Top 25 Illinois high school football rankings (9/26/2024)

The top eight teams are unchanged, while Libertyville and Fremd join the rankings

Libertyvillle is off to a 4-0 start and the Wildcats join this week's Top 25 Illinois High School Football Rankings at No. 22. / Libertyville Football Instagram

We reached mid-season in the Illinois high school football season as we presented our latest edition of the Top 25 Indiana High School Football Rankings.

TOP 25 ILLINOIS HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL RANKINGS

1. East St. Louis (4-0)

Previous rank: 1 Last week: Def. Belleville East 40-0

Kendrick Lyons passed for 309 yards and six touchdowns, pushing his season total to 14. 

Next game: at O'Fallon, Sept. 28

2. Lincoln-Way East (4-0)

Previous rank: 2 Last week: Def. Naperville North 49-17

Oregon commit Jonas Williams passed for four touchdowns and ran for another, while Brody Gish had a pair of rushing TDs.

Next game: vs. Homewood-Flossmoor, Sept. 27

3. Mount Carmel (3-1)

Previous rank: 3 Last week: Def. St. Ignatius 45-24

Vanderbilt commit Jack Elliott rallied the Caravan from a 24-21 fourth-quarter deficit, finishing with 198 passing yards and four touchdowns..

Next game: vs. Benet, Sept. 27

4. Nazareth (3-1)

Previous rank: 4 Last week: Def. IC Catholic 33-0

Indiana commit Garrett Reese picked off two passes for the Roadrunners, while Edward McClain had an interception and ran for a TD.

Next game: vs. Joliet Catholic, Sept. 27

5. Cary-Grove (4-0)

Previous rank: 5 Last week: Def. Jacobs 35-14

Logan Abrams and Peyton Seaburg combined for 272 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

Next game: at Prairie Ridge, Sept. 27

6. Downers Grove North (4-0)

Previous rank: 6 Last week: Def. Proviso West 54-0

Minnesota commit Owen Lansu played one quarter and was 6-of-7 passing for 112 yards and four touchdowns. He has 602 yards and eight TDs in eight quarters this season.

Next game: vs. Oak Park-River Forest, Sept. 27

7. Batavia (4-0)

Previous rank: 7 Last week: Def. St. Charles North 45-21

Nathan Whitwell rushed for 264  yards and five touchdowns as the Bulldogs rallied from a 14-3 halftime deficit.

Next game: at Wheaton North, Sept. 27

8. Kankakee (3-1)

Previous rank: 8 Last week: Def. Normal 26-13

Phillip Turner passed for two scores and Ja'Kari Lewis had a pick-six for the Kays.

Next game: vs. Thornwood, Sept. 27

9. Barrington (4-0)

Previous rank: 10 Last week: Def. Maine South 42-35

St. Thomas commit Nick Peipert threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns for the Broncos.

Next game: vs. Conant, Sept. 28

10. Napperville Central (4-0)

Previous rank: 11 Last week: Def. Stagg 56-7

Aiden Clark had three rushing touchdowns for the Redhawks.

Next game: vs. Lincoln-Way West, Sept. 27

11. Joilet Catholic (3-1)

Previous rank: 23 Last week: Def. Marist 31-30 (2 OT)

Larry Stringham ran 22 times for 203 yards and two TDs for the Hilltoppers.

Next game: at Nazareth, Sept. 27

12. Marist (3-1)

Previous rank: 9 Last week: Lost to Joliet Catholic 31-30 (2 OT)

Jake Ritter passed for two touchdowns and ran for another for the RedHawks, while John McAuliffe had a 93-yard scoring run and a TD catch.

Next game: at IC Catholic, Sept. 27

13. Morgan Park (3-1)

Previous rank: 13 Last week: Def. Kenwood 20-0

Marcus Thaxton passed for 188 yards and three second-half touchdowns, and the Mustangs' defense posted its third straight shutout.

Next game: vs. Johnson, Sept. 28

14. Loyola (2-2)

Previous rank: 15 Last week: Def. Brother Rice 28-21

Iowa commit Ryan Fitzgerald returned from an injury layoff and had 211 total yards along with four passing TDs.

Next game: at DePaul Prep, Sept. 27

15. Hersey (2-2)

Previous rank: 16 Last week: Def. Glenbrook South 30-24

UCLA commit Colton Gumino passed for 213 yards and had four total TDs folr the Huskies.

Next game: at Elk Grove, Sept. 27

16. Lake Forest (4-0)

Previous rank: 18 Last week: Def. Zion-Benton 31-12

The Scouts are allowing just over 11 points per game.

Next game: vs. Lake Zurich, Sept. 27

17. Oswego (4-0)

Previous rank: 19 Last week: Def. Joliet Central 70-7

The Panthers have allowed just 20 points all season.

Next week: vs. Plainfield North, Sept. 27

18. Lyons (4-0)

Previous rank: 20 Last week: Def. Glenbard West 24-7

Travis Stamm had nine catches and a pick-six for the Lions, who beat the Hilltoppers for the first time since 2016

Next game: vs. Proviso West, Sept. 27

19. York (4-0)

Previous rank: 21 Last week: Def. Oak Park-River Forest 42-21

Through four weeks, Bruno Massel is 34-of-49 passing for 752 yards and nine touchdowns to go along with 289 rushing yards and four TDs.

Next game: vs. Hinsdale Central, Sept. 27

20. St. Rita (3-1)

Previous rank: 25 Last week: Def. St. Francis 31-13

Justin Buckner ran for a pair of TDs out of the Wildcat formation and Nick Herman had 23 carries for 116 yards and two scores for the Mustangs.

Next game: at St. Francis, Sept. 20

21. St. Francis (3-1)

Previous rank: 12 Last week: Lost to St. Rita 31-13

Brady Palmer threw for 281 yards and two TDs for the Spartans, including a 98-yarder to Tanner Glock.

Next game: vs. Providence, Sept. 27

22. Libbertyville (4-0)

Previous rank: NR Last week: Def. Lake Zurich 29-14

Quinn Schambow passed for 309 yards and four touchdowns, giving him 1,310 yards and 21 TDs this season.

Next game: at Mundelein, Sept. 27

23. Fremd (4-0)

Previous rank: NR Last week: Def. Deerfield 28-20

Northwestern commit Johnny O'Brien was 16-of-21 passing for 229 yards andt three TDs for the Vikings.

Next game: vs. Hoffman Estates, Sept. 27

24. Warren (2-2)

Previous rank: 22 Last week: Def. Waukegan 43-14

Aaron Stewart ran for 149 yards and three TDs for the Blue Devils.

Next game: vs. Zion-Benton, Sept. 27

25. Normal (3-1)

Previous rank: 24 Last week: Lost to Kankakee 26-13

Kyle Beaty threw a pair of TD passes to Calen Taylor for the Ironmen.

Next game: at Peoria Manual, Sept. 27