There are only two 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 8.

Locked in

Glenbard West (7-0, 31 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 35 unbeaten teams remaining statewide – and one of just four that would be slotted in either Class 7A or Class 8A – after a win over Hinsdale Central last Friday. The Hilltoppers are at York Friday as they look to secure a first-round home game in the Class 7A bracket, or potentially 8A, bracket.

Montini (7-0, 30 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 beating St. Viator 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 (7-0, 26 playoff points)

Perhaps flying under the radar, the Bulldogs are 7-0 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. 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.

Nazareth (6-1, 35 playoff points)

The three-time defending Class 5A state champions will be moving up a class, but they are headed back to the playoffs as a 43-0 win over De La Salle last Friday clinched a bid. The Roadrunners also look like they’re peaking as the season hits the stretch run, four straight wins since a loss to Mount Carmel and 48 points in wins against both Joliet Catholic and St. Rita Weeks 5 and 6. A home game with St. Francis in Week 9 looks like the toughest one remaining.

Downers Grove North (6-1, 33 playoff points)

Downers Grove North, Class 7A runner-up in 2023 and quarterfinalist last season, clinched a playoff bid with its 41-28 win over York last Friday. And the playoff outlook looks much better for the Trojans now after star quarterback Owen Lansu, out four weeks with a broken left arm, returned last Friday and threw for 388 yards and four touchdowns. Downers Grove North is at Lyons Friday as it looks to secure a first-round home game.

Fenwick (6-1, 33 playoff points)

Fenwick secured a playoff bid – and damaged Benet’s chances – with a resounding 48-7 win over the Redwings last Friday. The Friars are perhaps a missed two-point conversion against Montini in Week 4 from being unbeaten, but have bounced back well with three straight wins. A huge challenge awaits Friday, at unbeaten Mount Carmel, before the Friars finish with 5-2 Carmel in Week 9 with a good chance to clinch a first-round home game with a win.

Glenbard East (6-1, 31 playoff points)

The Rams locked up a seventh consecutive playoff appearance – a program record – with their 41-6 win over West Chicago 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 – home games with Glenbard South and unbeaten Riverside-Brookfield, matchups that will decide the Upstate Eight East champion.

Sitting comfortably

York (5-2, 36 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 had won five straight games after a Week 1 loss, but clinching a playoff bid was put on hold with a 41-28 loss at Downers Grove North last Friday. It doesn’t get any easier with unbeaten Glenbard West coming to Elmhurst Friday followed by Lyons in Week 9 as the Dukes look to cement their place and secure a more favorable seed.

Wheaton Warrenville South (5-2, 35 playoff points)

WW South took a huge step toward locking up a playoff bid with its impressive 33-7 win over previously undefeated St. Charles North last Friday. The Tigers have made the playoffs with 5-4 records three times since 2021, including the last two years, but could be hunting for more – a first-round home game and a DuKane Conference title – with games remaining against Lake Park and Batavia. Another wildcard is WW South appears to be riding the fence between Class 7A and 6A.

Lyons (5-2, 33 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. But Lyons took a big step toward securing a bid with its 32-6 win over Oak Park-River Forest last Friday. Games remain against 6-1 Downers Grove North and 5-2 York, both at home, with a shot at securing a first-round home game, but the Lions look in good shape either way.

St. Francis (5-2, 33 playoff points)

The Spartans, a state semifinalist the last three seasons, look on their way to a seventh straight playoff appearance after a 42-20 win over Marian Catholic last Friday. St. Francis has a good shot to clinch a bid in the Class 5A bracket with a game Friday at 2-5 DePaul Prep before finishing at Nazareth in Week 9.

Lemont (5-2, 32 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. Lemont beat Hillcrest 31-24 last Friday for its fifth straight win, which likely secured a bid. The remaining schedule is tricky, games at Richards (6-1) and Oak Forest (7-0).

IC Catholic Prep (5-2, 30 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 almost certain to return as part of the Class 3A or possibly 4A bracket after its 57-14 blowout of Marmion on the heels of a big Week 6 win over St. Francis. What appears to be a very winnable game against 1-6 St. Viator on Friday could clinch a bid before a Week 9 game with St. Rita.

Glenbard South (5-2, 28 playoff points)

The Raiders have made 13 consecutive playoff appearances, last year in Class 6A. Glenbard South’s 42-7 win over Ridgewood last Friday in all likelihood will extend that streak. The Raiders finish with 6-1 district rival Glenbard East and winless Larkin, so if they don’t clinch a bid this week they should in Week 9.

Almost there

Hinsdale Central (4-3, 36 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. With games remaining against Proviso West and Oak Park-River Forest (a combined 3-11), the Red Devils are sitting pretty for a playoff bid even after consecutive losses to York and Glenbard West. An interesting wildcard: should Hinsdale Central qualify it could be on the Class 8A/7A bubble.

Willowbrook (4-3, 28 playoff points)

Willowbrook, like last season, started 1-3. Like last season, the Warriors have gotten back on the playoff track with the help of a friendly schedule – three straight wins over teams with a combined record of 3-18. With another 1-6 in Proviso East this week, 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.

Work to do

Benet (3-4, 34 playoff points)

The Redwings reached the second round of the Class 5A playoffs last year after three consecutive 4-5 near playoff misses. But Benet’s playoff hopes have taken a significant hit with three straight one-sided losses to Mount Carmel, St. Patrick and Fenwick. The Redwings need one of two things to make the playoffs a reality: a win over Nazareth this Friday and DePaul Prep in Week 9, or one win and hope that 4-5 teams are needed to fill out the playoff field.

Wheaton Academy (3-4, 34 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 after back-to-back losses to unbeaten Chicagoland Christian Conference co-leaders Hope Academy and Bishop McNamara. It doesn’t get a whole lot easier this Friday, at 5-2 rival Aurora Christian. Lose that, and the best the Warriors can hope to do is sneak in at 4-5.

Downers Grove South (3-4, 28 playoff points)

It was a little sweaty, but the Mustangs kept their playoff hopes on track with last Friday’s 30-27 win over Hinsdale South. Josh Muhwezi made a 32-yard field goal with just over a minute left as Downers Grove South rallied from a two-TD deficit.

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 Leyden and Morton – a combined 4-10 record – it seems more than doable.

Hail Mary time

Wheaton North (2-5, 37 playoff points)

The Falcons need a whole lot to go their way the last two weeks, and a whole lot has not during a four-game losing streak. Wheaton North now has to first beat a similarly desperate Geneva team and then defeat surging Glenbard North. Then it needs to hope that 4-5 teams are required to fill out the playoff field. The Week 5 loss to St. Charles East was, and continues to be, a result that seems hard to overcome.