Video: Playoff analysis and new Super 25 football rankings on “Sun-Times Game Week”

We’re down to the final four in each of the eight high school football playoff brackets for the 2018 season. There are six defending state champions still in the running along with a total of 15 unbeaten teams. In this new episode of “Sun-Times Game Week,” our preps team of Michael O’Brien, Beth Long and Annie Costabile break down what happened in the quarterfinals from this past weekend:

• Mount Carmel’s defense takes care of East St. Louis
• Nazareth’s last second win over Simeon and Batavia’s last second win over Willowbrook
• How Cary Grove was able to contain Phillips’ Jahleel Billingsley

Also in this episode…

The new Catholic League super conference doesn’t officially start until next season but many of its members won in the quarterfinals, including Brother Rice, Marist, Loyola, Nazareth, Mount Carmel, Notre Dame, Montini and Joliet Catholic.

A look ahead to the top semifinals matchups that include:

• Class 8A: No. 1 Brother Rice vs. No. 5 Marist
• Class 8A: No. 2 Lincoln-Way East vs. No. 19 Loyola
• Class 7A: No. 8 Nazareth vs. No. 4 Batavia
• Class 7A: No. 7 Mount Carmel vs. No. 22 St. Charles North
• Class 6A: No. 1 Cary-Grove vs. No. 6 Notre Dame
• Class 5A: No. 4 Montini vs. No. 2 Sterling

Plus, there are the new Super 25 football rankings and a new Player of the Week.

More Sun-Times High School Sports Stories:

• Marist, Nazareth join Super 25 Rankings
• PODCAST: Listen to “No Shot Clock” for a preview of the 2019 basketball season