Win, or else for some Southland squads

Updated: March 22, 2011 5:20PM

So, after countless hours devoted to improving their strength and conditioning and honing their skills on the practice field, the 2010 high school football season has come down to this for hundreds of football players in the Southland: win, or else.

Or, more accurate, win and gain entry to the postseason party, or lose and begin searching for holiday employment.

That's the challenge a number of our teams face Friday and Saturday.

(And, despite the challenges that go along with achieving victory to qualify for the postseason, the growing cries of critics who yearn to see a playoff where every team gains entry should be muzzled. If that occurs, I recommend we stop taking score and no longer publish individual statistics. Just reward participation, not excellence, and make everyone a champion. But that's a topic for another day).

Back to the playoff picture.

Teams with six wins are locks to qualify. Teams with five wins can qualify as well, but need enough playoff points, which are determined by the number of wins your team and its opponents accumulate during the season. In recent years, the number of points needed to qualify has ranged from 36 to 38.

So which teams are hanging from the proverbial playoff cliff?

Let's begin with Thornridge, Thornwood and Evergreen Park. Each is 4-4. Thornridge already has 40 playoff points and will gain entry with a win. That achievement could prove easier said than done with the Falcons hosting rival Thornton on

Saturday.

In other words, the party likely is over forever for T-ridge, which is scheduled to be a freshmen-only building next fall.

Thornwood and Evergreen Park have 34 points, with a few more to follow after the weekend is complete. Even with a win, both would remain on the playoff bubble.

And to think, Evergreen Park won its first four games of the season. A four-game skid, however, has the Mustangs' backs against the wall.

The good news? The Mustangs host 1-7 Reavis. The bad news? The Mustangs are not in position to overlook anyone.

"If we win this week, it looks favorable for us to qualify," Evergreen Park coach Mike Barry said. "It looks like it could take

36 or 37 points to get in. We'll pick up a few points from our conference teams and a point from ourselves."

Then there's Argo, which already boasts five wins. The problem? A paltry 28 playoff points. The Argonauts have to defeat T.F. North, which would give them an automatic berth with win No. 6.

"By the way I have it figured out, yes, we have to win," Argo coach Jim Innis said. "The least amount of playoff points ever required to qualify was 32. But generally speaking, year in and year out, if you have 38 you're in good shape.

"We know what's at stake. We've got to play well defensively and control the ball on them

(T.F. North)."

Lockport is 5-3 and has 33 playoff points. The Porters would erase any playoff doubt by knocking off 6-2 Sandburg on

Friday in Orland Park. If not, Bret Kooi's club could find itself on the outside looking in to the postseason party.

St. Laurence is 4-4 and has 29 playoff points. It's unlikely a win Friday against De La Salle will be enough to qualify, but you never know.

Then there's the trifecta known as Rich Township.

Both Rich East and Rich Central stand at 4-4 and have 33 playoff points. A win doesn't guarantee either entry, but it does provide them with a Hail Mary's chance. East will host 3-6 Moline, while Central travels to 1-7 East Moline. Rich South already has five wins, but those 32 playoff points and the couple that are expected to follow might leave the Stars fourth-and-inches short of a playoff berth. The Stars are at Rock Island (6-2) on Friday night.

Qualifying for the playoffs is the No. 1 goal of every team.

Why?

Because nothing compares to the excitement and achievement of playoff football.

On Saturday night, thousands of players, coaches and fans will gather to listen to the IHSA announce playoff seeds and pairings on WPWR-TV (check local listings for channel number).

It's an event, with many schools hosting playoff-watching gatherings in their respective gymnasiums.

Some teams will need to win this weekend to be a part of the show.

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