Nov. 16--Five regular-season losses mean you're out of the playoffs.
Four losses, at least in the case of Marist or Waubonsie Valley, keep you alive for a state championship.
One of those four-loss teams will play for a Class 8A state championship over Thanksgiving weekend. Marist and Waubonsie Valley will meet in the semifinals after both continued their playoff runs with quarterfinal victories Saturday.
The teams have contrasting styles -- Waubonsie Valley is an option team and Marist plays hurry-up -- but they have something in common too. Each took some lumps playing in a strong conference and got better as a result. Marist went 4-3 to finish in sixth place in the 10-team East Suburban Catholic Conference, and Waubonsie tied for fourth at 4-4 in the nine-team DuPage Valley.
"What our league does to you is it forces you to become mentally tough," Waubonsie Valley coach Paul Murphy said. "We learned we have to pace our kids. When we got to the end of the season we were worn down. Once we got to the playoffs we changed what we did in practice and we were fresh and able to execute."
Murphy went from two contact days in practice to one, and his defense, featuring three sophomores and four juniors, seemed to benefit.
The Warriors beat Naperville Central 17-0 on Saturday and have allowed a total of 31 points in their three playoff victories.
Of course, running a ball-control offense has helped. Naperville Central ran only 15 plays in the first half.
Marist, meanwhile, was part of a 16-touchdown playoff game, its 59-56 second-round victory over Barrington, and built a 38-7 halftime lead over Oswego in the quarterfinals before holding on to win 38-35.
All three of Marist's playoff victories were three-point games, includi17-14 win against Notre Dame in the first round.
With its four losses, Waubonsie was seeded 30th in 8A, while Marist drew the No. 23 seed.
Only one of the 8A semifinalists -- No. 1 Loyola -- was ranked in the Tribune Top 20 at the start of the playoffs. The Ramblers (12-0) will be on the road against Palatine (10-2) in the semifinals.
Weird Week 9 preview: An unusual Week 9 nonconference game between schools located 83 miles apart provided Prairie Ridge and Crete-Monee the opportunity to test themselves against another 6A playoff team the week before the start of the postseason.
They're now a win away from meeting again for the state championship.
Crete-Monee would have to feel good about its chances in a rematch of its 52-33 road loss after pulling off the upset of the quarterfinals on Saturday night, a 38-35 victory over Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin.
Sacred Heart-Griffin won the past two 5A titles and each of its previous 39 games.
Prairie Ridge's winning streak is at a more modest 11 after rolling over Riverside-Brookfield 42-13. The Wolves have scored 40-plus in all 11 games since their lone blemish, a 21-14 loss to 7A semifinalist Cary-Grove in the season opener.
Both teams will be on the road in the semifinals. Hinsdale South will host Crete-Monee, while Prairie Ridge will travel to Montini.
Option open: Saturday was a great day for the option, as Cary-Grove, Prairie Ridge and Waubonsie Valley all advanced to the semifinals with their old-school approach to offense.
Cary-Grove, the 7A runner-up in 2014, is a win away from its fourth title-game appearance in seven years despite replacing 19 starting spots from last year's team.
Brad Seaburg and his staff appear to be masters of teaching the option, but the Trojans' opponent might be more prepared to stop it than most.
Glenbard West put together an inspired defensive performance to defeat Mount Carmel 7-0 in the second round. The grass -- and dirt -- surface at Glenbard West's Duchon Field may not play into Cary-Grove's hands.
This will be the first postseason meeting between two of the state's most dominant programs of the last decade. Cary-Grove was a 6A team most of that time, and Glenbard West was in 8A last year.
Pirates representing MSL: Palatine is the first team from the Mid-Suburban West ever to reach the Class 8A semifinals.
The IHSA expanded from six classes to eight in 2001 -- two years after an MSL West team (Schaumburg) last appeared in the state semifinals.
Palatine's last semifinal appearance came in 1996, a 41-6 loss to Lincoln-Way.
The Pirates scored four touchdowns in the final 10 minutes, 17 seconds of the quarterfinals to stun Brother Rice, 28-24.
All-timers lead Vikings: St. Laurence's Class 5A semifinal berth is a long time coming but not unprecedented, as the Vikings won the 5A title in 1976, reached the semifinals in '77 and finished second in '79.
The performances of their quarterback, running back and leading receiver are.
Alex Martinez, who passed for 373 yards and five touchdowns in St. Laurence's 36-9 quarterfinal victory over Tinley Park, has thrown for 2,475 yards this season and 3,961 yards in his career -- a school record by more than 1,400 yards.
With 126 yards rushing Saturday, Fayezon Smart topped 2,000 and became the school's single-season leader with 2,025. The junior is 232 yards shy of the career mark.
Willie Walton, who caught three passes for 78 yards in the victory, has a school-record 1,009 receiving yards this season.
St. Laurence will host Nazareth, last year's Class 6A champion, in the semifinals on Saturday.
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
