Week 4 was the calmest of the season. There were some interesting results around the area, but no earth-shattering result that rocks the entire Super 25.
St. Rita earned the biggest jump. The preseason unranked Mustangs are up to No. 8 after beating St. Francis.
Joliet Catholic also makes a major leap, landing at No. 13 after an overtime win against Marist.
Three teams fall out: Maine South, St. Charles North and Sycamore. Those were the toughest decisions of the week. The Hawks have likely played the toughest schedule in the area, but are 1-3. Expect them to return to the rankings at some point this season.
St. Charles North lost at Batavia, which is obviously a quality loss. If I wasn’t at the game the North Stars may have held on in the rankings, but watching how they collapsed in the fourth quarter was concerning.
Sycamore, a Class 5A team ranked since the preseason, hasn’t lost. However, the Spartans had back-to-back close games against Mahomet-Seymour and Rochelle. That makes it difficult to keep them ahead of Class 8A, 7A and 6A teams that are unbeaten against tougher schedules.
Geneva, Sandburg and St. Laurence join the Super 25 this week.
It would be understandable if the Geneva fan base had been miffed the past month. The Vikings could have been ranked in the preseason, wide receiver Talyn Taylor is one of the most talented players in the country. They are in now after quality wins against Wheaton-Warrenville South and Lake Park.
Sandburg lost to St. Rita 27-17 in Week 1. That certainly looks a lot better right now. The Eagles also have quality wins against Homewood-Flossmoor and Lincoln-Way West. That’s a solid resume.
The last spot was a tougher decision, but St. Laurence eeked it out based on two factors: Friday’s win against Carmel and last season’s playoff run.
Libertyville, Fremd and Hoffman Estates are sitting just outside the rankings.
Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 5
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Lincoln-Way East (4-0) 1
Friday vs. Homewood-Flossmoor
2. Mount Carmel (3-1) 2
Friday vs. Benet
3. Nazareth (3-1) 3
Friday vs. No. 13 Joliet Catholic
4. Downers Grove North (4-1) 4
Friday vs. Oak Park
5. Batavia (4-0) 5
Friday at Wheaton North
6. Cary-Grove (4-0) 6
Friday at No. 22 Prairie Ridge
7. Barrington (4-0) 7
Saturday vs. Conant
8. St. Rita (3-1) 15
Friday vs. Notre Dame
9. St. Francis (3-1) 9
Friday vs. Providence
10. Loyola (2-2) 10
Friday at DePaul Prep
11. Naperville Central (4-0) 11
Friday vs. Lincoln-Way West
12. Oswego (4-0) 14
Friday vs. Plainfield North
13. Joliet Catholic (3-1) 23
Friday at No. 3 Nazareth
14. Marist (3-1) 8
Friday at IC Catholic
15. Lake Forest (4-0) 13
Friday vs. Lake Zurich
16. Kankakee (3-1) 16
Friday vs. Thornwood
17. York (4-0) 17
Friday vs. Hinsdale Central
18. Lyons (4-0) 18
Friday vs. Proviso West
19. Morgan Park (3-1) 19
Friday vs. Johnson at Gately
20. Hersey (2-2) 21
Friday at Elk Grove
21. Warren (2-2) 22
Friday vs. Zion-Benton
22. Prairie Ridge (4-0) 24
Friday vs. No. 6 Cary-Grove
23. Geneva (4-0) NR
Friday vs. Glenbard North
24. Sandburg (3-1) NR
Friday vs. Metea Valley
25. St. Laurence (4-0) NR
Friday vs. Leo