What an insane week of football!
Two months into the season, just when we thought we had a good idea of what to expect in the area, Week 8 threw just about everything up for grabs.
Undefeated teams went down. There were shocking upsets all over the place.
I went under .500 in my Five Games to Watch predictions for the first time this season, going 2-3 — feel free to boo me — and the truth is, if I predicted more games, I would have gotten more wrong.
This was the week of the unexpected. Now, Week 9 brings judgment week for several teams.
Let’s take a look at it all with my Week 8 takeaways.
Chaos reigns supreme
We went into Week 8 with four undefeated teams in the Southland. Now we’re down to one, and it was nearly zero.
For starters, Hillcrest crushed Oak Forest 34-8 to hand the Bengals their first loss. The Hawks can now get in the playoffs with a Week 9 win over Tinley Park.
Hillcrest dealt with some injuries earlier in the season and suddenly looks like a team capable of making some postseason noise, likely in Class 5A. Purdue-bound Maxmilian Carmicle leads a tough defense.
Meanwhile, it’s difficult to gauge Oak Forest’s potential at this point. I was impressed by the Bengals in person, but they obviously did not pass their first real test of the season. Let’s see how they respond for a big Week 9 game with Lemont.
Lincoln-Way West also went down for the first time this season, 35-13 to Bradley-Bourbonnais.
I wouldn’t discount the Warriors too much. This was a bad night and a bad matchup. The Boilermakers had the playmakers to crack Lincoln-Way West’s defense with big plays.
But the Warriors are still the kind of team that’s built for playoff weather, with a strong running game and tough defense.
The result that sent shockwaves across the state happened in Naperville, where Lincoln-Way East lost a regular-season game for the first time since 2021, falling 14-6 to Naperville North.
USC recruit Jonas Williams did not play, which made sense to me. He was limping noticeably after leaving the previous week’s game early against Homewood-Flossmoor.
Assuming Williams is back healthy for the playoffs, the Griffins obviously remain a top contender in Class 8A. But what will this loss do for their playoff seeding? And if Williams sits again and another loss happens to Sandburg in Week 9, where would that leave them?
We might end up seeing that Mount Carmel-Lincoln-Way East game earlier than we want.
Speaking of which, the Caravan are now our lone unbeaten team. Barely. A 10-yard touchdown run by Nathan Samuels with just over two minutes left broke a tie and gave Mount Carmel a 35-28 win over Fenwick.
It’s make-or-break time in Week 9
Seven area 4-4 teams will be fighting for their playoff lives in Week 9, while three with 3-5 records are still holding on to hope.
Let’s shine the spotlight on Palos Heights, where Shepard (3-5) hosts Eisenhower (4-4). The Cardinals, coming off a heartbreaking 37-36 loss to Oak Lawn, can punch their ticket with a win.
But here’s something that might surprise you. I’ll admit it caught me off guard. Shepard, which has lost to four seven-win teams, has a gaudy opponent wins total of 46 that would likely put the Astros near the top of the list of 4-5 teams should they beat the Cardinals.
For perspective, Joliet Catholic — which I have often discussed as having a strong shot of getting in at 4-5 if the Hilltoppers beat Providence this week — has the same opponent wins total of 46.
The bubble may be starting to shrink for potential 4-5 teams, but Shepard definitely has a shot. Both the Astros and Cardinals should be fighting with all their might come Friday night.
The other 3-5 team that’s still alive is Marist, which — with 42 opponents wins — will be crossing its fingers hard if the RedHawks can beat Notre Dame.
At the same time, St. Rita (4-4) can erase all doubt with a win over a tough IC Catholic (6-2) or hope for the best at 4-5 with a strong opponents win total of 47.
Among the other 4-4 teams, Thornwood (vs. Thornridge), H-F (vs. Metea Valley) and Hillcrest (at Tinley Park) will be heavy favorites. Evergreen Park (vs. Richards) and Rich Township (vs. Lincoln-Way Central) would need to pull off massive upsets.
Most eye-opening score
Bremen 42, Tinley Park 7.
A tip of the cap to the Braves, who snapped a 17-game losing streak in resounding fashion.
Senior quarterback Jalen Clardy ran for two TDs and passed for another, while senior running back Isaac Torreblanca piled up three TDs on the ground.