December 21, 2024
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IHSA playoff projection for Week 8: What do Kendall County teams need to do to make the field of 256?

By Joshua Welge
Oswego's Ayden Villa (24) runs with the ball during a football game between Oswego at Bolingbrook on Friday, Oct 4th, 2024 in Bolingbrook.

Oswego at Bolingbrook Oswego's Ayden Villa (24) runs with the ball during a football game between Oswego at Bolingbrook on Friday, Oct 4, 2024 in Bolingbrook. (Gary E Duncan Sr. for Shaw Local)

There’s two weeks left to earn playoff qualification, and several Kendall County area teams contending for a spot. Here are where teams stand before Week 8 kicks off.

Locked in

Oswego (7-0, 24 playoff points)

The Panthers are headed to the playoffs for the 11th time since head coach Brian Cooney came aboard in 2012, and for the 34th time since 1986. Now Oswego will look to lock in a first-round home playoff game, a high seed and undefeated regular season with games remaining against Minooka and Oswego East.

On the threshhold

Sandwich (4-3, 39 playoff points)

A repeat of last season’s remarkable run to the playoffs seemed a little dicey early with an 0-2 start, but the Indians have recovered to win four of their last five games. Sandwich also boasts a good amount of playoff points (opponents’ total wins) courtesy of nonconference games against current unbeatens Manteno and Wilmington. One more win almost certainly secures a bid, and 4-5 doesn’t shut the door with all those playoff points. The remaining schedule, though, is tricky, at 6-1 Woodstock North followed by a Week 9 home game against a Marengo team that could potentially be in the same boat as Sandwich.

Work to do

Oswego East (3-4, 40 points)

The Wolves were a playoff fixture for most of the last decade, but an 0-2 start has made for an uphill climb to avoid missing the playoffs for the second straight season. That said, Oswego East’s 21-9 win over Bolingbrook last Friday was huge in keeping those postseason hopes alive when it seemed to be fading. On top of that, the Wolves have a strong number of playoff points, so 4-5 could be enough to get them in. The challenge? Oswego East first must travel to Yorkville to face an equally desperate Foxes’ team, then hosts current unbeaten Oswego in Week 9.

Yorkville (3-4, 32 points)

The Foxes have made five consecutive playoff appearances, but like Sandwich and Oswego East an 0-2 start provided an early hole. The playoffs in theory are starting early for multiple Southwest Prairie West teams as four – Yorkville, Oswego East, Plainfield North and Bolingbrook – enter Week 8 with 3-4 records. Of that group, Yorkville has the fewest current playoff points, making that fifth win a little more imperative. The Foxes face two teams in a similar boat this week and next, hosting Oswego East before traveling to a Plainfield North team in Week 9 that made the playoffs at 4-5 last year.