High school football: Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings for Week 4

The big three (Mount Carmel, Loyola and Lincoln-Way East) continue to dominate. The Caravan and Ramblers obliterated ranked teams on the road in Week 3.

At this point in the season, all the activity is happening at the bottom of the rankings. It’s exceedingly difficult to work out which teams to add every week.

Today I went with Wheaton North, Lyons and York. Glenbard North, Nazareth and Wheaton-Warrenville South dropped out.

Wheaton North, last season’s Class 7A state champion, was an easy call. The Falcons knocked off Batavia and haven’t missed a beat this season despite losing almost everything from last season’s squad.

Lyons gets in after a nice win against Hinsdale Central. It is possible undefeated York should have been in the Super 25 long ago. The Dukes were 8-2 last year and returned a solid core. But they haven’t been tested yet this season.

It’s always tough to decide what to do with schools smaller than Class 5A. Joliet Catholic is an obvious call. But what about IC Prep and St. Francis and Wilmington?

Last week on Twitter a reader suggested another set of rankings, maybe a top five, for the smaller classes. That’s something we used to do for basketball rankings. Back in the two-class system I always had a top five for area Class A teams.

That might be a good idea. I don’t see the small schools play very often though, so that’s my biggest hesitation.

Week 4’s Super 25With record and last week’s ranking

1. Mount Carmel (3-0) 1Friday vs. No. 9 Marist

2. Loyola (3-0) 2Saturday vs. Brother Rice

3. Lincoln-Way East (3-0) 3Friday vs. Andrew

4. Warren (3-0) 4Friday at Stevenson

5. Glenbard West (3-0) 5Friday at Proviso West

6. Naperville North (3-0) 6Friday at Neuqua Valley

7. Simeon (3-0) 8Friday at Brooks

8. Maine South (2-1) 9Thursday vs. No. 12 Prospect

9. Marist (2-1) 11Friday at No. 1 Mount Carmel

10. Prairie Ridge (3-0) 10Friday at No. 17 Jacobs

11. Wheaton North (3-0) NRFriday at St. Charles North

12. Prospect (3-0) 12Thursday at No. 8 Maine South

13. Lockport (3-0) 14Friday vs. Homewood-Flossmoor

14. Lemont (3-0) 15Friday at Bremen

15. Joliet Catholic (3-0) 16Friday at Providence

16. Bolingbrook (2-1) 17Friday vs. Sandburg

17. Jacobs (3-0) 22Friday vs. No. 10 Prairie Ridge

18. Palatine (3-0) 23Friday at Glenbrook South

19. Lyons (3-0) NRFriday at Oak Park

20. St. Rita (1-2) 13Friday at Benet

21. Batavia (1-2) 7Friday vs. Lake Park

22. Kankakee (2-1) 21Friday vs. Manual

23. Hersey (3-0) 25Friday at Highland Park

24. York (3-0) NRFriday vs. Downers Grove North

25. Notre Dame (2-1) 20Friday at Nazareth

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