27 IL football teams undefeated for regular season

In Illinois, 34 high school football teams are undefeated after their eighth game last weekend and go into the final week of the regular season with high hopes.

POST-GAME UPDATE Oct. 21: Scores have been updated on this page … The regular football season has concluded in Illinois, and 27 teams finished all nine games undefeated.

Barrington High School (in red), 2014 Homecoming game (Ron Cogswell/Flickr CC)

Anna (A.-Jonesboro) d. Benton (5-4), 62-28, Fri.
Antioch d. Grayslake (North) (6-3), 14-7, Fri.
Barrington d. Hoffman Estates (Conant) (1-8), 40-19, Fri.
Batavia (8-1) lost to St. Charles (North) (8-1), 28-35, Fri.
Bridgeport (Red Hill) d. Flora (3-6), 38-0, Fri.
Byron d. Winnebago (6-3), 50-6, Fri.
Carlinville (8-1) lost to Greenville (7-2), 28-35, Fri.
Carrollton (8-1) lost to Camp Point (Central) (7-2), 28-34, Fri.
Chicago (Marist) d. Joliet (Catholic Academy) (3-6), 14-7, Fri.
Chicago (Phillips) d. Chicago (Clark) (3-6), 53-0, Fri.
Crystal Lake (Prairie Ridge) d. Carpentersville (Dundee-Crown) (1-8), 55-14, Fri.
Dixon (H.S.) (8-1) lost to Poplar Grove (North Boone) (7-2), 47-48, Fri.
Dunlap d. Canton (5-4), 35-7, Fri.
Fairfield d. Sesser (S.-Valier) [Coop] (8-1), 18-6, Fri.
Farmington d. Lewistown (3-6), 46-14, Fri.
Frankfort (Lincoln-Way East) d. Bolingbrook (7-2), 18-14, Fri.
Gibson City (G.C.-Melvin-Sibley) d. Heyworth (1-8), 53-0, Sat.
Hamilton [West Hancock Coop] d. Bismarck-Henning-Rossville-Alvin (6-3), 38-28, Sat.
Herscher (8-1) lost to Peotone (8-1), 28-35, Fri.
Highland d. Charleston (0-9), 63-6, Fri.
Johnsburg d. Marengo (2-7), 43-6, Fri.
Lake Zurich d. Mundelein (H.S.) (2-7), 42-14, Fri.
Lena (L.-Winslow) d. Dakota (7-2), 55-7, Fri.
Normal (Community) d. Champaign (Central) (2-7), 50-21, Fri.
Rochester d. Springfield (H.S.) (5-4), 49-16, Fri.
Rockton (Hononegah) d. Machesney Park (Harlem) (5-4), 21-9, Fri.
Sesser (S.-Valier) [Coop] (8-1) lost to Fairfield (9-0), 6-18, Fri.
Sterling (H.S.) d. DeKalb (7-2), 31-3, Fri.
Sterling (Newman Central Catholic) d. Port Byron (Riverdale) (3-6), 51-0, Fri.
Tolono (Unity) (8-1) lost to Bloomington (Central Catholic) (8-1), 13-35, Fri.
Trenton (Wesclin) d. Robinson (2-7), 47-7, Fri.
Tuscola d. Sullivan [S.-Okaw Valley Coop] (0-9), 68-10, Fri.
Westville d. Georgetown (G.-Ridge Farm) (3-6), 56-13, Fri.
Williamsville d. Athens (7-2), 28-0, Fri.

A maximum of 33 teams will finish the season undefeated, because Fairfield hosted Sesser-Valier Coop, two of the 34 undefeated teams, in a game tonight at the “Train Yard.”

The game itself was tight, even into the fourth quarter, with Fairfield defeating Black Diamond Conference opponent Sesser-Valier, 18-6. Sesser-Valier came close, marching down to the Mules’ 10-yard line just as the third quarter ended. On the first play of the fourth, however, a pass was intercepted and momentum swung over to Fairfield and never went back Sesser-Valier’s way. Adding insult to injury for playoff-bound Sesser-Valier, a 70-yard pass completion with just a few minutes left in the game was called back on a holding penalty.

The victory for the Mules, closing out the season, led to Fairfield’s first undefeated regular season since 1957. What a game it was! And just as the final seconds ticked off the clock, just as people filed out of this Train Yard home field, a locomotive pulled a train through, blowing its horn, a 125-ton noisemaker for the party.