Top-ranked East St. Louis almost pulled-off one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 high school football season. The Flyers dropped a heart-breaking 14-13 overtime loss to national power IMG Academy (Illinois).
ESL scored first in overtime, but the Flyers’ extra point was blocked. IMG then won by scoring a 10-yard touchdown on fourth down when Ty Hawkins connected with freshman Eric McFarland III.
Despite the loss, the Flyers head into the postseason as the No. 1 team in the High School Football America Illinois Top 10 high school football rankings, powered by NFL Play Football.
No. 2 Lincoln-Way East wrapped-up a perfect 9-0 regular season with a 28-7 win over Naperville Central. It was the first loss of the year for the Redhawks, who drop a notch to No. 7 in the latest rankings, created with our proprietary algorithm.
After a 1-2 start, two-time defending 8A champ Loyola Academy heads into the playoffs on a six-game win streak. The Ramblers beat former No. 3 Mount Carmel (Chicago) 31-7, giving them the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference Blue Division title. MC drops to No. 6.
St. Francis is back in the Top 10 after a 39-36 win over Nazareth Academy. The Spartans break back into the statewide rankings at No. 5. NA drops from No. 7 to No. 8 this week.
High School Football America Illinois Top 10
| Ranking/Team | Record | Last Week |
| No. 1 East St. Louis | (8-1) | 1 |
| No. 2 Lincoln-Way East | (9-0) | 2 |
| No. 3 Cary-Grove | (9-0) | 4 |
| No. 4 Loyola Academy | (7-2) | 5 |
| No. 5 St. Francis | (7-2) | NR |
| No. 6 Mount Carmel (Chicago) | (6-3) | 3 |
| No. 7 Naperville Central | (8-1) | 6 |
| No. 8 Nazareth Academy | (7-2) | 7 |
| No. 9 St. Rita | (7-2) | 8 |
| No. 10 Marist | (8-1) | 9 |
Dropped-out: No. 10 Oswego
Editor’s Note: The High School Football America national, regional and state rankings are developed using our proprietary algorithm.
