RANKINGS: Top Illinois high school football teams
Week 7 is over as high school football in Illinois. Illinois will soon kick into full-gear playoff action after Week 9, as some schools have already secured their playoff berths.
Here are the latest Illinois High School Association rankings (via the Associated Press) following the conclusion of Week 7:
Class rankings across Illinois
Class 8A
No schools in central or southern Illinois in the rankings.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Loyola (7) | (7-0) | 70 | 1 |
| 2. Naperville Neuqua Valley | (7-0) | 62 | 2 |
| 3. Maine South | (6-1) | 52 | 4 |
| 4. Gurnee Warren | (6-1) | 51 | 3 |
| 5. Lockport | (7-0) | 40 | 5 |
| 6. Chicago (Marist) | (5-2) | 38 | 6 |
| 7. South Elgin | (7-0) | 23 | 7 |
| 8. Hinsdale Central | (6-1) | 14 | NR |
| 9. Glenbard West | (6-1) | 10 | 9 |
| 10. York | (6-1) | 7 | 8 |
O’Fallon received 3 votes in the poll.
Class 7A
Not budging from its seven-slot is Normal Community (7-0). Collinsville (6-0) drops off the poll after a week and was replaced by Moline.
Pekin was the only other school receiving votes with 1 vote.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Batavia (7) | (7-0) | 88 | 2 |
| 2. Brother Rice (2) | (5-2) | 79 | 1 |
| 3. Wheaton North | (6-1) | 73 | 3 |
| 4. Chicago Mt. Carmel | (5-2) | 57 | 4 |
| 5. Chicago (St. Rita) | (5-2) | 50 | 5 |
| 6. Hersey | (7-0) | 43 | 6 |
| 7. Normal Community | (7-0) | 38 | 7 |
| 8. Hononegah | (7-0) | 32 | 8 |
| 9. Prospect | (6-1) | 15 | 9 |
| 10. Moline | (6-1) | 10 | NR |
Class 6A
Only one downstate school is in the Class 6A rankings: East St. Louis (6-1). Their 98 votes keep them on top. ESL was first last week.
Other regional schools receiving votes include Washington 1.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. East St. Louis (8) | (6-1) | 98 | 1 |
| 2. Cary-Grove (2) | (7-0) | 91 | 2 |
| 3. Kankakee | (7-0) | 75 | 3 |
| 4. Chicago (St. Ignatius) | (7-0) | 72 | 6 |
| 5. Lemont | (7-0) | 59 | 4 |
| 6. Crete-Monee | (5-2) | 49 | 5 |
| 7. Wauconda | (7-0) | 30 | 7 |
| 8. Oak Lawn Richards | (6-1) | 24 | NR |
| 9. Kenwood | (7-0) | 20 | 8 |
| 10. Lake Forest | (6-1) | 20 | 10 |
Modified Lake Forest to tenth, as you cannot be 6-1 and expect to be tied with a 7-0 team at ninth.
Class 5A
Rochester remains on top of the Class 5A rankings with their 6-1 record and 90 votes.
Other regional schools receiving votes were Morton 6.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Rochester (9) | (6-1) | 90 | 1 |
| 2. Oak Park (Fenwick) | (5-2) | 77 | 2 |
| 3. Mascoutah | (7-0) | 72 | 3 |
| 4. Morris | (7-0) | 57 | 4 |
| 5. Sterling | (6-1) | 54 | 5 |
| 6. Mahomet-Seymour | (7-0) | 41 | 6 |
| 7. Peoria | (5-2) | 38 | 8 |
| 8. Glenbard South | (6-1) | 26 | 9 |
| 9. Marion | (6-1) | 13 | 10 |
| 10. Sycamore | (4-2) | 12 | NR |
Class 4A
The Class 4A rankings shuffled as the result of a loss by St. Francis, while three of the top five remain solid following their Week 7 games. Kewanee, Genoa-Kingston, and Chicago (Phillips) each went up a spot.
This includes 10th-ranked Joliet Catholic, Springfield (Sacred Heart-Griffin), and Richmond-Burton. Joliet Catholic and Richmond-Burton are undefeated, while SHG is 6-1.
Four 5-2 teams are able to remain in the poll. Chicago (Phillips), Coal City, St. Francis, and Peoria (Notre Dame) are holding on to playoff hopes. A win in Week 8 or Week 9 will secure a playoff berth for them.
Other regional schools receiving votes include Carterville 4, Dixon 1, Mt. Zion 1, Murphysboro 1.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Joliet Catholic (10) | (7-0) | 100 | 1 |
| 2. Sacred Heart-Griffin (Springfield) | (6-1) | 85 | 2 |
| 3. Richmond-Burton | (7-0) | 82 | 3 |
| 4. Kewanee | (7-0) | 58 | 5 |
| 5. Genoa-Kingston | (6-1) | 54 | 6 |
| 6. Chicago (Phillips) | (5-2) | 46 | 7 |
| 7. St. Francis | (5-2) | 45 | 4 |
| 8. Coal City | (5-2) | 26 | 8 |
| 9. Stillman Valley | (6-1) | 24 | 9 |
| 10. Peoria Notre Dame | (5-2) | 20 | 10 |
Class 3A
Monticello’s loss in Week 7 is shaking up the Class 3A rankings and to considerable proportions.
The loss puts Monticello down to eighth from third. Meanwhile. Williamsville, Byron, Princeton, and Farmington see bumps in the poll.
Unfortunately slighted in the polling was Tolono Unity, which remains an undefeated team.
Other regional schools receiving votes are Benton 12, Reed-Custer 10, Montini 6, Paxton-Buckley-Loda 3.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Wilmington (4) | (7-0) | 94 | 1 |
| 2. IC Catholic (6) | (7-0) | 85 | 2 |
| 3. Williamsville | (6-1) | 69 | 5 |
| 4. Byron | (7-0) | 68 | 6 |
| 5. Tolono Unity | (7-0) | 66 | 4 |
| 6. Princeton | (6-1) | 47 | 8 |
| 7. Farmington | (7-0) | 34 | 7 |
| 8. Monticello | (6-1) | 28 | 3 |
| 9. Mt. Carmel | (6-0) | 13 | NR |
| 10. Durand | (6-1) | 13 | NR |
Modified Durand to tenth, as you cannot be 6-1 and expect to be tied with a 6-0 team at ninth when the latter is only playing their sixth game of the season.
Class 2A
In the Class 2A ranking, if you had plans to make any moves on the list, you didn’t make it past the top seven.
The only moves were Athens bumping up a slot to eighth, followed by a debut by Bishop McNamara. Clifton Central fell two spots to tenth
Moving up are Downs Tri-Valley, Maroa-Forsyth, Bismarck-Henning, Pana, Knoxville, and Clifton Central. Debuting are Athens and Vandalia.
Regional schools receiving points include Vandalia 9, Johnston City 5, Rushville-Industry 3.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Decatur St. Teresa (10) | (7-0) | 100 | 1 |
| 2. Breese Mater Dei | (7-0) | 87 | 2 |
| 3. Downs Tri-Valley | (7-0) | 74 | 3 |
| 4. Maroa-Forsyth | (6-1) | 73 | 4 |
| 5. Bismarck-Henning | (7-0) | 62 | 5 |
| 6. Pana | (7-0) | 44 | 6 |
| 7. Knoxville | (7-0) | 40 | 7 |
| 8. Athens | (6-1) | 24 | 9 |
| 9. Bishop McNamara | (4-3) | 16 | NR |
| 10. Clifton Central | (5-2) | 10 | 8 |
Class 1A
Week 8 will prove a serious battleground for teams in Class 1A.
With the exception of Fulton, Forreston, Central A&M, St. Bede, and Aurora Christian, everyone else has locked in their playoff berths.
Some schools not on the ranking list have either made the playoffs or are one game away.
A mismatch against Gillespie led Nokomis (6-1) to a playoff berth. The Redskins were the only team receiving votes outside the top ten to make the playoffs. They take on a tough Pana team that currently stands at 7-0 and ranked sixth in 2A polling. It also marks the rekindling of a rivalry that has been dormant since the 1980s.
On the bubble for playoff contention are Mt. Sterling Brown County, Cumberland, Sesser-Valier/Waltonville, and Winchester West Central. All currently stand at 5-2.
Regional schools receiving points include Mt. Sterling (Brown County) 6, Cumberland 6, Nokomis 5, Sesser-Valier/Waltonville 2, Winchester West Central 2.
| School | W-L | Pts | Prv |
| 1. Carrollton (7) | (6-1) | 80 | 2 |
| 2. Lena-Winslow (1) | (6-1) | 73 | 1 |
| 3. Abingdon (1) | (7-0) | 71 | T3 |
| 4. Camp Point Central | (6-1) | 65 | T3 |
| 5. Fulton | (5-2) | 44 | NR |
| 6. Forreston | (5-2) | 36 | 5 |
| 7. Ottawa Marquette | (6-1) | 35 | 10 |
| 8. (Moweaqua) Central A&M | (5-2) | 34 | 9 |
| 9. St. Bede | (5-2) | 20 | 7 |
| 10. Aurora Christian | (4-2) | 16 | NR |
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Jake Leonard, a broadcast media and journalism veteran, is the editor-in-chief of Heartland Newsfeed. Leonard is also GM and program director of Heartland Newsfeed Radio Network, wrestling editor and contributing writer for Ambush Sports, a contributing writer for My Sports Vote and Midwest Sports Network, and a former contributor to Bleacher Report and Overtime Heroics. He resides at home in Nokomis, Ill. with his dog Buster.
