11 close games defined the IHSA Round of 16 in Illinois high school football

Just eleven of the sixty-four games in the Round of 16 concluded with a margin of eight points or fewer.

The most contested result occurred in Antioch, where Sycamore defeated the Antioch Sequoits 32-28. Antioch appeared to win the game on a Hail Mary pass. The ball was deflected by two Sycamore defenders and bounced into the air without touching the ground. An Antioch receiver caught the deflection and ran into the end zone. Officials blew an inadvertent whistle at the point of the play. They mistakenly believed the play had ended. The touchdown did not count. Antioch received one untimed down from the 13-yard line. The Sequoits failed to convert the down, allowing Sycamore to keep the lead.

This marks the second consecutive year of disputed final seconds in the playoffs. In the previous season, Fairfield led Petersburg PORTA 8-6. Clock management errors gave PORTA a fifth down. They kicked a field goal to win 9-8. IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson acknowledged the officials' error but cited by-laws that prevent altering on-field decisions after the fact. These by-laws were strengthened after the 2016 Class 8A semifinal between Fenwick and Plainfield North. Fenwick led 10-7. Plainfield North threw the ball away on time. Officials called intentional grounding and mistakenly awarded an untimed down. Plainfield North kicked a field goal to force overtime and won 17-16. The court system upheld that victory.

Other games in the round featured dramatic finishes. In Class 7A, Kenwood led Normal Community 36-35 with 5:06 remaining. Normal Community ran 73 yards to the 1-yard line and scored to take a 42-36 lead. Kenwood scored with 12 seconds left to tie the game. The team lacked a kicker and failed to convert on two to win. In overtime, Kenwood scored a touchdown but again missed the two-point conversion. Normal Community then scored a touchdown and kicked an extra point to advance. Kenwood's loss eliminated all 39 Chicago Public League entrants from the postseason.

Peotone secured its first-ever quarterfinal berth against Eastland-Pearl City. Peotone led 21-14 late in the game. A botched punt snap resulted in a safety for EPC, cutting the lead to 21-16. With under 40 seconds remaining, EPC threw four incomplete passes, allowing Peotone to advance.

Wheaton North defeated Geneva 36-35 in a surprising result. Wheaton North had lost to Geneva 42-14 in Week 7. Geneva took its first lead with 1:23 remaining. Wheaton North drove 80 yards in roughly 80 seconds. Sophomore quarterback Grant Neibch threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Johnny Clayton with 7.8 seconds left to secure the win.

The Chicago Catholic League maintains the largest remaining presence in the playoffs with ten teams. Mount Carmel, Brother Rice, Loyola, St. Ignatius, Nazareth, Notre Dame, Fenwick, Providence, St. Francis, and IC Catholic remain in the tournament. Four other CCL teams were eliminated: St. Rita, St. Patrick, St. Laurence, and Montini. Montini was the defending Class 4A state champion. Three-team contingents from the Western Illinois Valley, Illinois Central Eight, and Interstate Eight conferences also remain in the field.