Brother Rice celebrates during the game against Mount Carmel. | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times
The top five remains rock solid and three teams make season debuts in the rankings.
The quarterfinals delivered excellent games. There weren’t many blowouts in the area. Even though some of the final scores were slightly lopsided, the games were closer than they appeared.
Lemont even kept things respectable against mighty East St. Louis, losing 42-21.
This is kind of an awkward week for the rankings. I like to keep the teams that are still playing higher than the ones that aren’t, in general. But it’s impossible to ignore that squads like Batavia and Neuqua Valley would likely beat many teams still alive. So bear with me for a week or two. Everything will iron out in the final rankings.
It’s been a long while since the top five changed, hasn’t it? There hasn’t been an earth-shattering upset yet in the playoffs.
IC Catholic, Wilmington and Sycamore are still playing for state titles so they’ve made season debuts in the rankings.
In case you don’t follow things on Twitter religiously, Kaleb Brown is back scoring touchdowns for St. Rita. All of a sudden the preseason No. 1 team is looking very dangerous again.
Week 13’s Super 25
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Loyola (12-0) 1
8A: vs. No. 8 Lockport
2. Joliet Catholic (12-0) 2
4A: at No. 20 Richmond-Burton
3. Brother Rice (10-2) 3
7A: at No. 6 Wheaton North
4. Maine South (11-1) 4
8A: at No. 10 Marist
5. Cary-Grove (12-0) 5
6A: vs. No. 18 Lake Forest
6. Wheaton North (11-1) 6
7A: vs. No. 3 Brother Rice
7. St. Rita (10-2) 10
7A: vs. No. 17 Prospect
8. Lockport (11-1) 12
8A: at No. 1 Loyola
9. Fenwick (10-2) 9
5A: vs. No. 19 Sycamore
10. Marist (9-3) 18
8A: vs. No. 4 Maine South
11. Neuqua Valley (10-2) 7
Season complete
12. Lincoln-Way East (9-3) 11
Season complete
13. Mount Carmel (8-4) 8
Season complete
14. Glenbard North (8-4) 14
Season complete
15. Kankakee (12-0) 15
5A: vs. Morton, IL
16. Crete-Monee (9-3) 16
6A: vs. East St. Louis
17. Prospect (10-2) 20
7A: at No. 7 St. Rita
18. Lake Forest (10-2) 23
6A: at No. 5 Cary-Grove
19. Sycamore (9-3) NR
5A: at No. 9 Fenwick
20. Richmond-Burton (12-0) 24
4A: vs. No. 2 Joliet Catholic
21. IC Catholic (11-2) NR
3A: vs. Byron
22. Wilmington (12-0) NR
2A: vs. Tri-Valley
23. Lemont (11-1) 13
Season complete
24. Batavia (10-1) NR
Season complete
25. Warren (9-2) NR
Season complete
