Illinois High School Football Top 25 State Rankings - Nov. 26, 2025

Fenwick jumps into the top five, while Oswego and St. Rita move into the top 10 ahead of the state finals

The Fenwick Friars are now ranked No. 5 in Illinois after knocking off then No. 4 Nazareth in the Class 6A state semifinals. / Fenwick Friars Athletics

It's state championship week for Illinois high school football and there are some heavyweight showdowns on tap for this weekend with titles on the line.

Fenwick, after knocking off then-No. 4 Nazareth, moves up four spots to No. 5 as they prepare to meet No. 2 East St. Louis in the Class 6A state championship game. Also moving up this week, into Top 10 slots, are No. 6 Oswego and No. 7 St. Rita, who each qualified for state finals.

Oswego is set to challenge No. 1 Mount Carmel in Class 8A, while St. Rita will meet No. 3 Brother Rice for the Class 7A crown.

1. Mount Carmel (13-0)

Previous ranking: 1

Last week: Def. Fremd 42-21

Up next: 8A, vs. Oswego, Nov. 29

Emmett Dowling threw for 341 yards and had five total touchdowns.

2. East St. Louis (10-3)

Previous ranking: 2

Last week: Def. St. Laurence 50-7

Up next: 6A, vs. Fenwick, Nov. 29

Myson Cook-Johnson had 170 rushing and four touchdowns, while Ahmad Coleman ran for 106 yards and three TDs.

3. Brother Rice (12-1)

Previous ranking: 3

Last week: Def. Downers Grove North 45-17

Up next: 7A, vs. St. Rita, Nov. 29

Army commit CJ Gray ran for four touchdowns, and Gray, Jaylin Green and Jameson Davis all rushed for more than 100 yards.

4. Montini Catholic (13-0)

Previous ranking: 5

Last week: Def. Morris 47-27

Up next: 4A, vs. Rochester, Nov. 28

Luca Florio ran a kickoff back 93 yards for a TD and caught a 53-yard touchdown pass.

5. Fenwick (10-3)

Previous ranking: 9

Last week: Def. Nazareth 28-27 (OT)

Up next: 6A, vs. East St. Louis, Nov. 29

Jamen Williams passed for 297 yards and had four total touchdowns, while Jake Thies had 224 total yards on 25 touches.

6. Oswego (11-2)

Previous ranking: 11

Last week: Def. Lockport 10-7

Up next: 8A, vs. Mount Carmel, Nov. 29

Kaleb Stumpenhorst kicked a 42-yard field goal to break a 7-7 tie and Ammar Banire had a 63-yard TD run.

7. St. Rita (8-4)

Previous ranking: 16

Last week: Def. Batavia 54-34

Up next: 7A, vs. Brother Rice, Nov. 29

Steven Armbruster threw for 249 yards and had five total touchdowns, while Walter Jones had 111 receiving yards and two TDs.

8. Nazareth (11-2)

Previous ranking: 4

Last week: Lost to Fenwick 28-27 (OT)

Up next: Season over

The Roadrunners' bid for a fourth consecutive state title ended when a two-point conversion run in OT came up short.

9. Fremd (11-2)

Previous ranking: 6

Last week: Lost to Mount Carmel 42-21

Up next: Season over

Northwestern commit Johnny O'Brien passed for 102 yards and two TDs, while Marquan Brewster had a 90-yard kickoff return, a TD catch and an interception.

10. Lincoln-Way East (9-3)

Previous ranking: 10

Season over

11. Providence Catholic (10-3)

Previous ranking: 13

Last week: Def. Oak Forest 31-21

Up next: 5A, vs. St. Francis, Nov. 29

Brayden McKay had 11 touches for 187 yards and a pair of rushing TDs, while Broden Mackert ran for 172 yards.

12. St. Francis (10-3)

Previous ranking: 14

Last week: Def. Belvidere North 35-13

Up next: 5A, vs. Providence, Nov. 29

Tanner Glock caught three touchdown passes and the Spartans forced five turnovers.

13. Downers Grove North (10-3)

Previous ranking: 7

Last week: Lost to Brother Rice 45-17

Up next: Season over

Jacob Froman had a 75-yard pick-six and recovered a fumble.

14. Batavia (10-3)

Previous ranking: 8

Last week: Lost to St. Rita 54-34

Up next: Season over

Michael Vander Luitgaren passed for 290 yards and three TDs, while Brett Berggren caught nine passes for 164 yards and a score.

15. Lockport (9-4)

Previous ranking: 12

Last week: Lost to Oswego 10-7

Up next: Season over

Brendan Mecher had 143 total yards and a touchdown, but the Porters' eight-game winning streak was snapped.

16. Maine South (10-2)

Previous ranking: 15

Season over

17. Barrington (10-2)

Previous ranking: 17

Season over

18. St. Charles North (10-2)

Previous ranking: 18

Season over

19. Bolingbrook (9-3)

Previous ranking: 19

Season over

20. Hersey (9-3)

Previous ranking: 20

Season over

21. Lincoln-Way West (10-2)

Previous ranking: 21

Season over

22. Warren (9-2)

Previous ranking: 22

Season over

23. Glenbard West (9-2)

Previous ranking: 23

Season over

24. Carmel (8-3)

Previous ranking: 24

Season over

25. Loyola (4-6)

Previous ranking: Not ranked

Season over