A surprising number of area schools advanced both boats to the Illinois High School Association’s state finals for bass fishing Friday and Saturday at Carlyle Lake.

Antioch finished 1-2 at the Chain O’Lakes North sectional; as did Downers Grove South at Busse South and Minooka at Heidecke Lake. Brother Rice advanced both boats with freshman Thomas Hall and junior Quinn Hansen winning the Des Plaines River and the other boat taking third. Wheaton North also qualified both teams, finishing 2-3 at Busse Main.

Area teams to watch include Stevenson’s tournament-seasoned senior pair of John Wall and Liam Plautz, who won the Chain South sectional; Antioch junior Evan Schmidt and sophomore Zach Rubin, who repeated as champs of the Northern Lake County Conference tournament in April, then finished second at Chain North; and Downers Grove South, whose freshman Karsten Zurawski and sophomore Gavin Ryan won the ICASSTT event on the Chain in April then finished second at Busse South. Streamwood’s all-freshman team, which won Busse Main, anchored by Seth Nevler’s big bass for area sectionals of 4 pounds, 13 ounces, is intriguing.