Chicagoland high school football rankings: Get Mike McGraw’s Top 25 for Week 4

Morgan Park and Jacobs debut in the Top 25 as New Trier leaps six spots and Lincoln-Way East holds steady at No. 1.

Last week’s rankings in parentheses.

1. Lincoln-Way East 3-0 (1): Griffins dominated the showdown between elite south suburban defenses. Ryan Manzke led the way with six tackles and a pick-six against No. 20 Homewood-Flossmoor.

NEXT: Friday vs. Bradley-Bourbonnais.

2. Mount Carmel 2-1 (2): No comeback was needed in Caravan’s second straight win. The ground game was a highlight against No. 21 Nazareth as Nathan Samuels gained 168 yards.

NEXT: Friday vs. Marist.

3. Brother Rice 2-1 (3): Army commit Jameson Davis rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns while Crusaders’ defense recorded its second straight shutout in a win over No. 25 St. Francis.

NEXT: Friday at No. 5 Loyola.

4. Oswego 3-0 (4): Ammar Banire has rushed for 506 yards and is averaging 9.5 yards per carry through three games for the Panthers.

NEXT: Friday at Bolingbrook.

5. Loyola 3-0 (5): Carmelo Maldonado had a huge game against No. 23 St. Rita with three TDs and 169 combined rushing and receiving yards on just nine touches.

NEXT: Friday vs. No. 3 Brother Rice.

6. Sandburg 3-0 (6): Quarterback Sean Ruisz threw for two TDs and Army commit Quinn Durkin added a 60-yard TD run against Thornwood.

NEXT: Friday at No. 20 Homewood-Flossmoor.

7. Providence 3-0 (7): The Celtics recorded their third straight impressive victory with a shutout of longtime rival Joliet Catholic.

NEXT: Friday vs. Carmel.

8. IC Catholic 3-0 (8): The Knights nearly let one slip away against St. Ignatius. Down 15-14, Grant Bowen made an interception that led to Jakobe Baldwin’s winning 27-yard TD.

NEXT: Friday vs. DePaul Prep.

9. Hersey 3-0 (9): Huskies jumped to a 21-0 first-quarter lead at Neuqua Valley as Jackson Travis rushed for 165 yards, all in the first half.

NEXT: Thursday vs. Barrington.

10. Downers Grove North 3-0 (11): Defensive end Jacob Vroman led the way in a shutout of Hinsdale Central, while Grant Georgas scored three TDs.

NEXT: Friday vs. No. 18 Glenbard West.

11. Montini 2-1 (12): Broncos got back on track with a Catholic League crossover win at Marist as Miami recruit Israel Abrams threw for 252 yards and three TDs.

NEXT: Friday at No. 21 Nazareth.

12. Lyons 3-0 (13): Sophomore Jack Williams rushed for 115 yards and ran the opening kickoff back for a TD against Morton.

NEXT: Friday at Hinsdale Central.

13. Fenwick 3-0 (14): Long gainers continued for Iowa commit Jake Thies, who produced 177 yards and three TDs on just 11 carries against DePaul Prep.

NEXT: Friday at St. Ignatius.

14. Prospect 3-0 (15): Knights have been clicking on both sides of the ball. Eastern Illinois-bound QB Jackson Cacini and receiver Gordon Kemp connected for two TDs against Naperville Central.

NEXT: Thursday vs. Fremd.

15. Geneva 2-1 (17): Eastern Michigan recruit Ben Peterson threw for 341 yards and five TDs in a convincing win over St. Charles North.

NEXT: Friday at Wheaton Warrenville South.

16. Batavia 2-1 (19): Bulldogs bounced back from a rough loss by pulling away in the second half against Glenbard North. Wyoming-bound QB Michael Vander Luitgaren had a hand in six TDs.

NEXT: Friday vs. Lake Park.

17. New Trier 3-0 (23): John Baxter has been one of the area’s most dangerous receivers. He has four TDs and is averaging 41.6 yards per catch.

NEXT: Thursday vs. No. 19 Maine South.

18. Glenbard West 2-1 (20): Hilltoppers, who dominated the final 13 minutes to beat Oak Park-River Forest, shift their focus to trying to avenge their 2025 playoff loss.

NEXT: Friday at No. 10 Downers Grove North.

19. Maine South 2-1 (22): Indiana recruit Jameson Purcell tossed three TD passes in the first quarter against Maine West and then took the rest of the night off.

NEXT: Thursday at No. 17 New Trier.

20. Homewood-Flossmoor 2-1 (10): After opening the season with two shutouts, Vikings’ defense held its own against Lincoln-Way East but got stuck in bad field position too many times.

NEXT: Friday vs. No. 6 Sandburg.

21. Nazareth 1-2 (21): Roadrunners opened the game against Mount Carmel with three defensive stops but then lost a fumble deep in their territory.

NEXT: Friday vs. No. 11 Montini.

22. Morgan Park 2-1 (NR): That 17-12 loss to Downers Grove North in Week 1 keeps looking better after Mustangs added victories over Notre Dame and Edwardsville.

NEXT: Saturday vs. Payton.

23. St. Rita 1-2 (18): Mustangs have played one of the toughest schedules in the state with losses to No. 5 Loyola and No. 7 Providence and a one-point win at No. 18 Glenbard West.

NEXT: Friday vs. No. 25 St. Francis.

24. Jacobs 3-0 (NR): Was the Golden Eagles’ Week 1 win at Cary-Gove the biggest game of the season in the Fox Valley? Time will tell. The FVC is shaping up as a four-team race.

NEXT: Friday at Burlington Central.

25. St. Francis 1-2 (16): The Spartans, with a small roster, have lost to one of the best teams in Indiana and No. 3 Brother Rice. Will they be able to find their stride soon?

NEXT: Friday at No. 23 St. Rita.

Others to watch: St. Patrick, Fremd, Wheaton North, St. Ignatius, Antioch, Lincoln-Way Central, Wheaton Warrenville South.