With three weeks left in the regular season, here’s where Herald-News area teams stand in their quest to make the IHSA playoffs.

Locked in

Morris 6-0 (30 playoff points)

Six wins gets you into the field of 256, meaning Morris has already locked up a spot. Now the Interstate 8 Conference’s first-place team will try to lock up the I-8 title and a top seed in the postseason by winning out against a schedule containing 2-4 Ottawa, 3-3 Sycamore and 3-3 Byron Center, Mich.

Lincoln-Way East 6-0 (29 playoff points)

The Griffins – no surprise – have already punched their ticket to the field of 256. Their playoff point total (opponents’ combined wins, the first tiebreaker after record when seeding potential playoff teams) is good but not spectacular, meaning every win from here on out as they play 3-3 Homewood-Flossmoor, 3-3 Naperville North and 5-1 Sandburg will make a big difference in the Griffins’ ultimate playoff seed. A slip-up and L-W East could slide quite a way down.

Lincoln-Way West 6-0 (24 playoff points)

The Warriors’ six wins have them already in the playoffs. Every additional win, however, will be big for L-W West’s hopes of a good seed and potential home playoff games, as its playoff points may not match up well against other playoff teams with the same record. Remaining are 2-4 Lapeer (Wisc.), a matchup with 5-1 Bradley-Bourbonnais that could throw the Southwest Valley Red standings into chaos and a visit to 0-6 Stagg.

Seneca 6-0 (18 playoff points)

The Fighting Irish have a berth all locked up. This week at home against 2-4 St. Bede, they can wrap up a third consecutive Chicagoland Prairie Conference title. Then it’s 4-2 St. Joe-Ogden and 0-6 Carlyle. If Seneca wants a good seed, it will likely need to win out, as what looked like a tough nonconference schedule before the season began has not played out that way, hence the low number of playoff points (opponents’ combined wins, the first tiebreaker after record).

Sitting comfortably

Coal City 5-1 (30 playoff points)

The Coalers have two paths to clinching a spot. The first available (and easier) would be a victory either of the next two weeks at 3-3 Peotone or home versus 4-2 Herscher to get that magical sixth win. A pair of wins in those games would likely open up an unnecessary second path – the Illinois Central Eight’s automatic bid by beating 5-1 Wilmington in Week 9 for the conference championship.

Wilmington 5-1 (29 playoff points)

See “Coal City.” The Wildcats, like the Coalers, are probably already in, but can clinch a berth with a single win in any of its remaining contests – vs. 1-5 Streator this Friday, at 3-3 Reed-Custer or home against 5-1 Coal City in Week 9 – and additionally wrap up an ICE Conference title repeat by winning out.

Lincoln-Way Central 5-1 (25 playoff points)

The playoff points aren’t spectacular, but even if the Knights were to lose out – unlikely against a remaining schedule of 4-2 Andrew, 0-6 Waubonsie Valley and 3-3 Rich Township – it should be enough to get them into the field of 256. The Southwest Valley Red’s automatic bid is also in play, but it’d likely require a Bradley-Bourbonnais upset of current leader Lincoln-Way West, L-W Central winning its next two and a beneficial tiebreak in a three-way tie.

Almost there

Minooka 4-2 (35 playoff points)

The Indians have a tough slate ahead of them, facing 5-1 Oswego, 4-2 Bolingbrook and 5-1 Oswego East. Minooka could – could - make it to Week 10 with four wins if four-win teams get in thanks to their robust number of playoff points, but scoring a win in any of their remaining games would make it a much surer thing.

Bolingbrook 4-2 (31 playoff points)

The Raiders have games remaining at 2-4 Plainfield North and at home against first 4-2 Minooka and then 6-0 Yorkville. With that increasingly difficult slate in mind, scoring a fifth win that should get them in with their respectable 31 playoff points (and climbing) sooner rather that later seems like a prudent idea.

Lemont 4-2 (28 playoff points)

One win away from a likely at-large bid and in the lead by half a game over Oak Forest for the South Suburban Blue Conference that would bring with it an automatic bid, Lemont appears to be in excellent position to make it to Week 10. A win this week over 3-3 Hillcrest would sure relieve pressure, though, as 5-1 Richards and 6-0 Oak Forest loom in Weeks 8 and 9.

Providence 4-2 (27 playoff points)

The Celtics are probably only one win (though potentially two triumphs) away from an at-large playoff spot. Standing between Providence and those one (or two if things break badly for 5-4 at-large hopefuls) wins needed to get to Week 10 are, in order, 4-1 Loyola, 2-4 Marian and 2-4 Joliet Catholic.

Reed-Custer 3-3 (27 playoff points)

Almost there, at 3-3? Indeed, because the Comets have a Week 9 forfeit coming after not finding a replacement game for Lisle. That means Reed-Custer – with a respectable amount of playoff points and more guaranteed on the way with three weeks of ICE vs. ICE schedules remaining – likely earns a spot with a win either of the next two weeks. With Wilmington waiting in Week 8 and no game in Week 9, this Friday at 4-2 Herscher might be do-or-die.

Work to do

Lockport 3-3 (31 playoff points)

Back-to-back wins the past two weeks have done wonders for the Porters’ playoff chances, but like the name of this group says, Lockport has work to do. To get in, the Porters likely need two wins in their three remaining game at 5-1 Sandburg, home against 2-4 Metea Valley and at Neuqua Valley. In pretty good shape in the playoff points department, Lockport might even get in if it finishes 4-5, but that’d be a risky bet.

Peotone 3-3 (26 playoff points)

Last Friday’s 31-28 loss to Reed-Custer did wonders for the Comets’ playoff chances and the opposite for the Blue Devils’. Still, Peotone is alive and almost certainly in with two wins over its final three contests – home against 5-1 Coal City and 3-3 Manteno and on the road in what’s shaping up to be a huge Week 9 visit to Herscher.

Dwight 3-3 (25 playoff points)

Last week’s win at St. Bede made the picture a lot rosier for the Trojans to get in, but there’s still – as the label of this section suggests – work to do. A pedestrian number of playoff points means Dwight likely needs to win two of its three remaining contests, with 2-4 Walther Christian, 3-3 Warrensburg-Latham and 4-2 Oregon waiting. That 51-49 loss to Shelbyville in Week 3 still stings.

Plainfield East 3-3 (17 playoff points)

The Bengals don’t have many playoff points and aren’t likely to get an at-large berth with four wins. Five could even come into question, meaning winning all three remaining contests against 2-4 Joliet West, 3-3 Romeoville and 2-4 Plainfield Central could be necessary. The wide-open Southwest Prairie East race and its corresponding automatic bid could also come into play, especially with current leader Joliet West on tap this week.

Romeoville 3-3 (17 playoff points)

Like the rest of the Southwest Prairie East, the surest path for Romeoville – losers of three straight after a 3-0 start – might be with the conference champion’s automatic playoff bid. And like Plainfield East but unlike the rest of the league, the Spartans’ three wins in the bank make an at-large bid a possibility. Remaining are 1-5 Joliet Central, 3-3 Plainfield East and 1-5 Plainfield South.

Joliet Catholic 2-4 (33 playoff points)

JCA’s tough schedule and resulting playoff points will keep the hopes of getting in with four wins alive regardless of this Friday’s outcome, but it’s a dicey proposition to rely on any 4-5 teams earning at-large bids, and the Hilltoppers’ playoff points aren’t off the charts. A better bet – though it’s easier said than done – would be running the table against 6-0 Mt. Carmel, 0-6 De La Salle and 4-2 Providence.

Joliet West 2-4 (30 playoff points)

The Tigers should have plenty of points to get in if they can get to five wins, but won’t need them as they’d claim not only the Southwest Prairie East championship but the automatic playoff bid that goes with it if they can run through 3-3 Plainfield East, 2-4 Plainfield Central and 1-5 Joliet Central without a loss. This week’s game with Plainfield East looms especially large in those hopes. An at-large bid at 4-5 looks dicey.

Plainfield Central 2-4 (20 playoff points)

The Southwest Prairie East’s conference title and the IHSA’s automatic playoff bid for conference champions could add up to a spot for the Wildcats despite their low number of playoff points thanks to a remaining game with the current conference leader, 2-4 Joliet West, between games with 1-5 Plainfield South and 3-3 Plainfield East.

Hail Mary time

Plainfield North 2-4 (38 playoff points)

The one thing the Tigers have going for them is their impressive playoff point total, which make them a shoo-in if they can get to five wins and a leading candidate to get in with four of 4-5 teams make the cut. One thing Plainfield North does not have going for it is its remaining opponents – 4-2 Bolingbrook, 6-0 Yorkville and 5-1 Oswego.

Plainfield South 1-5 (28 playoff points)

Om paper at least, the Cougars are still alive to win the Southwest Prairie East championship and the automatic bid that comes with it. To hold up its end of that bargain, Plainfield South would likely need to win out against 2-4 Plainfield Central, 1-5 Joliet Central and 3-3 Romeoville.

Joliet Central 1-5 (24 playoff points)

It’s the same story for the Steelmen as it is for the rest of the Southwest Prairie East – run the table and the conference title would also carry with it an automatic bid. It’s a steeper hill for Joliet Central, however, as the Steelmen already have two conference defeats.