October 24, 2024
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IHSA playoff projection for Week 9: What do Kendall County teams need to do to make the field of 256?

By Joshua Welge
Oswego East's Niko Villacci (5) scrambles during the varsity football game between Plainfield South and Oswego East on Friday, Sep. 20, 2024 in Oswego.

Oswego East's Niko Villacci (5) scrambles during the varsity football game between Plainfield South and Oswego East in September 2024 in Oswego. (Tony Gadomski/Tony Gadomski for Shaw Local News Network)

There’s one week left to earn playoff qualification, and several Kendall County area teams contending for a spot. Here are where teams stand before Week 9 kicks off.

Locked in

Oswego (8-0, 28 playoff points)

Oswego is one of just 27 undefeated teams remaining statewide. 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. Oswego has almost certainly locked up its first home playoff game since 2019 for the first round. It’s a footnote from a playoff perspective, but the Panthers with a win Friday would wrap up the program’s first 9-0 regular season since 2018 – and could knock rival Oswego East out of playoff contention.

All but in

Sandwich (5-3, 43 playoff points)

Sandwich put itself in great position for a second consecutive playoff bid by virtue of its come-from-behind 42-35 win at Woodstock North last Friday. The Indians, a Class 4A quarterfinalist last season, have won five of six since an 0-2 start. Shaw Local’s Steve Soucie currently projects that every five-win team would reach the playoffs outside of five schools from the Chicago Public League. With five wins and a healthy dose of playoff points in the bank, Sandwich is all but a certainty to be in the playoffs.

Work to do

Oswego East (4-4, 44 points)

It’s been an uphill climb for Oswego East after an 0-2 start, and falling to 2-4. But back-to-back wins over Bolingbrook and Yorkville have breathed life into the Wolves’ playoff hopes after the program missed out last season for the first time in almost a decade. That’s the good news. The bad news? Oswego East must knock off unbeaten Oswego for a fifth win. The Wolves, with a strong share of playoff points, would likely be one of the first 4-5 teams to get in even with a loss Friday. A win, of course, would allow them to breathe much easier.

Hail Mary time

Yorkville (3-5, 37 points)

A Week 8 loss to Oswego East was one the Foxes really needed to win. Yorkville has made five consecutive playoff appearances, but much needs to fall their way to make it to six. First order of business is winning at 4-4 Plainfield North. With a lower amount of playoff points, the Foxes then need to hope that a number of outcomes requires a higher than currently estimated amount of 4-5 teams needed to fill out the brackets.