Marist among several Southland teams on the playoff bubble
For the vast majority of players, it marks their final game of organized football.
Sorry, turkey bowls on Thanksgiving morning don’t count.
For others, it’s a springboard to the state playoffs.
For some, a win is needed to extend the high school season and become playoff eligible. In other words, win or go home.
Here are five things you need to know about Week 9:
I can’t say I’m surprised Marist (4-4) is in position to need a win to qualify for the playoffs. The schedule was brutal. The good news is with 52 playoff points, a fifth win gets the RedHawks in. The bad news? Marist will have to defeat defending Class 8A state champion Loyola in Wilmette on Saturday to do it. Is it possible? Certainly. The RedHawks will need their defense, led by linebacker Colin Bohanek, to produce a few turnovers and the offense, led by running back Amari Watkins, to sustain drives and keep Loyola’s offense on the sideline. But as Lincoln-Way East found out last season in the state semifinals, leaving Wilmette with a win is easier said than done.
Former Eisenhower coach and alum Travis Moore beat Richards as a player in 1998 and as coach in 2011 and 2015. Up until then, you had a better chance of a cicada sighting every 17 years than seeing the Cardinals beat the Bulldogs. This is Sheamus Murphy’s first season as Eisenhower’s coach, succeeding Moore. The Cardinals (5-3) need this game to get to six wins and clinch a postseason berth. With 30 playoff points, the Cardinals likely will be on the bubble to receive an invite at 5-4. If Richards running back Leshon Wiliams, who hasn’t played since suffering a leg injury in Week 3, remains on the sideline, Eisenhower’s chances of pulling off the upset greatly increase.
After the Vikings defeated Brother Rice in Week 7 for the first time in 36 seasons, St. Laurence’s fans were euphoric. One week later, all that energy was sapped by way of a 31-30 loss to Providence. At 4-4, the Vikings must hit the road and beat De La Salle (3-5), which looks to play spoiler. The Vikings need to keep a close eye on Jason Moore, who’s dangerous shifting between running back, receiver and quarterback.
Since its first season in 1973, Oak Forest has never gone winless. It had one-win seasons in 1975, 1987 and 1991, but never a goose egg. That could change after Friday’s home game against Evergreen Park (4-4). It’s difficult to comprehend how Oak Forest, which qualified for the playoffs every year from 2000 to 2016 under retired coach Brian McDonough, has fallen so far, so fast. After finishing 4-5 and 2-7 the previous two seasons under McDonough, the Bengals have reached rock bottom in Jason Thormeyer’s first year as coach. Don’t expect Evergreen Park to have any sympathy for the Bengals. The Mustangs need a win to become playoff eligible.
Brother Rice (5-3, 1-1) and Mount Carmel (8-0, 2-0) have produced classic games, but Friday will mark the first time the Catholic League powers play a varsity matchup on Mount Carmel’s campus. Brother Rice’s defense, which was expected to be a major strength, will be looking to get on track for the playoffs after surrendering 153 points.
Not a crazy number until you compare it with the Caravan’s defense, which has allowed just 83. A win could land Mount Carmel a top seed in 7A and produce the eighth undefeated regular season in its 95-year history.
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