Breaking down Cook County playoff possibilities
With just two weeks of regular season action remaining, area teams are scrambling to be included in this season's playoff class.
Here is who is in and who is out in Cook area teams and who is on the fence.
Hersey (7-0), Elk Grove (6-1), Prospect (6-1) and Palatine (6-1) have already clinched berths. Meanwhile Fremd (1-6) and Maine East (1-6) are the only teams officially eliminated.
Five wins and high at-large point totals have been the standards in past years. But that criteria has dropped dramatically, with it being the lowest ever last season with 5 wins and just 9 playoff points making the cut.
Maine South (5-2), which was the Class 8A runner up last season, is almost assured of qualifying. The Hawks lead the CSL South and will be in the mid 40s with playoff points.
Hoffman Estates (5-2) has won five in a row and should be well on its way to a playoff spot.
Conant (4-3) needs a win in its final two games to punch its ticket. However, the Cougars have a low at-large point total, which could put them in a dangerous position.
Rolling Meadows (4-3) also needs a win in its final two games to keep the Mustangs' playoff streak alive. Meadows has qualified in the last 10 playoff seasons and 17 times in the last 18 playoff seasons.
St. Viator (4-3) is one win away since the Lions currently have 37 playoff points. Viator has a monumental task this week when it plays at Mt. Carmel. They then travel to play at St. Patrick for the final game of the season.
Four area teams are 3-4 and will need to win out to qualify.
Buffalo Grove will need to beat both Rolling Meadows and Hersey to make it. Wheeling will need wins over Prospect and Elk Grove. Schaumburg will need to beat Palatine and Conant while Maine West has to post wins over Niles North and Highland Park to qualify.
Surprisingly, Barrington, which is just 2-5, is still alive. But the Broncos are hanging on a hope, a prayer and then still would need help. If Barrington would win its final two games against Conant and Fremd, the Broncos would have four wins.
Barrington currently has 39 playoff points and that could rise to as many as 51 points. If the at-large cutoff drops to four wins, the Broncos could be in a position to claim one of the final spots.
Leyden changes:
Leyden is making some changes to its final two games of the season.
The Eagles, who are 1-6 on the season, have moved this Thursday's game against Addison Trail (2-5) from Triton College back to the West Leyden campus in Northlake. Game time is still 6 p.m.
Leyden had been playing its home games at Triton this season while new bleachers were being installed at West Leyden.
Leyden also announced that the day and time for its Week 9 game against Downers Grove South has been changed. The new day and time are Friday, Oct. 21 at 7 p.m. The game was originally scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 22.
The Eagles, who have struggled in the win column this season, do have something to remember their season by. Leyden has already set a new school record for passing yards and is looking to add to it.
Through seven games this season, Leyden quarterbacks Ethan Corral and Jim Falco have combined to pass for 1,342 yards. It is the most passing yards in the 97-year history of the program.
Fremd Ring of Honor:
Fremd will have more to celebrate than the Vikings' first win of the season. In a ceremony before its game Friday against Hoffman Estates, Fremd football will introduce its new "Ring of Honor."
The names of the nine former architects of the storied Fremd program, which began in 1967, have yet to be released publicly. The ceremony is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.