IHSA Playoff picture: Where Kane County Chronicle teams stand in the field heading into the final week of play

It all comes down to this.

While six Kane County Chronicle area teams already know their fate when it comes to the IHSA playoffs, four other teams will hope that a win in their final regular season game can help bolster their chances for at least one more game.

Here are where teams stand on their chances of getting into the field of 256 heading into the final week of the regular season.

Guaranteed a trip to the playoffs

Geneva (8-0, 36 playoff points)

The Vikings secured at least a share of the DuKane Conference title with a 49-14 victory over St. Charles East. It’s the first time Geneva has won a conference title since 2010, when it went undefeated in the Upstate Eight River. Geneva’s focus now turns to winning it outright with a win over St. Charles North, as well as securing its first 9-0 season since 2008, which is also the last time they made it to the championship game before losing to East St. Louis.

St. Charles North (7-1, 43 playoff points)

A 43-13 victory over Lake Park helped the North Stars surpass their win total from a season ago, and keeps them in the running for a share of the conference title, which they can get with a win over Geneva. In six of its seven wins this season, North has put up over 30 points, with the exception being a Week 1 come-from-behind win over Palatine.

Batavia (7-1, 38 playoff points)

The Bulldogs looked fully back in form in Week 8, holding Wheaton Warrenville South to minus-12 rushing yards while putting up 256 yards on the ground in a 35-13 victory to keep them within reach of a share of a conference title. A win over Glenbard North in Week 9 would mark the 13th straight season with eight or more wins, as well as the 10th time the Bulldogs finished the regular season with one loss or less since Dennis Piron took over in 2011.

St. Francis (6-2, 42 playoff points)

The Spartans clinched their sixth straight trip to the playoffs in a dramatic way, picking up a 41-38 OT victory over DePaul Prep. St. Francis has won three straight games for the second time this season, but face off against a tough conference foe in Nazareth, who they beat 35-17 in their Week 9 matchup last season, but also lost to in the Class 5A state semifinals.

Burlington Central (6-2, 34 playoff points)

While their 52-21 win over Prairie Ridge in Week 7 gave the Rockets a very strong chance to reach the playoffs, a 31-6 victory over Hampshire made it a reality. The win gave Central its first postseason berth since 2014. A win over Huntley would most likely secure a home playoff game for the Rockets, where they’d have a chance to win their first playoff football game since 2006.

Not guaranteed, but sitting pretty

Kaneland (5-3, 44 playoff points)

The Knights got a much-needed victory in Week 8, shutting out La-Salle Peru 38-0 to snap its three-game losing streak and ensuring a winning season. The Knights will end its regular-season slate at Belleville Althoff, who’s 8-0 and has scored no less than 40 points in a game so far this season.

Aurora Christian (5-3, 33 playoff points)

The Eagles started its tough end-of-season slate with a 41-0 loss to Wheaton Academy. They’ll face another tough opponent in Chicago Christian in Week 9, who is currently 7-1, but their five wins should be enough to get them into the playoffs.

Need a Week 9 victory to make sure

Marmion (4-4, 31 playoff points)

The Cadets have dropped each of their last two contests to IC Catholic and Marist, giving up 40+ points in each of the games. Marmion will face off against Leo, who is 1-7, in their final regular season game, which is a more than winnable game. A win would also secure a conference title in the CCL/ESCC Red division.

Not looking great, but a sliver of a chance

Aurora Central Catholic (3-5, 23 playoff points)

A 29-6 loss to Big Foot was a worst-case scenario for the Chargers, who are now guaranteed to finish with a below.500 record. They’ll face another Wisconsin team in Deerfield in Week 9, and a win will keep them in contention for a potential spot, with Steve Soucie predicting at least a few 4-5 teams making the playoffs this season. But a lack of playoff points definitely hurts their chances.

Week 9 will be their last

St. Charles East (2-6, 47 playoff points)

A 49-14 loss to Geneva made it six losses on the season and officially cut the Saints’ playoff dreams down. St. Charles East has now missed the playoffs in four straight seasons, not including the COVID year. They could still play spoiler in Week 9 if they pull out a win over WW South, which currently sits at 4-4.