2026 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 5A playoff analysis and picks

Round of 16 matchupsAntioch (10-0) vs. Sycamore (7-4): Antioch’s robust offensive attack has rarely been slowed down but if its defensive effort as of late can continue to be duplicated the Sequoits are going to be a difficult out. Sycamore has clearly come out the other side from a three-game slide in the middle of the season having scored 139 points over its last three games.Pick: AntiochWauconda (8-2) vs. Belvidere North (7-4): This is only Wauconda’s fourth crack at playing a team with a winning record and they lost two of the three previous encounters with teams of that stature. Belvidere North made a deep postseason run last year, and the fact that they hadn’t beat a team all season with more than four wins on the year until last week’s win over Wheaton Academy seemed to put it in doubt they would be able to do it again.Pick: Belvidere NorthSt. Francis (6-5) vs. Woodstock (8-2): The defending state champions from St. Francis are looking like they are prepared to make a title defe