IHSA playoff projection for Week 8: What do Illinois Valley teams need to do to make the field of 256?

With two weeks remaining in the IHSA football regular season and the postseason looming for the top 256 teams, here are where the Illinois Valley’s 11-man football teams stand coming down the home stretch.

Locked in

Seneca (7-0)

With a third straight playoff appearance, and fourth in the past five seasons with a postseason, locked up, the Fighting Irish will be aiming to finish their third consecutive undefeated regular season and – more importantly – lock in a top seed. The road isn’t easy, however, as Seneca has a return game against Marquette (5-2) and a visit from Durand-Pecatonica (6-1).

Seneca could fall in the Class 2A [like last year] or 3A bracket, as in their previous eight playoff appearances. Steve Soucie’s latest projection has them as one of the larger schools in the 2A field.

Princeton (6-1)

Although they will not receive the Three Rivers Mississippi’s automatic bid for conference champions because of their lone loss to Monmouth-Roseville, the Tigers have their sixth straight playoff bid locked up.

Princeton will look to improve its standing in the 3A bracket – where it has ended up its last six playoff appearances dating back to 2015 after previously being a 4A entrant – closing the season at home against Mercer County (3-4) and at Erie-Prophetstown (4-3).

Sitting comfortably

Morris (5-2)

With its demanding Interstate 8 Conference schedule and tough nonconference slate, including 5-2 Coal City, 3-4 Joliet West, 6-1 Peoria High and 6-1 Byron Center (Michigan), it’s hard to envision a scenario where Morris doesn’t make its fifth consecutive playoff appearance and 38th in program history. Nevertheless, it will try to lock it up for certain with road games at Sycamore (7-0) and Byron Center (6-1).

Morris’ enrollment of 848 students straddles the Class 4A/5A cutoff, which Steve Soucie is projecting to come in around 850. Its four most recent appearances and 10 of its last 13 have come in 5A.

Marquette (5-2)

A 12th consecutive 1A playoff berth following a 10-year drought seems likely for the Crusaders as an at-large participant even if they can’t find a clinching sixth victory. They finish the regular season with rematches at 7-0 Seneca (beat Marquette 48-13 in Week 3) and home against 4-3 Dwight/GSW (Marquette beat 26-21 in Week 4). Marquette has a respectable if not impressive 33 playoff points, the combined wins of opponents on the schedule and the IHSA’s first tiebreaker after season record.

Steve Soucie has Marquette projected for an opening-round road game in 1A, although winning out could give the Cru a first-round game at Gould Stadium.

On the threshold

Sandwich (4-3)

Thanks to nonconference opponents Manteno and Wilmington being undefeated, the Indians have 39 playoff points through seven weeks and would seem to be a lock for a second straight playoff spot if they can find a fifth win against either Woodstock North (6-1) in Week 8 or Marengo (4-3) in Week 9. With an excellent chance to surpass 45 playoff points (last year’s cutoff for 4-5 teams was 49), Sandwich could sneak in with four wins.

Like last year, the Indians would likely slot into the lower end of 4A.

Dwight/Gardner-S. Wilmington (4-3)

Despite a midseason three-game losing streak, the Trojans look to be in relatively good shape to secure a second straight playoff appearance if they can get a fifth win Friday at home against Alton Marquette (0-7) or Week 9′s trip to Ottawa Marquette (5-2). Dwight/GSW’s 28 playoff points, thanks to playing winless opponents Dakota, St. Edward and Alton Marquette would make it tough to get in with four wins, and perhaps even a little nerve-racking on Selection Saturday with five.

The Trojans were in 2A in 2023 and project to return there with one of the larger enrollments in the field.

Lot of work to do

La Salle-Peru (3-4)

The Cavaliers’ 33 playoff points isn’t encouraging for their postseason resume should they end up with just four victories. Nonconference games with 1-6 Ottawa and 1-6 O’Fallon are the main limiting factor despite L-P playing a tough I-8 schedule. Winning out is certainly their best and quite likely only path to the postseason, with a visit to Kaneland (4-3) and O’Fallon (1-6) still remaining.

La Salle-Peru has been in 5A in its past seven playoff appearances dating back to 2003.

Bureau Valley (3-4)

The good news is, if the Storm can upset Macomb (5-2), losers of two straight, Friday night, they have one-win West Hancock in Manlius for what would quite possibly be a playoff-capturing opportunity. The bad news, Bureau Valley’s low number of playoff points (27), the lowest of any Lincoln Trail-Prairieland Large team due to nonconference opponents Monmouth United and Ridgeview/Lexington having just two combined wins – makes a four-win playoff berth unlikely and even a five-win berth far from a sure thing.

Traditionally a 2A or 3A team, Bureau Valley went 1A in its last appearance in 2016, although Steve Soucie’s current model would have them in 2A if they make it to Week 10.

Hail Mary time

Streator (2-5)

A handful of unlikely things would have to happen for the Bulldogs to make the postseason for the first time since 2017 and sixth time in program history.

The list starts with Streator needing to win out in a Week 8 visit from Reed-Custer (0-7) and a Week 9 trip to Wilmington (7-0). It continues with the Bulldogs needing as many wins as possible from its two nonconference opponents, Ottawa (1-6) and Decatur Eisenhower (0-7), to bolster Streator’s meager 28 playoff points, the least of any team in the Illinois Central Eight. And then a wealth of 4-5 teams – the most in IHSA history and many more than are projected – would need to make the field of 256.