Three things we’ll be talking about this week

1. The season is mercifully over for the Cougars and Huskies, and Eastern and Central were knocked from the playoffs. What’s left for football fans? Three local high schools are hoping to become state champs in their divisions: Ferris (4A), West Valley (2A) and Colfax (2B). They play Friday and Saturday in Tacoma.

2. For months, the White House urged patience as President Barack Obama grappled with a decision on Afghanistan. During a televised speech Tuesday, Obama will outline a plan expected to increase troop levels, though not to the level sought by Gen. Stanley McChrystal, the U.S. commander there.

3. That co-worker in the next cubicle may not be working as diligently as it appears. Today is Cyber Monday, the day many Americans return to work after the long Thanksgiving weekend only to spend their time visiting online retailers. Cyber shoppers last year spent $846 million in sales that day, cheering recession-hit retailers.