Maple Park (Kaneland) senior Matthew Richtman has been undervalued this season.
The qualifying teams: #1 Normal (University), #2 Mahomet-Seymour, #3 Chatham-Glenwood, #4 Riverside-Brookfield, #5 Springfield, #6 Sycamore, #7 Maple Park (Kaneland), #12 Danville, #13 Bloomington, #14 Waterloo, #15 Deerfield, #16 Lansing (Illiana Christian), #18 Washington, #19 Normal West, #20 Darien (Hinsdale South), #25 Arlington Heights (St. Viator); Bensenville (Fenton), Burlington Central, Chicago (Marist), Chicago Mather, Chicago Payton, Crystal Lake Central, Hampshire
Opening thoughts: Who said the sectional round was a "qualifying round" for the state championship? There were plenty of so-called upsets which included a number of top ranked teams. But the post-season is more than rankings those who were supposed to advance will now be spectators. Of the 25 ranked teams only 16 advanced to state. While there are teams who peaked at the right team, it is readily known that Normal U High and Mahomet-Seymour are the uniamous choices for the first two spots. But it will be interesting to see where the next five teams who seem to be matched evenly falls in line.