Postseason always will provide a magic sound to the word and meaning. Teams which prevail during the regular season receive postseason berths and movement closer to championships. Days of two teams playing one postseason game for a championship, likely are gone for ever. Postseason means a progression, and advancement to championship. The Major League Baseball (MLB) postseason started with 12 teams in each league this year and through Monday this week was whittled to four teams in each league. Who are fans of the Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, both of whom failed to make postseason, cheering on, if any? In the American League, Texas led Houston, defending World Series champion, two games to zero. Philadelphia led, Arizona, 1-0, in the National League.
Postseason in high school sports: Our communities are busy with postseason in Fall (Autumn) sports with the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) to include football, boys and girls golf, boys and girls cross country, boys soccer, girls volleyball, girls swimming and diving, and girls tennis.
Football is in its final week of games and interest has been elevated at many schools whom either will be in the playoffs, starting Friday, Oct. 27, or have opportunities to qualify for postseason play. Teams with six victories (and three defeats) certainly will qualify to play at least one more game. Teams with 5-4 records for the most part will play in postseason. Teams with 5-3 records prior to the weekend and in position for postseason play will include, Lockport, Neuqua Valley, Naperville North, Downers Grove South, Oswego, East Aurora, West Aurora, Lyons, Kaneland, Wheaton North, Yorkville, Jacobs, and 4-4 record teams include Plainfield North, Bartlett, Waubonsie Valley, Lake Park, Providence Catholic, Nazareth Academy, Benet Academy, Montini Catholic, and Plano. The IHSA will announce the playoff pairings Saturday, Oct. 21 in dramatic fashion.
Other high school sports with postseason possibilities include boys soccer in super sectional October 31 to include sites at East Aurora and St. Charles North; girls swimming and diving in Westmont, November 10-11; girls volleyball sectionals November 1-3 at Hinsdale Central, Oswego, and St. Charles North. Competition which has been concluded, is golf. Reagon Konen of Marmion Academy won Class 2A individual championship with 141; Hinsdale Central took second place in girls golf; and the top individuals in 2A included Kaylee Dwyer, Lincoln-Way West, first place, 144; Jenna Shilts, Benet Academy, 146 second place; Caroline Owens, Hinsdale Central, 147, third place. The girls State tennis tournament will be October 19-21 in Buffalo Grove High School. The boys State soccer tournament will be November 2-4, at Hoffman Estates High School.
Better left unsaid/unwritten, the Chicago Bears prove the struggle continues. With the 19-13 defeat at home against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bears fell to 1-3 and allowed rival Minnesota to improve to 2-4. The good news is the games continue to be sellouts, an event larger than the game and larger than what they believe.
Hope springs eternal. The fact is that the Bears will do better when they find better players.