.
Boys Class 1A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of Oregon Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of Oregon Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of Stanford (Olympia) Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of Stanford (Olympia) Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of Vandalia Sectional
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of Vandalia 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 #5, Match 1 of Vandalia Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #8, Match 2 of Wilmington Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #2, Match 2 of Oregon Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #6, Match 2 of Vandalia Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #7, Match 1 of Wilmington Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #4, Match 2 of Stanford (Olympia) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #1, Match 1 of Oregon Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #3, Match 1 of Stanford (Olympia) Sectional
Boys Class 2A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of Geneseo Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of Geneseo Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of Mattoon Sectional
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of Mattoon Sectional
Pea #7 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA Sectional (south and west suburbs)
Pea #8 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA Sectional (south and west suburbs)
Bracket drawing:
Quarterfinal bracket position #1: pea #5, Match 1 of Mattoon Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #8, Match 2 of TBA Sectional (south and west suburbs)
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #4, Match 2 of Geneseo Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Match 1 of Geneseo Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #2, Match 2 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #7, Match 1 of TBA Sectional (south and west suburbs)
Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #1, Match 1 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #6, Match 2 of Mattoon Sectional
Boys Class 3A Dual Team Wrestling
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Match 1 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Match 2 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Match 1 of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest) Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Match 2 of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest) Sectional
Pea #5 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA 1 Sectional (south of I-80)
Pea #6 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA 1 Sectional (south of I-80)
Pea #7 represents winner of Match 1 of TBA 2 Sectional (northwest suburbs & Rockford)
Pea #8 represents winner of Match 2 of TBA 2 Sectional (northwest suburbs & Rockford)
Bracket drawing:
Quarterfinal bracket position #1: pea #2, Match 2 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #2: pea #6, Match 2 of TBA 1 Sectional (south of I-80)
Quarterfinal bracket position #3: pea #8, Match 2 of TBA 2 Sectional (northwest suburbs & Rockford)
Quarterfinal bracket position #4: pea #7, Match 1 of TBA 2 Sectional (northwest suburbs & Rockford)
Quarterfinal bracket position #5: pea #5, Match 1 of TBA 1 Sectional (south of I-80)
Quarterfinal bracket position #6: pea #3, Match 1 of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #7: pea #1, Match 1 of Franklin Park-Northlake (Leyden) Sectional
Quarterfinal bracket position #8: pea #4, Match 2 of Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest) Sectional
Boys & Girls Basketball Sectional Pairings
In both boys and girls basketball, some sectionals are seeded at the regional level. The champions of those regionals will be paired randomly at the sectional, according to the following system:
- The names of the four regional sites will be alphabetized according to standard IHSA naming protocol and and assigned a letter from A to D.
- The first sectional semifinal will pair the winner of Regional D and the winner of Regional A.
- The second sectional semifinal will pair the winner of Regional C and the winner of Regional B.
- The semifinal winners will play in the sectional championship game.
Girls Class 1A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan University) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Elgin (Judson College) 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, Elgin (Judson College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #1, Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan University) Super-Sectional
Girls Class 2A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Champaign (Parkland College) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Rock Island (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Salem Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Villa Park (Willowbrook) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #1, Champaign (Parkland College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Villa Park (Willowbrook) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #2, Rock Island (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Salem Super-Sectional
Girls Class 3A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of TBA Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Elgin (E. Community College) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Streator (Twp.) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #2, Elgin (E. Community College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Streator (Twp.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #3, Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #1, TBA Super-Sectional
Girls Class 4A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of TBA Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Chicago (St. Xavier) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Elgin (E. Community College) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #1, Bloomington (Illinois Wesleyan U.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Elgin (E. Community College) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #2, TBA Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #3, Chicago (St. Xavier) 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 Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #3, Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #1, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #4, Salem Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #2, Jacksonville (Jacksonville Bowl) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 2A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Joliet (Twp.) 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 #4, West Frankfort (Frankfort) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #3, Springfield (UIS) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #2, Joliet (Twp.) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 3A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Chicago (UIC) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Hoffman Estates (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Springfield (Prairie Capitol Convention Center) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #2, DeKalb (NIU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #3, Hoffman Estates (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #1, Chicago (UIC) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #4, Springfield (Prairie Capitol Convention Center) Super-Sectional
Boys Class 4A Basketball
Starting lineup:
Pea #1 represents winner of Chicago (UIC) Super-Sectional
Pea #2 represents winner of Elgin (H.S.) Super-Sectional
Pea #3 represents winner of Hinsdale (Central) Super-Sectional
Pea #4 represents winner of Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Bracket drawing:
Semifinal bracket position #1: pea #3, Hinsdale (Central) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #2: pea #4, Normal (ISU) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #3: pea #1, Chicago (UIC) Super-Sectional
Semifinal bracket position #4: pea #2, Elgin (H.S.) Super-Sectional