Darren Kinnard
Section618.com
Here is the updated playoff picture heading into the final game of the regular season. A total of 22 teams in the region have already clinched playoff spots. There are eight more teams that can guarantee their spots with a win, with another nine that need a win in Week 9 to be playoff eligible.
Teams clinch playoff spots either by winning six games or winning their conference championship, provided the conference has six or more teams. Teams are considered playoff eligible with five wins.
Across the state, 147 teams have clinched their spots in the postseason so far, leaving 109 spots open. There are 75 teams with five wins with another 66 teams having four wins. That leaves at least a slim possibility of a 4-5 team getting an at large bid, perhaps multiple 4-5 teams. If any 4-5 teams do get in (not as conference champs), they will have a large number of playoff points.
The number in parentheses next to the team’s record below is the team’s playoff points, or number of wins by their opponents. The IHSA uses playoff points as a tiebreaker for playoff eligibility as well as for seeding to determine the playoff pairings.
Here is the region’s playoff picture including record, playoff points, and Week 9 opponent:
Clinched (22):
Carterville 8-0 (38) (conf champ) @ Harrisburg
Johnston City 8-0 (32) (conf champ) @ CZR
Mt. Carmel 8-0 (27) (conf champ) vs Mt. Vernon
Highland 7-1 (41) (conf champ) vs Effingham
Benton 7-1 (36) (conf champ) vs Anna-Jonesboro
Collinsville 7-1 (33) @ Centralia
Carmi-White Co. 7-1 (33) vs Flora
O’Fallon 7-1 (32) vs Cahokia
Red Hill 7-1 (19) @ Carlyle
East St. Louis 6-2 (39) (conf champ) @ STL De Smet
Edwardsville 6-2 (39) @ STL Christian Bros
EAWR 6-2 (38) @ Red Bud
Breese Central 6-2 (37) @ Herrin
Triad 6-2 (37) vs Lincoln
Columbia 6-2 (35) (conf champ) vs Jerseyville
Murphysboro 6-2 (35) vs Du Quoin
Sesser-Valier/Waltonville 6-2 (34) vs Hamilton Co.
Red Bud 6-2 (33) vs EAWR
Richland Co. 6-2 (30) @ Casey-Westfield
Nashville 6-2 (26) @ West Frankfort
Chester 5-3 (30) (conf champ) @ Eastland/Pearl City (Sat)
Mt. Vernon 4-4 (40) (conf champ) @ Mt. Carmel
Win and In (8):
Harrisburg 5-3 (40) vs Carterville
Mascoutah 5-3 (39) vs Carbondale
Centralia 5-3 (39) vs Collinsville
Waterloo 5-3 (37) @ Freeburg
Roxana 5-3 (35) vs Alton Marquette
Fairfield 5-3 (35) @ Vienna/Goreville (Sat)
Marion 5-3 (33) @ Mattoon
Robinson 5-3 (30) vs Pontiac
Win and playoff eligible (9):
Madison 4-3 (22) vs Wesclin
Cahokia 4-4 (40) @ O’Fallon
Althoff 4-4 (37) @ Alton
Belleville East 4-4 (37) vs Granite City
Flora 4-4 (36) @ Carmi-White Co.
Hamilton Co. 4-4 (36) @ S-V/Waltonville
Breese Mater Dei 4-4 (33) vs Mt. Zion
Casey-Westfield 4-4 (32) vs Richland Co.
Dupo 4-4 (29) @ Nokomis
So you’re saying there’s a chance (7):
Herrin 3-5 (45) vs Breese Central
Du Quoin 3-5 (41) @ Murphysboro
Freeburg 3-5 (41) vs Waterloo
Jerseyville 3-5 (40) @ Columbia
Eldorado 3-5 (37) @ Edwards Co.
West Frankfort 3-5 (33) vs Nashville
Carlyle 3-5 (31) vs Red Hill