The final answers just a game away
It took two months, but we finally got that wild weekend.
The regular season's penultimate batch of football games proved to be a handful, complete with upsets, overtimes and everything in between.
And we're only a little more than halfway to championship weekend in DeKalb.
Take the sage advice of Eyes on Five and buckle up. It's going to be a bumpy ride from here on out.
1. Five and alive:
First thing to know about the playoff picture is that the cutoff for playoff points - the strength of schedule number used as a tiebreaker to decide which 5-4 teams make the postseason and which don't - looks to be shockingly low.
Kankakee Daily Journal sports writer and respected IHSA playoff football bracketologist Steve Soucie believes it could be as low as 34. That means just about every DuPage County team reaching five wins should be safely in the playoffs.
One exception is Willowbrook, which is 5-3 and holds only 25 playoff points. But even if the Warriors don't clinch a berth with a sixth win over Leyden, they still can clinch with a loss and a Hinsdale South loss.
That's because Willowbrook, in that scenario, will be the West Suburban Gold playoff representative as its champion. The Warriors beat Hinsdale South, giving them that key tiebreaker.
The other exception might be St. Francis (4-4), which has 31 playoff points. Right now Soucie has the Spartans beating Fenwick and qualifying as the last team in the 256-team field. If things shift in the final weekend, though, St. Francis might be out even with a win.
2. In:
Continuing the thought from above, a bunch of teams either have clinched a playoff berth with at least six wins or should be safely in with five wins.
Benet (6-2), Glenbard North (6-2), Glenbard South (5-3), Glenbard West (8-0), Hinsdale Central (7-1), Hinsdale South (5-3), IC Catholic Prep (7-1), Lisle (6-2), Montini (8-0), Naperville Central (7-1), Neuqua Valley (6-2), Waubonsie Valley (5-3) and Wheaton Academy (5-3) are in. Willowbrook we just discussed.
No one ever relaxes during football season, but these teams are as close as it gets.
3. Win and in:
The nerves kick in for a few area teams that must win to qualify. Willowbrook belongs on this list as well because you can't assume a Hinsdale South loss.
Addison Trail, Downers Grove North, Glenbard East, Lake Park and St. Francis all sit at 4-4 with hopes of reaching five this weekend. Their playoffs already have begun.
Addison Trail definitely has the toughest task having to beat Glenbard West (8-0). Lake Park isn't far behind with a showdown against Naperville Central (7-1).
The most interesting matchup is between Glenbard East and Bartlett. Both teams are 4-4, meaning the winner's in and the loser's out.
St. Francis faces Fenwick (3-5) while Downers North probably has the easiest path to a fifth win against Proviso West (1-7).
Nothing, however, is being taken for granted by any of the 4-4 teams.
4 Shameless plug:
The IHSA playoff pairings show will be broadcast on CSN Chicago beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday. The pairings also will be released at IHSA.org and on Facebook and Twitter.
For the third straight year I'll be making an appearance on the pairings show - joining pals like Soucie and Rivals.com analyst "Edgy" Tim O'Halloran - likely near the back end when the Class 7A and Class 8A brackets are broken down.
You've been warned ... especially if you've got one of those fancy high definition TVs.
5. Stat time:
With last week's win Lisle clinched its first playoff berth since 2008. Wheaton Academy's hasn't sealed its spot, but with five wins and solid playoff points it looks like the Warriors will qualify for the first time since 2009.
If Lake Park wins, the Lancers also will make their first appearance since 2009. A Glenbard East victory breaks DuPage County's longest drought - its first appearance since 1999.
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