Led by monumental road wins by Bradley-Bourbonnais and Bishop McNamara and Manteno’s thrilling win that came down to the wire at Peotone, the Daily Journal had a tremendous Week 8 on the gridiron last Friday.

With one week of regular season action left, eight teams have clinched playoff spots (two in the Illinois 8-Man Football Association), two more have qualified with five wins and three more are hoping to win in Week 9 and miraculously find a way in at 4-5.

Locked in

Bishop McNamara (8-0, 31 playoff points)

For the second time in as many weeks, Bishop McNamara passed a big road test by downing Hope Academy 49-20 in a battle of Chicagoland Christian Conference unbeatens. The Fightin’ Irish, who host St. Edward in Week 9, will likely host a first-round playoff game, but whether they end up in Class 3A or 4A remains to be seen.

Bradley-Bourbonnais (7-1, 38 playoff points)

Few teams had bigger road wins not just last week, but all season long, as Bradley-Bourbonnais got at previously undefeated Lincoln-Way West in Week 8. The Boilermakers have a great shot at hosting a first-round game for the second time in three seasons. They sit firmly on the Class 6A/7A bubble as they finish the season at Andrew this week.

Coal City (7-1, 37 playoff points)

Coal City hummed along to its sixth straight win with a 56-7 throttling of Herscher to confirm it will be a tough out in Class 4A yet again after making last year’s semifinal round. The Coalers round out the regular season with a slugfest at Wilmington on Friday to decide the Illinois Central Eight Conference crown.

Wilmington (7-1, 36 playoff points)

The Wildcats also cruised in Week 8 with a 54-6 win at Reed-Custer to give them seven straight wins after a last-second loss at Morris to start the year. As has been the norm in recent years, Wilmington is sitting firm on the Class 2A/3A bubble. But whichever class the Wildcats end up in, they’ll be one of the favorites to hoist the championship trophy.

Kankakee (6-2, 39 playoff points)

With a 52-6 win at Thornton in Week 8, Kankakee officially set a new program record by clinching its sixth straight playoff appearance. The Kays have been on an absolute heater over the past six weeks, compiling a six-game winning streak and outscoring opponents 304-53 in that span. They host Crete-Monee for the Southland Athletic Conference title before beginning their quest in Class 5A.

St. Anne (7-1)

St. Anne earned arguably its biggest win in program history when the Cardinals turned a 20-19 halftime deficit into a 61-28 win at powerhouse Milford/Cissna Park last Thursday. The Cardinals host Blue Ridge in Week 9 before they embark on their second straight trip to the I8FA Playoffs, the first two playoff appearances the football program has ever had.

Milford/Cissna Park (6-2)

Following last week’s loss to St. Anne, Milford/Cissna Park will look to end the regular season with a win at Unity Christian/Mt. Pulaski to perhaps give the Bearcats a first-round home game as they continue their streak of never missing an I8FA postseason since the league’s 2018 inception.

Looking good

Manteno (5-3, 35 playoff points)

Not only did Manteno score a win over its biggest rival with a dramatic 25-20 win at Peotone last week, but the Panthers also qualified for a repeat trip to the playoffs in the process. They can clinch that spot with a Week 9 win over Streator, although their five-win status is already most likely enough. They’re another bubble school, sitting between Class 3A and 4A.

Herscher (5-3, 34 playoff points)

Last Friday’s loss to Coal City will have to quickly be put behind Herscher, which is also likely safe in the postseason field with five wins. The Tigers would certainly like a win over Peotone in Week 9 for a better draw in what will likely be the Class 3A field.

Hail Mary time

Reed-Custer (3-5, 42 playoff points)

Prior to scheduling a Week 9 home game against Comer Prep (6-2), Reed-Custer was looking at a 4-5 record and probably not enough playoff points (opponent’s wins) to get in as a four-win team. But now, if the Comets can emerge from Saturday afternoon’s tilt, they’ll end up with at least three additional playoff points from their Illinois Central Eight Conference opponents all playing one another and could sneak in to the field of 256.

Eliminated

Momence (3-5, 37 playoff points) and Peotone (3-5, 34 playoff points)

Both Momence and Peotone will be short on playoff points as potential four-win qualifiers.