Looking at the Week 7 schedule before last weekend’s games, there weren’t too many big matchups and most outcomes seemed predictable. It looked like a filler week.
It turned out to be anything but that. We had some upsets, some closer-than-expected scores and some huge wins. Whether locking in or getting closer to a playoff spot, several Southland teams had potential season-altering victories.
Let’s take a look at the most important things that happened in a surprisingly eventful slate. Here are my Week 7 takeaways.
Vital victories should lead to playoff football
The most important win of the week came in Burbank. St. Laurence (5-2) became playoff eligible with a 35-19 victory over St. Patrick.
With Brother Rice and Montini ahead for the Vikings, this win was essential. And certainly not a given against the much-improved Shamrocks (4-3), who have their own postseason aspirations.
St. Laurence came through behind three touchdown passes from sophomore quarterback Noah Taylor. Matt Williams caught two of them, while Cory Les caught the other and ran for 111 yards and another score.
Lemont (5-2) also got that all-important fifth win, edging Hillcrest 31-24. Lemont likewise has a tough end to its schedule — finishing with Richards and Oak Forest — so this one was crucial, too.
Senior running back Aidan Rudman scored a pair of TDs on the ground for Lemont.
Lemont is likely to play in Class 5A this season, down from its usual spot in 6A, while St. Laurence is expected to slide up into 6A.
Also hitting the magical number of five wins this week were Reavis, Morgan Park and a team from New Lenox that did so in spectacular fashion. More on that later.
These teams have a lot on the line in Week 8
So, who could follow St. Laurence and Lemont by punching their ticket with a big win this week?
Eisenhower has a golden opportunity to prove me wrong. In my playoff breakdown following Week 5, I said the Cardinals would not make the playoffs.
But since then, they have responded with back-to-back big wins over Reavis and Evergreen Park. Take that, Millar.
Now, Eisenhower is 4-3. The Cardinals could get to five on Friday with a victory over Oak Lawn, which needs to respond quickly from an emotional loss to crosstown rival Richards.
If not, Eisenhower will get one last shot in Week 9 at Shepard.
Looking at other 4-3 teams, Andrew has a vital trip to DeKalb (2-5), not wanting to depend on a Week 9 win over Bradley-Bourbonnais (6-1).
T.F. North can also get its five wins by knocking off rival T.F. South, while Lockport looks to ride momentum from its huge victory over Sandburg and secure a playoff spot with a win over Metea Valley.
And here’s one scenario playing out exactly how I predicted. Thornwood, which started 1-4, is now 3-4 with two games ahead against winless teams. The Week 9 game against Thornridge should not be a problem, but this week is more complicated.
The Thunderbirds take on Stagg. Yes, the Chargers are 0-7, but it’s against tough competition. You know Stagg will want to battle hard for that first win. Thornwood will be fighting for its playoff lives. This is an off-the-radar game where I’m fascinated to see the final score.
The Southwest Valley is a fun mess
This conference has become very hard to predict. Lockport, which lost to Homewood-Flossmoor in Week 3, just dominated Sandburg, a team that crushed H-F 31-7 two weeks earlier.
H-F, meanwhile, looked pretty good to me in a 42-14 loss to Lincoln-Way East.
Andrew’s near upset of Lincoln-Way Central, which prevailed 28-21, also showcased the depth.
Oh, and for anyone questioning what the Southwest Valley has done out of conference, that 26-14 win over Providence in Week 2 sure looks good for Lincoln-Way Central now, doesn’t it?
If you don’t know why, here you go.
Most eye-opening score
Providence 21, Loyola 20.
I avoid featuring the same team in this space two weeks in a row. But this is certainly worth making an exception.
The Celtics (5-2) followed up a big win over Marist with a huge 21-20 upset victory over three-time defending Class 8A champion Loyola, sealed by a sack from Collin Shedwill on a potential game-winning 2-point conversion attempt by the Ramblers in the closing seconds.
Two weeks ago, it looked like Providence had its hands full to even make the playoffs. Now, the Celtics have to be among the favorites in Class 5A.