Daily Herald expanded football Top 20

1. Downers Grove North (6-0) Beat Oak Park-River Forest 41-0 / at York

The Trojans continue making good teams look bad and excellent teams appear average, notching their second straight shutout last week. Grant Georgas supplied much of the offense with 250 rushing yards and three touchdowns. York (3-3), Lyons (5-1) and Proviso East (1-5) are what stands between the Trojans and a 9-0 regular season.

2. Hersey (6-0) Beat Wheeling 1-0 / at Elk Grove

The Huskies get back to business as usual after a strange week that ended with the first forfeit win in MSL history. Hersey coaches reached out to teams in six states trying to find a new opponent but couldn’t find a taker. The forfeit win was the 300th in Hersey’s history.

3. Prospect (6-0) Beat Rolling Meadows 56-14 / at Wheeling

Eastern Illinois recruit Jackson Cacini continued his standout senior season last week with a season-high 317 passing yards in the Knights’ latest lopsided win. While Wheeling forfeited last week because of not having enough healthy players, the Wildcats plan to play the final three weeks.

4. Geneva (5-1) Beat Batavia 56-49 / Glenbard North

The 108th meeting between Geneva and Batavia turned into the highest scoring game in a series that began in 1913. Geneva senior Nelson Wendell did plenty of the work accounting for that fact, rushing for 301 yards and three touchdowns, then taking a screen pass from Ben Peterson and going 49 yards for the touchdown that broke a 49-49 tie with 1:04 left. Glenbard North (3-3) beat Geneva 16-13 last year.

5. Maine South (5-1) Beat Niles West 56-0 / at Vernon Hills

Maine South’s backups got plenty of playing time in last week’s win. Indiana-bound Jameson Purcell threw only three passes, and they all went for touchdowns. Austin Breaux made the most of his time, throwing two touchdown passes. After playing 2-4 Vernon Hills on Friday, the Hawks close the regular season against Evanston and Glenbrook South, both 4-2.

6. Fremd (5-1) Beat Conant 31-12 / Hoffman Estates

Fremd’s defense came up big last week to hand Conant its first loss. They shut down what had been a powerful Conant ground game, holding the Cougars to 34 yards on the ground, over 250 below their average. Vikings quarterback Will Clark and running back Jayden Faulkner both rushed for over 100 yards. Hoffman has won three of its last four to get back to .500.

7. IC Catholic Prep (6-0) Beat St. Laurence 28-12 / at Benet

The Knights stayed perfect last week behind a defense that shut out St. Laurence until the fourth quarter and scored one of the touchdowns on Anthony Carroccio’s pick-six. After the short trip to play 2-4 Benet this week, Class 3A IC Catholic gets quite a test in Week 8 against undefeated and 8A power Loyola.

8. Huntley (6-0) Beat Jacobs 47-6 / at Prairie Ridge

The Red Raiders turned a matchup between 5-0 teams into a rout last week, scoring on all seven of their possessions while shutting down the Jacobs attack. Quarterback Malik Carter completed 10 of 12 passes for 238 yards and four touchdowns — three to senior Carson Rowe. Chase Hojnacki ran for 123 yards and two scores.

9. Glenbard West (4-2) Beat Hinsdale South 56-14 / Hinsdale Central

The Hilltoppers have rebounded in a big way from a Week 4 loss to No. 1 Downers Grove North, handing Lyons its first loss of the season in convincing fashion and then blowing out Hinsdale South. This Saturday’s matchup against Hinsdale Central should be a good one, the Red Devils also 4-2 and coming off a win over York.

10. Montini (4-2) Lost to St. Rita 39-38 / at De La Salle

After winning games in the final minutes three straight weeks, the Broncos came up on the wrong end of a thriller last Friday in Lombard. Montini quarterback Israel Abrams did his part with five more touchdowns, and the Broncos built an 18-point lead in the third quarter, but they could not hold on due in part to two St. Rita onside kicks.

11. Batavia (4-2) Lost to Geneva 56-49 / at Wheaton North

12. Antioch (6-0) Beat Lakes 36-6 / Grayslake North

13. Wheaton Warrenville South (4-2) Beat Wheaton North 21-16 / St. Charles North

14. Wheaton North (5-1) Lost to WW South 21-16 / Batavia

15. Naperville North (5-1) Beat Waubonsie Valley 38-14 / DeKalb

16. Hinsdale Central (4-2) Beat York 24-21 / at Glenbard West

17. Conant (5-1) Lost to Fremd 31-12 / at Barrington

18. Wauconda (6-0) Beat Round Lake 69-6 / at Grayslake Central

19. Jacobs (5-1) Lost to Huntley 47- 6 / Crystal Lake Central

20: Libertyville (4-2) Beat Stevenson 28-0 / at Mundelein