The biggest draw on the 3A side is the late semi-final slot.
For Naperville Central, the appeal is obvious: familiar surroundings and a direct path to the final. But 3A also looks balanced on paper. New Trier, Edwardsville, Gurnee Warren and Naperville Central all arrive as last-four teams, which usually means the margins are thin and game management matters as much as flair.
The report says the programme opens with Class 1A on Thursday.
That bracket leaves the two top seeds, Father McGiveney and Johnsburg, on course for a potential final meeting if both advance.
Class 2A then takes over on Friday afternoon.
Across the three days, the event is expected to feature six semi-finals, three third-place matches and three championship games. That format leaves little room for recovery and puts extra weight on how teams handle momentum from one round to the next.
By Saturday, the focus will shift from bracket math to silverware. The next storyline to watch is whether Naperville Central can turn its local setting into a 3A final appearance - and whether the top seeds in 1A and 2A can justify their billing when the trophies are on the line.