Who had the area’s top prep football performances in Week 7?

The prep football performances just keep getting better around here.

As teams tune up for the playoffs — or try to make a run at the playoffs — the top dogs are rising to the occasion. This edition of the High Five looks at some of the area’s best efforts from Week 7.

5. Owen Lansu, QB, Downers North

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound senior, committed to Minnesota, returned from injury during last week’s 41-28 West Suburban Silver win over York.

He didn’t miss a beat.

Lansu, who was out more than a month with a broken arm and was cleared by a doctor two days before the game, completed 15 of 21 passes for 388 yards and four touchdowns. Oliver Thulin accounted for three of the scores, snaring eight catches for 195 yards.

4. Owen Yorke, RB, WW South

The Tigers’ 6-0, 200-pound senior has been great all season, but Friday’s 33-7 DuKane Conference win over St. Charles North might’ve been his finest hour.

Topping the previously unbeaten North Stars, Yorke carried the ball 40 times for 285 yards and five touchdowns. He piled up 135 rushing yards on the Tigers’ first two possessions alone.

3. Jackson Cacini, QB, Prospect

The Knights edged Rolling Meadows 35-32 in a key Mid-Suburban East showdown as Cacini accounted for all five touchdowns for Prospect, which won for the fifth straight time.

The 6-2, 195-pound junior completed 16 of 22 passes for 313 yards. Nathan Cichy and Devin Gerdes each had two touchdown catches and more than 100 receiving yards.

2. Lex Sarantos, LB, Vernon Hills

The Cougars kept their playoff hopes alive, improving to 3-4 with a 27-6 Central Suburban North victory over Niles West. A bend-but-don’t break defense spearheaded by Sarantos made the difference.

The 6-1, 205-pound senior set a program record with 23.5 total tackles. Fifteen were solos, seven were assists and he had 1.5 tackles for loss. Sarantos also broke up a pass.

Unofficially, Sarantos’ 15 solo tackles place him just outside the top 25 in the IHSA record books.

1. Tyler Zdon, RB, Grant

Zdon took over with the score knotted 7-7 between Grant and Round Lake in a Northern Lake County Conference matchup. The Bulldogs eventually pulled away for a 65-17 victory.

The 5-9, 200-pound senior, a University of North Dakota recruit, needed only 12 carries to rush for 365 yards and touchdowns of 56, 75, 2, 1, 60 and 11 yards.

It all came in the first half.