There are always a lot of new readers who find the Super 25 every season. High school football has die-hard fans who stick around every year, but there is an equally large group of readers who become interested because their kid is playing. Some of those stick around, and some move on.
The die-hards will remember when the Super 25 featured reader comments. That feedback was great. Things aren’t the same now that this is a one-way conversation. The comments disappeared after the Sun-Times updated the website. Overall, comments on newspaper stories started to go down a rather dark path.
That didn’t happen in the Sun-Times’ high school sports section, which is something to be proud of.
On Sundays, while I scribble on a yellow legal pad attempting to figure this stuff out, the commenters are still in my head. Every decision must be defendable because someone will challenge it—or at least they used to. In that spirit, I am always open to a rankings debate. Email me at mobrien@suntimes.com with your thoughts.
This was a challenging week with possible results nullification (ranking a team above a team that defeated it) looming at every corner. That was avoided whenever possible.
But if anyone is wondering why York is playing in the Class 8A semifinals but is only ranked No. 14, it is because it lost to Lyons and Downers Grove North this season. The games were not particularly close, 35-14 and 24-7, respectively.
There is a similar situation with Morris and Sycamore. Morris is in the Class 5A semifinals. Sycamore’s season is over after it lost to St. Francis in the quarterfinals. But Sycamore beat Morris 42-0 this season.
It’s always difficult to balance the overall season results with current form and playoff success.
Richards, Morris and Wilmington all make season debuts this week on the heels of big state quarterfinal wins. Fremd, Oswego and Prairie Ridge return based on overall strong seasons.
Six teams dropped out: Morgan Park, Maine South, Stevenson, Lake Forest, Warren and Bradley-Bourbonnais.
Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 13
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Lincoln-Way East (12-0) 1
8A: vs. Loyola
2. Loyola (10-2) 2
8A: at Lincoln-Way East
3. Mount Carmel (9-3) 3
7A: at St. Rita
4. Naperville Central (11-1) 9
8A: vs. York
5. Cary-Grove (12-0) 5
6A: at Geneva
6. Nazareth (10-2) 6
5A: vs. St. Francis
7. St. Rita (10-2) 8
7A: vs. Mount Carmel
8. St. Francis (10-2) 11
5A: at Nazareth
9. Geneva (11-1) 14
6A: vs. Cary-Grove
10. Batavia (11-1) 17
7A: at Lincoln-Way Central
11. Joliet Catholic (9-3) 13
5A: vs. Morris
12. Lyons (11-1) 4
Season complete
13. Downers Grove North (10-2) 7
Season complete
14. York (10-2) 21
8A: at Naperville Central
15. Marist (9-2) 15
Season complete
16. Fremd (9-2) NR
Season complete
17. Oswego (10-1) NR
Season complete
18. Richards (11-1) NR
6A: at East St. Louis
19. Kankakee (10-2) 10
Season complete
20. Prairie Ridge (8-3) NR
Season complete
21. Lincoln-Way Central (9-3) 23
7A: vs. Batavia
22. Sycamore (11-1) 22
Season complete
23. Montini (10-2) 25
3A: vs. Wilmington
24. Morris (7-4) NR
5A: at Joliet Catholic
25. Wilmington (12-0) NR
3A: at Montini