The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) and the Illinois Pork Producers Association are proud to announce the Flavorful Four as a part of the inaugural Pork & Pigskins State Championship, which aims to crown the best high school concession stand pork chop sandwich in the state.
Advancing from an initial field of 79 competing schools, one of the Flavorful Four will be crowned state champion on November 26, with the four remaining contenders hailing from Cambridge High School, Carlinville High School, Lemont High School, and Normal Community High School.
| BERKSHIRE REGION |
DUROC REGION |
HAMPSHIRE REGION |
YORKSHIRE REGION |
| Cambridge |
Normal Community |
Carlinville |
Lemont |
 |
 |
 |
 |
“The Pork & Pigskins Championship has been a lot of fun for our schools and probably only enjoyed more so by our judges,” said IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson. “The IHSA membership is incredibly large and diverse, but this is a neat reminder of the ties that bind. Big, small, city, rural. No matter the high school, you can find dedicated volunteers who care deeply about what they do. These grillmasters are as much a part of the gameday experience as the student-athletes, coaches, cheerleaders and band members. We are proud to team with the Illinois Pork Producers Association to recognize them.”
The voting for the state champion will take place online from November 1 to November 5. Voting will take place at www.ihsa.org/PorkAndPigskins. The winner will then be alerted and announced publicly for the first time during halftime of the IHSA Class 6A State Championship Football game, which will be held at Destination DeKalb on the Northern Illinois University campus on Saturday, November 26.
The competition began with online voting by Region, as the 79 competing schools were narrowed to the Savory 16. The IHSA then dispersed judges to sample each of the Savory 16, with the Flavorful Four being selected by the judges based on a criterion that includes aroma, flavor, juiciness, aftertaste, and presentation.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association has will award the champion a $500 reimbursement on their pork purchase for next season, a state championship banner, and the coveted Golden Spatula.