The Illinois high school football playoffs is on to the first round for Peoria-area teams.
Metamora, Washington, LaSalle-Peru, Abingdon-Avon, Olympia and Illini West all won opening round games on Friday, Oct. 23. Farmington, Havana and Princeton added opening-round victories on Saturday, Oct. 24.
Stark County, Annawan/Wethersfield, El Paso-Gridley, Macomb Dunlap, Pekin and Morton are among the Peoria-area teams that host first-round games next weekend.
Here is the Peoria Journal Star-area first round schedule for the 2026 Illinois High School Association football postseason, listed class-by-class and in bracket order.
2026 IHSA football first round playoff pairings for Peoria-area teams
Class 6A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (20) LaGrange Park Nazareth Academy (5-5) at (4) Dunlap (8-1), 1:30 p.m. Saturday
- (10) Harvey Thornton (7-3) at (7) Pekin (6-3), TBA
Class 5A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (13) Lemont (6-4) at (4) Morton (8-1), TBA
- (12) Washington (4-6) at (5) Troy Triad (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday
- (15) LaSalle-Peru (5-5) at (2) Chicago Agricultural Science (8-1), TBA
Class 4A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (12) Metamora (7-3) at (5) Breese Central (8-1), 7 p.m. Friday
Class 3A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (17) Princeton (5-5) at (1) Richmond-Burton (9-0)
- (9) Manteno (7-3) at (8) Peru St. Bede (7-2), TBA
- (9) Olympia (8-2) at (8) Monticello (7-2), TBA
- (12) Paris (8-2) at (5) Macomb (8-1), TBA
Class 2A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (9) Illini West (8-2) at (8) Peotone (7-2), TBA
- (12) Farmington (6-4) at (5) Wilmington (8-1)
- (15) Stillman Valley (5-5) at (2) El Paso-Gridley (9-0), 7 p.m. Friday
Class 1A
First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31
- (9) Abingdon-Avon (8-2) at (8) Fisher (7-2), TBA
- (12) Dwight (7-3) at (5) Annawan-Wethersfield (8-1), TBA
- (11) Fulton (7-3) at (6) Stark County (7-2), TBA
- (13) Havana (7-3) at (4) Sullivan (8-1), TBA
Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Playoff pairings: 2026 IHSA football brackets, schedule for Peoria-area first round games