It’s been an enjoyable first two weeks of the playoffs. The last five games I’ve covered have been very competitive, which is rare. I’m on a lucky streak.
The challenge for the rankings this week was deciding what to do with good teams that lost to excellent teams in the second round. Only Marist survived. Fenwick, Fremd, Oswego, Prospect, Libertyville and West Aurora all dropped out.
Some of those teams may find their way back into the final Super 25 at the end of the season. But with how wacky the state playoff seeds are, the Super 25 is most helpful if it provides fans a general idea of which teams are favored in games that are still happening.
Lake Forest, Warren and York return to the Super 25. Those three teams have been in and out all season. Lincoln-Way Central, Bradley-Bourbonnais and Montini make their season debuts.
Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 12
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Lincoln-Way East (11-0) 1
8A: vs. Stevenson
2. Loyola (9-2) 2
8A: vs. Maine South
3. Mount Carmel (8-3) 3
7A: vs. Normal
4. Lyons (11-0) 4
8A: vs. Naperville Central
5. Cary-Grove (11-0) 5
6A: vs. Belvidere North
6. Nazareth (9-2) 6
5A: at Rochelle
7. Downers Grove North (10-1) 7
7A: at Batavia
8. St. Rita (9-2) 8
7A: vs. Quincy
9. Naperville Central (10-1) 10
8A: at Lyons
10. Kankakee (10-1) 11
6A: at Richards
11. St. Francis (9-2) 12
5A: at Sycamore
12. Maine South (8-3) 13
8A: at Loyola
13. Joliet Catholic (8-3) 14
5A: at Peoria
14. Geneva (10-1) 18
6A: at Lake Forest
15. Marist (9-2) 15
Season complete
16. Morgan Park (10-1) 16
5A: vs. Morris
17. Batavia (10-1) 19
7A: vs. Downers Grove North
18. Stevenson (10-1) 23
8A: at Lincoln-Way East
19. Lake Forest (9-2) NR
6A: at Geneva
20. Warren (7-4) NR
8A: at York
21. York (9-2) NR
8A: vs. Warren
22. Sycamore (11-0) 24
5A: vs. St. Francis
23. Lincoln-Way Central (8-3) NR
7A: at Bradley-Bourbonnais
24. Bradley-Bourbonnais (9-2) NR
7A: vs. Lincoln-Way Central
25. Montini (9-2) NR
3A: at Princeton