2026 IHSA playoffs: Steve Soucie’s Class 3A playoff analysis and picks

Round of 16 matchupsRichmond-Burton (10-0) vs. Manteno (8-3): Richmond-Burton has been a lethal combination of potent offense and extremely stingy defense having allowed just 35 points over its last seven games. Manteno’s offense has really caught a groove over the last three weeks. The two schools have a common opponent in Johnsburg. Manteno defeated them 33-20 in Week 1, while Richmond-Burton earned a 36-7 win in Week 6.Pick: Richmond-BurtonSandwich (7-4) vs. Hope Academy (7-4): A pair of under seeds that are a bit of a surprise to see at this point. Sandwich has already clearly bounced back from a 2-7 season a year ago, but still had a mundane regular season. Hope Academy always has talent, but this particular team is still relatively young and inexperienced but certainly seems to be catching its footing at the right time.Pick: Hope AcademyByron (10-0) vs. Pontiac (5-6): Byron has played in 31 playoff games since 2018 (the maximum that could have been played in that stretch is 35) s