Daily Herald expanded football Top 20

1. Downers Grove North (5-0) Beat Proviso West 51-0 / Oak Park-River Forest

The Trojans have a test this week. Oak Park beat York last week and played Fenwick and Glenbard West to the wire earlier this season. The Trojans’ Grant Georgas scored on an early 54-yard run last week, Zachary Surowiec added a three-yard touchdown run and Joe Goodwin had a 30-yard touchdown pass to Rayjon Johnson in the rout.

2. Hersey (5-0) Beat Buffalo Grove 49-14 / at Wheeling

The Huskies matched a season high with 49 points last week, and now comes Wheeling who is 0-5 and has been outscored 218-20. Look for another big night from Kentucky-bound QB Jake Nawrot, who is averaging 264 passing yards a game and still hasn’t thrown an interception to go with 17 touchdown passes.

3. Prospect (5-0) Beat Elk Grove 54-7 / Rolling Meadows

Like Hersey, Prospect continues to hum along as the teams continue on a path for an 8-0 vs. 8-0 regular season finale. Yale recruit Matthew Donnelly rushed for 110 yards and three touchdowns in last week’s win. One week after intercepting three passes against Fremd, Caden Moran picked off two more.

4. Montini (4-1) Beat Carmel 42-35 / St. Rita

Another week, another thrilling win for the Broncos. Israel Abrams connected with receiver Damacio Ortegon 11 times for 233 yards and three touchdowns, the final one the game-winner with 2:38 remaining. The last three weeks Montini has won 35-28, 47-42 and 42-35 games. Next up is St. Rita, 2-3 with wins over Glenbard West and St. Francis, and the three losses coming to teams a combined 13-2.

5. Batavia (4-1) Beat St. Charles North 55-35 / Geneva

There’s no better place to be Friday than Batavia. It’s meeting No. 108 in the Batavia-Geneva series that began in 1913, stands at 52-50-5 in Geneva’s favor, and means so much to the neighboring communities. There haven’t been many games in that long history when both teams are as talented as they are this year. Batavia QB Michael Vander Luitgaren threw for 300 yards and five TDs last week, completing 15 of 17 passes.

6. Geneva (4-1) Beat Lake Park 41-15 / at Batavia

The Vikings had lost 13 in a row to Batavia — going 0-13 against Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron — until a 30-7 win in 2024. Batavia won 24-21 in overtime last year. Geneva’s defense better bring its A game against a Batavia team that has scored 49, 55 and 55 points the past three weeks, and hit Maine South with 49 in Week 1. Of course, the same could be said for Batavia’s defense trying to slow Illinois-bound Bennett Konkey and the Vikings.

7. Maine South (4-1) Beat Deerfield 56-27 / Niles West

This is the soft part of the Hawks’ schedule going up against 0-5 Niles West Friday and 1-4 Vernon Hills next. Keaton Vitel has returned kicks for touchdowns the past two weeks, running one back 99 yards last week against Deerfield. Indiana recruit Jameson Purcell threw three touchdown passes last week.

8. Fremd (4-1) Beat Schaumburg 36-21 / Conant

The Vikings were pushed a little by 1-4 Schaumburg last week, leading 20-14 after three quarters. Shea Sloan kicked a pair of field goals. Conant is rolling at 5-0, fresh off a 21-14 win over Palatine. It’s the first 5-0 start since 2019 for the Cougars, who made two late defensive stands after Ty Mickelson’s go-ahead touchdown run with 5:27 left.

9. IC Catholic Prep (5-0) Beat Leo 40-0 / at St. Laurence

The Knights rolled on last week behind three touchdown passes from Nate Lang, two to Grant Bowen. Junior backup quarterback Jake Yost got into the fun by tossing a 50-yard touchdown pass to Quai McGee. IC Catholic has won every game but one by double digits and now gets 1-4 St. Laurence.

10. Glenbard West (3-2) Beat Lyons 37-16 / at Hinsdale South

The Hilltoppers are coming off a statement win over previously unbeaten Lyons. Jaylen McMiller and Ace Harris ran for over 100 yards; McMiller had six runs over 10 yards while Harris had a touchdown run among his 112 yards rushing. The Hilltoppers have this West Suburban crossover Friday before Silver tests the next two weeks vs. Hinsdale Central and York.

11. Wheaton North (5-0) Beat St. Charles East 16-12 / at WW South

12. Antioch (5-0) Beat Round Lake 73-33 / Lakes

13. Jacobs (5-0) Beat McHenry 49-6 / at Huntley

14. Huntley (5-0) Beat Cary-Grove 42-35 / Jacobs

15. Wheaton Warrenville South (3-2) Beat Glenbard North 17-0 / Wheaton North

16. Conant (5-0) Beat Palatine 21-14 / at Fremd

17. Naperville North (4-1) Beat Metea Valley 41-3 / at Waubonsie Valley

18. Carmel Catholic (2-3) Lost to Montini 42-35 / St. Rita

19. York (3-2) Lost to Oak Park-River Forest 24-21 / Hinsdale Central

20. Wauconda (5-0) Beat Grayslake North 48-14 / Round Lake