With regular season finales this week, here’s where Illinois Valley football teams stand in their quest to make the IHSA and the I8FA playoffs.

Locked in

Morris 8-0 (41 playoff points)

Morris is in prime position to earn a No. 1 seed for the Class 4A playoffs with the most playoff points (opponents’ combined wins, the first tiebreaker after record when seeding potential playoff teams) among the five unbeaten teams listed in 4A in the IHSA playoff outlook. The Interstate 8 Conference champions have eight more playoff points than Richland County. Rochester (7-1) has more at 44. Morris looks to close out a perfect regular season with a win over Byron Center, Mich. (5-3) on Friday.

Seneca 8-0 (25 playoff points)

The Fighting Irish, coming off a 39-36 win over St. Joseph-Ogden, is likely to close out the regular season undefeated with the regular season finale against winless Carlyle on Friday. Seneca has the lowest playoff points among undefeated teams in Class 2A, so the Irish likely need unbeaten teams ahead of them to lose to better their seed.

8-man: Amboy/LaMoille/Ohio 7-1 (32 playoff points)

The defending state champion Clippers have a tough test to end the regular season, playing at West Central (7-1) on Friday. There are two 8-0 teams in 8-man, and the Clippers are fourth among the 7-1 teams in playoff points.

Likely in

Marquette 5-3 (39 playoff points)

The Crusaders are very likely in with five wins and the second-most playoff points among Class 1A teams. Marquette can guarantee their 13th consecutive postseason appearance with a win Friday at Morrison (2-6).

Princeton 5-3 (36 playoff points)

While not 100% in yet, the Tigers will likely be playing in Week 10 for the seventh year in a row. Princeton’s 36 playoff points are tied for the most among the five-win teams in Class 5A. The Tigers can lock up a postseason bid Friday with a win over Erie-Prophetstown (6-2).

Dwight 5-3 (32 playoff points)

The Trojans’ five wins should get them in the playoffs, but a win in Week 9 against Oregon (5-3) would lock it up. However, if Dwight loses in Week 9, it could make playoff pairings day nerve-racking for the Trojans as they have a low number of playoff points. Dwight is tied for the lowest amount of playoff points among teams listed in the 1A playoff outlook and have a lower number of points than all the 1A 4-4 teams.

8-man: Flanagan/Cornell/Woodland 5-3 (31 playoff points)

The Falcons are sitting comfortably with five wins as the I8FA field usually includes multiple 4-5 teams, and Flanagan/Cornell/Woodland also has a very winnable game in Week 9 against Bushnell-Prairie City (1-7).

Hail Mary time

Hall/Putnam Co. 3-5 (37 playoff points)

The Red Devils’ playoff hopes are very slim but not outright over, as some 4-5 teams could get into the 256-team field. However, Hall needs to get to four wins first, which is a tall task as the Red Devils host Class 2A No. 1 Rockridge (8-0). Even if Hall pulls off the upset, the Red Devils likely don’t have enough playoff points to earn a spot.