The final Super 25 rankings are definitely more art than science.
My philosophy is to weigh performance in the playoffs as the highest factor. The second factor is the team’s overall regular season results. Lastly, it just comes down to which team I think is better.
Obviously, this is all highly subjective. I covered every team in the final rankings other than Lake Zurich and Providence. I saw most of the teams multiple times, some as many as four or five times, most two or three.
St. Rita’s ranking may surprise or annoy some readers. The Mustangs were just 5-5 this season (the CCL/ESCC consolation tournament games aren’t included or factored in). St. Rita beat Joliet Catholic and St. Laurence this season. Both of those teams finished the season in Champaign. The Mustangs lost to Mount Carmel twice, Loyola, St. Francis and Brother Rice this season.
Wilmington checks in at No. 25 after winning the Class 2A state title. There are likely several much larger schools that would beat the Wildcats, but I believe the state championship should be acknowledged, so they grab the final slot.
Thanks so much for reading this season. As you can see below, nine teams that weren’t ranked in the preseason cracked the final rankings. I’d guess that is about average compared to past years. Based on 2022 results and returning starters and everything I’m not sure I would go back and change much, other than St. Francis. That was a clear whiff in the preseason, I should have included the Spartans back in August.
Final Super 25 Chicago-area high school football rankings for 2023
With record and preseason ranking
1. Loyola (14-0) 4
2. Mount Carmel (13-1) 1
3. Lincoln-Way East (13-1) 2
4. York (11-2) 7
5. Downers Grove North (11-3) NR
6. Barrington (12-1) NR
7. Batavia (11-2) 3
8. Cary-Grove (12-2) NR
9. Nazareth (9-5) 5
10. St. Francis (10-3) NR
11. Joliet Catholic (10-4) 21
12. Prairie Ridge (9-1) 9
13. Maine South (10-2) 6
14. Warren (9-3) 8
15. Hersey (10-1) 22
16. Lake Zurich (11-2) NR
17. Glenbard West (8-3) 16
18. St. Rita (5-5) 14
19. Carmel (10-2) NR
20. St. Laurence (10-4) NR
21. Lyons (7-4) 11
22. Morgan Park (10-2) 23
23. Providence (8-5) 19
24. St. Ignatius (8-4) NR
25. Wilmington (13-1) NR
