December 17, 2023
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Daily Chronicle Week 9 playoff outlook: Who’s in, who’s out, who’s in the hunt

By Eddie Carifio
Genoa-Kingston's Tyler Atterberry tries to break free from Rock Falls' Richard Nichols during their game Friday, Oct. 13, 2023, at Genoa-Kingston High School.

Genoa-Kingston's Tyler Atterberry tries to break free from Rock Falls' Richard Nichols during their game at Genoa-Kingston High School. (Mark Busch)

Whether it’s a conference title, a playoff berth or the future, there’s plenty on the line in Week 9.

Here’s where each of the five teams in the Daily Chronicle area stand heading into the final week of the regular season.

They’re in

Only one team is guaranteed a playoff spot, although Kaneland is all but ensured a playoff berth win or lose Friday. But Sycamore is unblemished in the regular season and Friday it will play fellow unbeaten Morris for the Kishwaukee River/Interstate 8 White title.

Either Sycamore or Morris has won the title every year since the dissolution of the Northern Illinois Big 12 after the 2018 season. Sycamore won the 2022 meeting in Sycamore, Morris won the fall 2021 meeting in Morris. Their only full-season conference losses are to each other, although La Salle-Peru beat Morris 20-19 in the spring 2021 season.

They’re practically in

Kaneland (5-3) has five wins but enough playoff points to practically ensure an at-large berth should they lose Friday at La Salle-Peru (4-4). So technically, the Knights still don’t have a berth locked up. The program has missed three postseasons since 1995, most recently in 2016.

The Knights have dominated the series with the Cavaliers, winning last season 28-7. This year actually is a reversal of last year’s game, when the 4-4 Knights needed a win against the 5-3 Cavaliers to lock up a playoff berth.

They’re in with a win

Genoa-Kingston and Hiawatha are playoff-bound if they win. The Cogs (4-4) are done if they lose at home to Rockford Lutheran, but the Hawks (4-4) may make the eight-man playoffs if they fall at Peoria Heights (2-6).

The Cogs are facing 4-4 Lutheran, making the season finale more like a play-in game for the two teams. The Crusaders started 2-4 but knocked off Oregon (4-4) last week to keep their playoff hopes alive.

Depending on how the 16-team bracket in eight-man falls, there could be a 4-5 team or two in the field. But the Hawks don’t have to worry about that if they stay focused during the two-plus hour trip. The Patriots lost 27-26 to Alden-Hebron last week, a team Hiawatha beat 64-43 the week before.

They’re eliminated

DeKalb (2-6) has lost four straight, last winning 48-23 against Metea Valley (0-8). They’ll face the Mustangs again, this time in DeKalb, in a DVC Bowl Game. The first-team defense allowed only one touchdown in the win.

So it’s a literal measuring-stick game to see how the young Barbs have improved over the course of half a season. It just doesn’t have any playoff implications for two teams that won’t be participating in the postseason.