Michael O’Brien’s Chicago-area Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 13

Deerfield joins, Willowbrook and Rolling Meadows crack the top ten.

By Michael O’Brien

Warren’s Willis Singleton (56) and Malachi McNeal (9) wrap up Bolingbrook quarterback Devyn Suggs (14).

It’s always a shame when a team is missing its star player for a playoff game. That was the case for Hillcrest in the quarterfinals. The Hawks were without injured running back Mar’Keise Irving in their 35-8 loss to St. Rita.

That’s a pretty large margin of victory, hard to say if Irving would have made a 27-point difference, but he is definitely the heart and soul of the team. He’s just a junior though, so he will have another shot at helping get Hillcrest to the state finals.

Here’s where things stand heading into the semifinals.

Dropping out

Phillips (9-2): This was a tough call, but no Public League teams has enough quality wins to crack the Super 25. The Wildcats lost to Simeon this season, which makes the Wolverines more likely to be ranked at this point. But it is impossible to ignore the score in that Cary-Grove game. It’s a sign that the top-tier Public League teams just weren’t quite up to the Super 25 standard, although I gave them the benefit of the doubt most of the season.

Sycamore (10-2): It was a glorious week in the Super 25 but the run comes to an end after losing to Rockford Boylan.

New additions

Deerfield (10-2): The Warriors are still alive after surviving Lake Forest in the quarterfinals. They’ve lost to Rolling Meadows and Maine West this season.

2019 IHSA state football playoff scores and pairings

Huntley (9-2): That 14-7 loss at Marist in the second round doesn’t look so shabby now. The Red Raiders also beat Cary-Grove and Prairie Ridge this season.

Week 13’s Super 25
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Lincoln-Way East (12-0) 1
8A: at No. 6 Marist

2. Mount Carmel (12-0) 2
7A: at No. 9 Willowbrook

3. Nazareth (12-0) 3
7A: at No. 10 Rolling Meadows

4. Warren (12-0) 4
8A: vs. No. 5 Brother Rice

5. Brother Rice (8-4) 23
8A: at No. 4 Warren

6. Marist (8-4) 19
8A: vs. No. 1 Lincoln-Way East

7. Prairie Ridge (11-1) 12
6A: at No. 21 Deerfield

8. St. Rita (9-3) 16
5A: vs. Rockford Boylan

9. Willowbrook (11-1) 17
7A: vs. No. 2 Mount Carmel

10. Rolling Meadows (12-0) 21
7A: vs. No. 3 Nazareth

11. Loyola (8-4) 5
Season complete