Breaking down playoff bubble

I believe it was Yogi Berra who coined the phrase, "it ain't over 'til it's over."

With two weeks of the Illinois High School Association football regular season remaining, Berra's comments seem right on the mark - especially if your team currently owns a minimum of three wins.

All teams with 3-4 records or better are still chasing the dream of qualifying for postseason play.

You could say that it is the equivalent of the National Hockey League or National Basketball Association where sub-. 500 teams and those slightly above still harbor playoff hopes.

I say it's a good thing for high school fans throughout the state of Illinois.

And before you knock the teams with 5-4 records that reach the playoffs, remember what Glenbard North nearly pulled off last year.

Not given much of a chance to escape out of the first round, the Panthers not only knocked off Whitney Young, they picked up three more victories before finally being eliminated by Naperville North in the Class 8A state finals.

Judging by the records of our 10 local teams, 8 of them could be playing meaningful games on Halloween weekend and beyond.

This much I know: 3 teams are already in - Aurora Christian (7-0), Geneva (7-0) and St. Francis (6-1), while 2 teams are out - Aurora Central Catholic (0-7) and Marmion (2-5).

Five others ­- Batavia (5-2), Kaneland (4-3), St. Charles East (5-2), St. Charles North (5-2) and West Aurora (3-4) - still have a little work remaining.

Here's a closer look at the 8 teams...

Aurora Christian: The high-flying Eagles will be making their seventh straight playoff appearance and fifth consecutive berth for coach Don Beebe.

Barring an upset loss to Luther North or Wheaton Academy, Aurora Christian figures to land a No. 1 or 2 seed in Class 3A as the Private School League champion.

Geneva: Shooting for their second consecutive Western Sun Conference crown and unblemished regular season mark, the state-ranked Vikings have already locked up their fifth straight postseason berth.

Perhaps no team has dominated the area landscape like Geneva over the past 3 seasons, as the Vikings own a 29-3 record since 2006.

But coach Rob Wicinski's team will have to knock off rivals Kaneland and Batavia in order to capture its second Western Sun outright title.

Playing those two teams should benefit the Vikings come playoff time.

St. Francis: The highest scoring team in the Suburban Catholic Conference (261 points) has sealed its first postseason berth in 3 years, thanks in part to running back Mark Kachmer & Co.

After back-to-back 3-6 seasons, the Spartans are still fighting for the SCC title and will face tough road challenges from Immaculate Conception and Marian Central Catholic before postseason play.

Batavia: It should come as no surprise that coach Mike Gaspari's Bulldogs need just one more win to clinch their sixth consecutive playoff berth.

Batavia, which visits DeKalb (1-6) Friday night at Northern Illinois University, is on the verge of reaching postseason play for the ninth time in 10 years, 13th in 15 seasons.

Another constant - the Bulldogs' offense which has topped the 31-point mark in all 5 of the team's victories and scored 21 points in each of its losses to St. Charles East and Glenbard South.

For the second straight year, the Bulldogs will finish their regular season against Geneva and likely get another chance at spoiling the Vikings' unbeaten ways.

Kaneland: Last season, the Knights missed postseason play for the first time in 13 years. But with a 4-3 mark, Kaneland could return to the playoffs this year with victories over Geneva and Yorkville.

If Kaneland splits its last 2 games, it may have to wait out a nervous night Oct. 25 before learning of its playoff fate.

Most 5-4 teams make the playoffs. Over the last 5 years, 87 percent (290-of-336) of the 5-4 teams have reached the playoffs.

However, three of the 5-4 teams that failed to make the playoffs were Geneva (2003), West Aurora (2004) and Marmion (2006).

St. Charles East: Barring a late-season collapse, the Saints figure to make their fourth consecutive playoff berth. Since his debut season in 2004, coach Ted Monken's Saints own a 29-11 record.

First and foremost on the Saints' minds - trying to avenge last year's 28-26 loss to St. Charles North in Friday night's annual cross-town clash.

St. Charles North: Another Week 8 showdown with St. Charles East awaits the North Stars, who should qualify for their seventh consecutive playoff berth - even if they lose their final two regular season games.

But once again, Neuqua Valley likely will face St. Charles North in Week 9 with its playoff lives at stake. Last year's result: Neuqua Valley 45, St. Charles North 0.

West Aurora: With a win over West Chicago Friday night, coach Buck Drach's Blackhawks will find themselves in familiar territory - facing a win-or-go-home situation against Glenbard North (4-3) in Week 9.

Win 2 games and West Aurora could reach the playoffs for the first time in 15 years (1994).

What happened last season? Glenbard North 14, West Aurora 7.

Borrowing another 'Yogi-ism,' it's "déjà vu all over again" for the majority of our local football teams with 2 weeks remaining.

csb4k@hotmail.com