High school football: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Week 12

It’s been a terrific two weeks of playoff football. The lack of major upsets has given us fantastic matchups to watch and that has continued into the quarterfinals.

Four new teams join the rankings after winning in the second round. Palatine makes its season debut. Lyons, Morgan Park and Nazareth all return.

Wheaton North drops out, which was my toughest decision of the week. The Falcons had a tremendous season and will have a decent shot at making the season’s final Super 25. I wanted to make room this week for most of the teams that were still playing in the larger classes. Yorkville didn’t get the nod despite advancing to the Class 7A quarterfinals. St. Ignatius is the other team in a big school quarterfinal that is missing. There just wasn’t enough room.

Plainfield North and South Elgin also drop out. Both teams dominated in their conferences this season but had rough outings in the second round. Glenbrook South also falls out but it should be noted what an impressive turnaround that program has made over the past two seasons.

Week 12’s Super 25

1. Mount Carmel (11-0) 17A: vs. No. 15 Brother Rice

2. Loyola (10-1) 28A: vs. No. 18 Lyons

3. Lincoln-Way East (11-0) 38A: vs. No. 8 Warren

4. York (11-0) 48A: vs. No. 17 Palatine

5. Glenbard West (10-1) 68A: at No. 9 Maine South

6. St. Rita (9-2) 117A: at No. 12 St. Charles North

7. Lemont (11-0) 86A: vs. Kenwood

8. Warren (10-1) 128A: at No. 3 Lincoln-Way East

9. Maine South (9-2) 138A: vs. No. 5 Glenbard West

10. Crete-Monee (9-2) 146A: at East St. Louis

11. Prairie Ridge (10-1) 156A: at Harlem

12. St. Charles North (10-1) 167A: vs. No. 6 St. Rita

13. Batavia (8-3) 187A: vs. Yorkville

14. Lake Zurich (10-1) 197A: at Pekin

15. Brother Rice (7-4) 207A: at No. 1 Mount Carmel

16. Sycamore (11-0) 235A: vs. Sterling

17. Palatine (10-1) NR8A: at No. 4 York

18. Lyons (9-2) NR8A: at No. 2 Loyola

19. Marist (8-3) 10Season complete

20. Simeon (10-1) 5Season complete

21. Prospect (9-2) 9Season complete

22. Hersey (10-1) 7Season complete

23. Morgan Park (10-1) NR5A: at No. 24 Nazareth

24. Nazareth (7-4) NR5A: vs. No. 23 Morgan Park

25. IC Catholic (10-1) 253A: at Princeton

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