Cary Grove’s captains accept the trophy for the Class 6A state championship in DeKalb. | Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times
Four contenders vie for the top spot.
Eight state champions were crowned in DeKalb this weekend.
There was Fenwick as the debutante, winning its first title. Joliet Catholic, the kings of Illinois high school football, added to its state-record trophy haul.
Lockport and Wheaton North returned to glory for the first time in many years and Cary-Grove continued the Fox Valley’s recent tradition of excellence.
One thing that wasn’t settled is the matter of No. 1. Maine South entered as the top-ranked team, based on their resume. The Hawks were soundly beaten by Lockport and have lost their claim to the spot.
Fenwick had two losses during the regular season and the Class 5A field didn’t provide significant opportunities to improve its resume, so set the Friars aside.
That leaves Lockport, Wheaton North, Joliet Catholic and Cary-Grove as the contenders for the final spot on top of the Super 25.
Some years there will be a reporter (ok, probably me) that asks coaches and players who the number one team is. That didn’t happen this weekend. But one coach gave his opinion without being asked.
“We told our kids on Monday we thought we were the best team in the state of Illinois,” Cary-Grove coach Brad Seaburg said. “And I think we did everything today to prove that’s certainly a possibility if not a definite thing.”
Seaburg is right. East St. Louis was considered the best team in the state all season long, by literally everyone that does any form of rankings or spouts an opinion publicly.
Cary-Grove beat the Flyers. It was universally hailed as one of the greatest championship games in Illinois High School Association history. That only happens when a game is not just close, but is played at a high-level.
East St. Louis, loaded with probably a dozen or more future FBS college players, just could not stop the Trojans’ double option.
Cary-Grove’s full-season resume isn’t as strong as Lockport’s. The Porters defeated Bolingbrook, Glenbard West, Glenbard North and Loyola. That’s a terrific season. They also showed they were clearly better than Maine South in the title game.
But the Porters have a blemish on their resume. They lost at home to Lincoln-Way East. Starting quarterback Hayden Timosciek handled punting duties in the game but was too injured to play quarterback. That’s obviously a factor, but other teams managed to pull out victories this season while missing injured stars.
Well, it is time for this. Which team is No. 1?
— Michael O’Brien (@michaelsobrien) November 28, 2021
Joliet Catholic’s case is also strong. The Hilltoppers dominated on their run to the Class 4A title and have impressive regular season wins against Brother Rice, Crete-Monee and St. Louis Cardinal Ritter.
Wheaton North saved its best performance of the season for the Class 7A title game. The Falcons dominated St. Rita just a week after beating Brother Rice. But Wheaton North’s schedule has a blemish as well. The Falcons lost at Batavia in overtime in Week 3.
Clearly any of the four teams can make a legitimate claim to the top spot. But I agree with Seaburg. Cary-Grove’s performance on Saturday at Huskie Stadium proved it to me. The Trojans are No. 1.
2021 Final Super 25
With record and preseason ranking
1. Cary-Grove (14-0) 12
2. Lockport (13-1) NR
3. Joliet Catholic (14-0) 7
4. Wheaton North (13-1) 9
5. Maine South (12-2) 10
6. St. Rita (11-3) 1
7. Loyola (12-1) 4
8. Brother Rice (10-3) 3
9. Fenwick (12-2) 17
10. Neuqua Valley (10-2) 15
11. Lincoln-Way East (9-3) 5
12. Mount Carmel (8-4) 11
13. Batavia (10-1) 16
14. Marist (9-4) 6
15. Glenbard North (8-4) NR
16. Kankakee (13-1) NR
17. Warren (9-2) 2
18. Crete-Monee (9-4) NR
19. Lake Forest (10-3) NR
20. Lemont (11-1) NR
21. Glenbrook South (9-3) NR
22. Hinsdale Central (9-2) 8
23. Wilmington (14-0) NR
24. Prospect (10-3) NR
25. St. Ignatius (9-2) NR
