December 23, 2024
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IHSA playoff picture: Where Daily Chronicle teams stand heading into Week 9

By Eddie Carifio
Genoa-Kingston's head coach Cam Davekos asks officials to talk before the next play to confirm the Stillman Valley touchdown stands on Friday Oct. 11, 2024, held at Genoa-Kingston High School.

Genoa-Kingston's head coach Cam Davekos asks officials to talk before the next play to confirm the Stillman Valley touchdown stands on Friday Oct. 11, 2024, held at Genoa-Kingston High School. (David Toney for Shaw Local News /David Toney)

One team is in. One team is very likely in. Two teams are out.

And for Genoa-Kingston’s Cogs, they’ve got a win-and-they’re-in (probably) scenario set up in Week 9.

Here’s where each Daily Chronicle area team stands heading into the final week of the regular season.

Locked in

Sycamore (8-0, 38 playoff points)

The Spartans are looking to secure their third undefeated season of the decade with a win Friday over Cahokia (7-1). They also are currently the only undefeated team in Friday Night Drive Managing Editor Steve Soucie’s projected Class 5A field, so a win virtually guarantees them a No. 1 seed. Coach Joe Ryan said an undefeated regular season provides a lot of momentum into the playoffs. Both times the Spartans have gone undefeated in a full season under Ryan (they were also 6-0 in the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season), they ended up reaching the semifinal round.

Sitting comfortably

Kaneland (5-3, 44 playoff points)

The points should be enough to get the Knights into the field even without a win Friday at Althoff Catholic (8-0), a 1A power that hasn’t scored less than 40 points this year. The Knights are also projected to be the largest team in the Class 5A field. They are fresh off a win against La Sall-Peru that snapped a three-game losing streak. This postseason would be the seventh straight for which the Knights have qualified. Coach Michael Thorgesen said he feels pretty sure that the Knights’ ticket to the postseason is punched. He added he hopes the team plays with confidence on Saturday.

On the threshold

Genoa-Kingston (4-4, 37 playoff points)

Finishing 4-5 probably isn’t going to be enough for the Cogs to get back into the postseason after missing last season. However, 5-4 should pretty much lock up a spot in the 3A field. They’ve got a big challenge with a trip to Rockford Lutheran, a team that has dominated everybody on the schedule that’s not Dixon or Byron. Cam Davekos said the Cogs are going to have to throw everything in their playbook at the Crusaders to make sure they’re playing past Week 9.

Eliminated

DeKalb (0-8)

It’s basically a battle for pride when Stagg (3-5) comes to town, as the Chargers are unlikely to get into the postseason even with a win. DeKalb last made the playoffs in 2022 and is looking to avoid its first winless season since 2004. They’ve played one-score games against Sycamore, Plainfield South and Brandley-Bourbonnais, who are a combined 21-3 this year and led each at halftime or later. They’ve only played one other team with a losing record this year, and lost that one to Neuqua Valley 35-12.

Hiawatha (2-5)

The Hawks are going to be left out of the eight-man playoffs after qualifying for the last two seasons. They had made three straight eight-man postseasons but never escaped the first round. Hiawatha closes its regular season with Milledgeville (7-1). If the Hawks finish 3-6, it will be their lowest win total since back-to-back three-win seasons in 2012-2013. If they lose, the two wins would be the fewest since a 0-9 mark in 2011.