Kennedy and Linn-Mar are sitting in approximately the same place as high school football teams head into the final week of the regular season.

The Cougars and Lions can clinch Class 4A playoff berths by winning their regular-season finales.

Kennedy (3-5) plays at Iowa City High (4-4). Linn-Mar (3-5) is at Xavier (8-0).

Eleven of 16 qualifiers on the east side of the state have been determined. Seven teams are mathematically alive for the final five berths.

Both Kennedy and Linn-Mar could qualify even if they lose this Friday. They would need Bettendorf (5-3) to beat Clinton (2-6), North Scott (5-3) to beat Davenport Central (4-4) and Pleasant Valley (8-0) to beat Burlington (3-5).

Linn-Mar owns the tiebreaker against Kennedy if they end in a tie. The teams did not play each other during the regular season, but Linn-Mar's strength of schedule is much stronger than the Cougars'.

However, any tie involving Waterloo West (3-5) pushes out the Lions, who lost to the Wahawks. West plays at Prairie (5-3).

Xavier has a chance to claim the top seed, but needs help. In addition to beating Linn-Mar, the Saints need Burlington to beat Pleasant Valley and Waterloo East to beat Iowa City West to nab the top spot. Otherwise, they will either be the third (with a win or Cedar Falls loss at Hempstead) or fourth (if they lose to Linn-Mar and Cedar Falls wins).

With a win Prairie could nab a seventh seed, if things break right. The Hawks also would need losses by Dubuque Senior, North Scott, Bettendorf and Waterloo East to climb that high. A loss to West could drop them as low as No. 13.

Here are the updated standings for the eastern half of the state (y-clinched playoff berth; z-eliminated).

1. y-Pleasant Valley (8-0)   380
2. y-Iowa City West (8-0)  370
3. y-Xavier (8-0)                 370
4. y-Cedar Falls (7-1)         355
5. y-Muscatine (6-2)           340
6. y-Assumption (6-2)         340
7. y-Dubuque Sr. (6-2)       330
8. y-Bettendorf (5-3)          320
9. y-North Scott (5-3)         320
10. y-Prairie (5-3)               315
11. y-Wat. East (5-3)         310
12. Dav. Central (4-4)        300
13. Iowa City High (4-4)     300
14. Kennedy (3-5)              285
15. Wat. West (3-5)          280
16. Burlington (3-5)           280
17. Linn-Mar (3-5)             280
18. Clinton (2-6)               260
19. z-Washington (2-6)    260
20. z-Wahlert (1-7)          245
21. z-Jefferson (1-7)       240
22. z-Dav. West (1-7)     240
23. z-Hempstead (0-8)    220
24. z-Dav. North (0-8)     220

Ten playoff berths have been decided in the western half of the state. The western half looks like this:

Division 1 - Sioux City East (7-1), WDM Valley (6-2), Urbandale (6-2), and the winner of the game between Indianola (5-4) and DM Lincoln (2-6)

Division 2 - Ankeny (8-0), Johnston (4-4), Ames (5-3), and the winner of the game between Fort Dodge (2-6) and Sioux City North (3-5)

Division 3 - Marshalltown (6-2), WDM Dowling (6-2), and two of the following three: Ottumwa (3-5), Mason City (1-8) or DM Hoover (1-7)

Division 4 - SE Polk (6-2), Waukee (6-2), and two of the following three: CB Abraham Lincoln (3-5), DM East (5-3) or Sioux City West (2-6)