The crystal ball has been dusted off and it says ...

And here we are, at the stretch run of yet another football season.

For more years than I have fingers and toes for, I've tried right around Week 6 or 7 to pull out the crystal ball and take a look at all things IHSA football playoffs as they pertain to the Fox Valley area.

So here's the umpteenth version of I think I know what I'm talking about but I'm not really sure, because when it comes to the high school football playoffs in Illinois nothing is ever for sure.

Here's what we know for sure. Cary-Grove and Crystal Lake South are in and the Trojans and Gators will battle next Friday night in Cary for the Fox Valley Conference's Valley Division title and a higher seeding in the playoffs, if in fact both end up in Class 7A (more on that later).

By the way - Cary-Grove and CL South meeting for a conference title? What else is new?

Well, there's a couple new(er) playoff kids on the block who can wrap up at least a 10th week of football with wins tonight - St. Edward, which hosts Aurora Christian, and South Elgin, which travels to Lake Park.

And while Dundee-Crown, Jacobs, Streamwood and Hampshire play out the season for pride, Elgin, Larkin, Bartlett, Burlington Central and Huntley still cling to playoff hopes, albeit with a rope that is withering with each loss.

So here's a little closer look at the playoff chances for the Fox Valley area contenders.

Elgin: The Maroons are well aware their playoff chances are slim - one more loss and they're out. But they staved off elimination with a thrilling win over Larkin last week and if they don't make they playoffs, they'll always have that to hang onto. Elgin plays at Waubonsie Valley tonight, at Streamwood next week and finishes at Neuqua. Even if Elgin were to run the table, though, the Maroons are sitting on 23 playoff points right now and would need a lot of help to get in at 5-4.

Larkin: The Royals need to win out. And at 3-3 and with their final three games at home, they could. Streamwood and East Aurora are beatable and emotions will surely be high for the regular-season finale at Memorial Field against South Elgin and former Larkin coach Dale Schabert. If Larkin goes into that game 5-3, the Royals will also likely need a win to get in as, like Elgin, they currently only have 23 playoff points.

South Elgin: At 5-1, one would think a playoff berth is imminent for the Storm but with its final three games at Lake Park, St. Charles North at home and at Larkin, Schabert and his troops know there are no gimmes. Playoff eligible, South Elgin will surely make it in at 5-4 as it currently has 34 points. But the Storm have to be thinking 8-1, a high seed and a home game. And it could happen.

Bartlett: A loss to Upstate Eight co-leader St. Charles East tonight will end Bartlett's run of nine straight years in the postseason. At 2-4 with the Saints tonight and the other co-UEC leader, Lake Park, in Week 9, even a win at 1-5 Thornwood next week won't be enough. If the Hawks were to pull off the miracle and go 5-4, they might sneak in. They currently have 27 points.

Cary-Grove and CL South: Playoffs berth clinched, it now just remains to be seen which one comes out on top of the FVC's Valley Division, and it remains to be seen which class they will be in. As of this week, Cary-Grove is the No. 2 seed and CL South the No. 3 seed in Class 6A. And while it appears Cary-Grove - enrollment 1,890 - is entrenched in Class 6A, South could move up to 7A, where it has been most of the season. The enrollment cutoffs change weekly, so seeing South in 6A this week and the cut being South's enrollment - 2,006 - isn't all that surprising. Here's hoping the Trojans are in 6A and the Gators in 7A as it's obvious they both have the potential to make a deep run into the postseason.

Huntley: The Red Raiders (3-3) would love nothing better than to upset the Valley applecart tonight by beating CL South and if they can, they should get in as their final two games are with Jacobs and Dundee-Crown. If it finishes 5-4, Huntley could sneak in to the 6A playoffs as it currently has 27 points.

St. Edward: The Green Wave can lock up its first trip to the postseason since 2003 with one more win, and coach Mike Rolando and his squad would like nothing better than to get it done tonight against coach Don Beebe's Aurora Christian club. A win tonight would also put the Wave, which would be in Class 4A in the playoffs, in a first-place tie in the Suburban Christian Gold. But Rolando will surely remind his team that it's one week at a time. After tonight, the Wave finish with home games against Marian Central and Wheaton Academy, which both stand at 4-2 right now. The Wave need to avoid going 5-4 at all costs because right now they only have 21 points and they surely won't have enough after Week 9 to get in at 5-4.

Burlington Central: The Rockets are also clinging to the faint hope they can win out and get in at 5-4. The points are there - they have 27 - but even if they beat Marengo tonight and Hampshire next week, the regular season ends at Harvard (5-1) and it would take a big upset there to make it in.

Stay tuned. The next few weeks, as they are every year, should be interesting and a lot of fun.

jradtke@dailyherald.com