There are only three weeks left to earn a spot in the postseason, and plenty of Suburban Life area teams still are battling for a spot.

Here are where teams stand heading into Week 7.

Locked in

Glenbard West (6-0, 28 playoff points)

The Hilltoppers last season missed the playoffs for the first time since 2006, but have bounced back in resounding fashion this fall. Glenbard West, with notable wins over Batavia, Joliet Catholic, Downers Grove North and Lyons, is one of 45 unbeaten teams remaining statewide. The Hilltoppers are at Hinsdale Central and York the next two weeks as they look to secure a first-round home game in the Class 7A bracket, or potentially 8A, bracket.

Montini (6-0, 24 playoff points)

The defending Class 3A state champions will be moving up a class, but the Broncos are back in the playoffs and one of just two unbeatens (Mount Carmel the other) left in the CCL/ESCC after a stirring 55-54 win at Carmel last Friday. St. Laurence in Week 9 is the lone opponent remaining with a winning record and likely the biggest obstacle to an unbeaten regular season.

Riverside-Brookfield (6-0, 22 playoff points)

Perhaps flying under the radar, the Bulldogs are 6-0 for the first time since the 2001 team coached by Otto Zeman that went 9-0 during the regular season and reached the Class 5A quarterfinals. They are coming off a huge 21-17 win at Glenbard South. R-B is doing it a year after missing the playoffs at 4-5, only the second time in the last decade the program missed the postseason. The Bulldogs still have two games remaining with teams with winning records, West Chicago in Week 8 and Glenbard East in Week 9.

Sitting comfortably

York (5-1, 31 playoff points)

The Dukes have emerged as one of Class 8A’s elite with three straight semifinal appearances and state runner-up last season. York, which has won five straight games since a Week 1 overtime loss to Glenbrook South, looks like it’s headed back to the playoffs after a 28-18 win at Hinsdale Central last Friday. The last three weeks are tricky – at Downers Grove North, Glenbard West and Lyons – as York will look to cement its place and secure a more favorable seed.

Downers Grove North (5-1, 29 playoff points)

The Trojans, Class 7A runners-up in 2023 and quarterfinalist last season, look all but certain to make it four playoff trips in a row after beating Oak Park-River Forest last Friday. The status of injured star quarterback Owen Lansu is a question hanging over Downers Grove North, which has a home game with York on Friday followed by a trip to Lyons as it looks to secure a first-round home game.

Fenwick (5-1, 29 playoff points)

The Friars are perhaps a missed two-point conversion against Montini in Week 4 from being unbeaten, but have bounced back well with two straight wins, including 42-7 over St. Laurence last week. Fenwick can secure a bid and solid place in the bracket – and play spoiler – the next few weeks, games with 3-3 Benet this Friday and 4-2 Carmel Week 9 sandwiched around a trip to unbeaten Mount Carmel in Week 8.

Nazareth (5-1, 29 playoff points)

The three-time defending Class 5A state champions will be moving up a class, but they look like they’re well on their way to a return to the playoffs. The Roadrunners also look like they’re peaking as the season hits the stretch run, three straight wins since a loss to Mount Carmel and 48 points in wins against both Joliet Catholic and St. Rita the last two weeks. A home game with St. Francis in Week 9 looks like the toughest one remaining.

Glenbard East (5-1, 26 playoff points)

The Rams in all likelihood have locked up a seventh consecutive playoff appearance – what would be a program record – with their 49-0 win over Fenton last Friday. Glenbard East has won at least one playoff game the last two years, and would surely prefer a first-round home playoff game in Class 7A or 8A to help that cause. The closing stretch is tough – at West Chicago and home with Glenbard South and Riverside-Brookfield, all teams with winning records.

Almost there

Hinsdale Central (4-2, 30 playoff points)

The Red Devils have missed out on the postseason the last three years – but look close to ending that mini-drought with four wins already over teams that reached the playoffs in 2024. Unbeaten Glenbard West comes to Hinsdale on Friday, but with games remaining against Proviso West and Oak Park-River Forest (a combined 3-9), the Red Devils are sitting pretty for a playoff bid.

Lyons (4-2, 30 playoff points)

The Lions, a quarterfinalist two of the last three years, have not had quite the smooth regular-season ride as last year’s 9-0 team. Lyons lost back-to-back games in Weeks 4 and 5 to Hinsdale Central and Glenbard West, which likely cost it a shot at repeating as West Suburban Silver champ. Games remain against 5-1s Downers Grove North and York, both at home, putting a little more urgency on winning at Oak Park-River Forest this Friday.

Wheaton Warrenville South (4-2, 30 playoff points)

The Tigers have made the playoffs with 5-4 records three times since 2021, including the last two years. History could very well repeat itself here. The nail-biter of a 35-28 win over Glenbard North in Week 4 looms as big. WW South has games remaining against unbeaten St. Charles North, and Batavia in Week 9, sandwiched around 2-4 Lake Park in Week 8. A 4-5 record with the amount of playoff points they’ll have could make for a backdoor playoff bid, but the Tigers would surely like to avoid that anxiety. Another wildcard is WW South appears to be riding the fence between Class 7A and 6A.

Lemont (4-2, 28 playoff points)

Like the last two seasons, it was a bit of a bumpy ride here – nonconference losses to Libertyville and Kaneland. But Lemont looks to be moving toward its 11th straight playoff bid by doing what it does, dominating opponents in the South Suburban Blue. The remaining schedule is tricky to make playoffs a certainty. Lemont hosts 3-3 Hillcrest on Friday, followed by games at Richards (5-1) and Oak Forest (6-0).

St. Francis (4-2, 28 playoff points)

The Spartans, a state semifinalist the last three seasons, look on their way to a seventh straight playoff appearance with good wins over Kenwood, St. Rita and Providence. A 35-28 loss to IC Catholic Prep last Friday was a setback, but St. Francis has good opportunities to in all likelihood sew up a bid in the Class 5A bracket with games the next two weeks against 2-4s Marian Catholic and DePaul Prep.

IC Catholic Prep (4-2, 25 playoff points)

The Knights, a four-time state champion in the last decade, missed the playoffs last season for the first time since 2014. But IC Catholic looks in good shape for a return as part of the Class 3A or possibly 4A bracket. A 35-28 win at rival St. Francis last Friday was a huge step toward that happening. What appear to be very winnable games against Marmion and St. Viator the next two weeks could secure the Knights before a Week 9 game with St. Rita.

Glenbard South (4-2, 24 playoff points)

The Raiders have made 13 consecutive playoff appearances, last year in Class 6A. A loss to Riverside-Brookfield that snapped a four-game winning streak could cost Glenbard South its title hopes in the Upstate Eight East, but the postseason streak is still on track. Games remaining against 1-5 Ridgewood in Week 7 and 0-6 Larkin in Week 9 look like good bets to get the Raiders to at minimum six wins.

Work to do

Benet (3-3, 29 playoff points)

The Redwings reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs last year after three consecutive 4-5 near playoff misses. They look like they could be back on the fence this fall, needing wins in the season’s final weekends. Benet’s playoff hopes took a hit with its 46-24 loss to St. Patrick last Friday. Games at Fenwick and home against Nazareth are next, and the Redwings likely need to win one.

Wheaton Academy (3-3, 29 playoff points)

A resurgent Warriors program has made four consecutive playoff appearances, the pinnacle the Class 4A semifinals in 2023. But there is work to do to keep that streak alive, especially after blowing a two-touchdown lead in the second half last Friday in a 28-21 loss to Hope Academy. Wheaton Academy hosts unbeaten Bishop McNamara on Friday, then travels to rival Aurora Christian in Week 8 and needs to win one of those.

Willowbrook (3-3, 23 playoff points)

Willowbrook, like last season, started 1-3. Like last season, the Warriors look in good shape for the postseason with a friendly schedule ahead. With Proviso West and Proviso East the next two weeks, getting to five wins seems almost a certainty ahead of a Week 9 game against district rival Addison Trail as Willowbrook looks to extend its playoff streak to nine.

Downers Grove South (2-4, 24 playoff points)

Similar to Willowbrook, Downers Grove South dug itself an early hole much like it has in recent seasons. Similar to Willowbrook, the Mustangs have climbed out of it during West Suburban Gold divisional play. Downers Grove South still needs to run the table to make it six straight playoff appearances but with games remaining against Hinsdale South, Leyden and Morton – a combined 4-14 record – it seems more than doable.

Hail Mary

Hinsdale South (1-5, 32 points)

The best the Hornets can do is 4-5, and even that might not be enough playoff point-wise. A big game Friday to keep those faint playoff hopes alive with Downers Grove South coming to Darien.

Morton (1-5, 23 points)

Much like Hinsdale South, Morton has to run the table to get to 4-5. Then the Mustangs have to hope a rather large amount of 4-5 teams are required to fill out brackets.

Wheaton North (2-4, 32 playoff points)

Based on the Falcons’ record, the math seems simple: run the table and get in. Games the next two weeks at Batavia and home vs. Geneva, then at Glenbard North, make it a much heavier lift for a Wheaton North team that’s dropped three straight. The Week 5 loss to St. Charles East was, and continues to be, a result that seems hard to overcome.