Playoff pairings: 2026 IHSA football brackets, schedule for Peoria-area opening round games

The IHSA released its high school football playoff pairings on Saturday night.

Peoria Notre Dame and Metamora are among the Peoria-area teams that will play Opening Round games at home next weekend.

Dunlap, Pekin and Morton are among the Peoria-area teams that will play first-round games at home at the end of this month.

Here is the Peoria Journal Star-area schedule for the 2026 Illinois High School Association football postseason, listed class-by-class and in bracket order.

Class 6A

Opening round games – Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (23) Richwoods (3-6) at (10) Thornton (6-3), TBA

First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31

• Winner of Shepard/Nazareth at (4) Dunlap, TBA
• Winner of Thornton/Richwoods at (7) Pekin, TBA

Class 5A

Opening round games – Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (20) Peoria (4-5) at (13) Lemont (5-4), TBA
• (21) Washington (3-6) at (12) Mascoutah (6-3), TBA
• (18) Galesburg (4-5) at (15) LaSalle-Peru (4-5), TBA

First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31

• Winner of Lemont/Peoria at (4) Morton (8-1), TBA

Class 4A

Opening round games – Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (19) Illinois Valley Central (3-6) at (14) Rochelle (5-4), TBA
• (20) Jerseyville (4-5) at (13) Peoria Notre Dame (6-3), TBA
• (21) Alton Marquette (4-5) at (12) Metamora (6-3), TBA
• (22) East Peoria (4-5) at (11) Cahokia (6-3), TBA

Class 3A

Opening round games – Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (17) Princeton (4-5) at (16) South Shore (5-4), TBA
• (21) Monmouth-Roseville (4-5) at (12) Hope Academy (5-4), TBA
• (22) Woodstock Marian (3-6) at (11) Kewanee (5-4), TBA
• (24) Columbia (2-7) at (9) Olympia (7-2), TBA
• (21) Eureka (4-5) at (12) Paris (7-2), TBA

First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31

• Winner of Manteno/Mendota at (8) Peru St. Bede (7-2), TBA
• Winner of Paris/Eureka at (5) Macomb (8-1), TBA

Class 2A

Opening round games - Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (24) West Hancock Coop (2-7) at (9) Illini West (7-2), TBA
• (21) Pleasant Plains (3-6) at (12) Farmington (5-4), TBA
• (19) Elmwood/Brimfield (4-5) at (14) Winnebago (5-4), TBA

First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31

• Winner of Stillman Valley/Reed-Custer at (2) El Paso-Gridley (9-0), TBA

Class 1A

Opening round games – Friday, Oct. 23 or Saturday, Oct. 24

• (24) Morrison (2-7) at (9) Abingdon-Avon (7-2), TBA
• (20) Princeville (3-6) at (13) Ottawa Marquette (6-3), TBA
• (21) Bureau Valley (3-6) at (12) Dwight (6-3), TBA
• (19) Tremont (4-5) at (14) Newman Central Catholic (5-4), TBA
• (22) Monmouth United (3-6) at (11) Fulton (6-3), TBA
• (20) Triopia (3-6) at (13) Havana (6-3), TBA
• (22) Casey-Westfield (3-6) at (11) South Fulton (6-3), TBA

First-round games – Friday, Oct. 30 or Saturday, Oct. 31

• Winner of Bureau Valley/Dwight at (5) Annawan-Wethersfield (8-1), TBA
• Winner of Monmouth United/Fulton at (6) Stark County (7-2), TBA

More: 2026 IHSA playoff field: The 384 playoff clinchers in Illinois high school football

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 opening round games