The Top 10 football teams (and others of note) in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Top 25 high school football rankings
How many Great Lakes teams are in this week's Top 25 high school football rankings?
Silos, smokestacks, steeples and stadium lights. The Great Lakes region is molded by its horizon. North Coast communities are defined - in part - by Friday nights.
Here's our latest look at the top prep football teams in a landscape that houses the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Lambeau Field, the Big Ten Conference, Notre Dame and several of the top high school programs in the history of the sport.
State champs, national acclaim, big-time talent. North Coast football is a force. So are the following teams from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Washington (Massillon, Ohio) denied Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) a shot at a fifth straight state title with a 17-14 win in an OHSAA D-II regional final.
Photo by Jeff Harwell
@EFrantzMP's High School Football Great Lakes Regional Rankings: 11/27
1. Mentor (Ohio) – 13-0
Last Week (1): The Cardinals secured
another stunning one-point defeat of
St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) in the OHSAA Division I regional finals. Down seven in overtime, Mentor scored on an
Ian Kipp touchdown run and then notched the 36-35 win with Kipp’s two-point conversion pass to
Luke Floriea. The Cardinals beat the Eagles 29-28 in Week 1. Mentor bumps up to No. 11 in the
MaxPreps Top 25 National Rankings and No. 9 in the MaxPreps Composite Rankings.
Next Up: 11/29, 7 p.m. vs
Pickerington Central (Ohio) – 12-1
2. St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia) – 10-2
Last Week (2): Running back and Buffalo recruit
Kolbe Burrell ran for two touchdowns and
Sahmir Hagans returned two punts for touchdowns as the Hawks beat
Nazareth (Pa.) 45-24 in the PIAA Class 6A playoffs. Ranked No. 16 in the
MaxPreps Top 25 National Rankings and No. 20 in the MaxPreps Composite Rankings.
Next Up: 11/30, 1 p.m. vs
Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) – 12-1
3. Muskegon (Mich.) – 13-0
Last Week (3): Led by Ohio State recruit and senior quarterback
Cameron Martinez, the Big Reds beat
DeWitt (Mich.) 28-21 to reach their fourth straight MHSAA D-3 state final and seventh in eight years. Martinez, who rushed for 281 yards, capped an 83-yard drive with under five minutes left with the
game-winning 20-yard touchdown run.
Up Next: 11/30, 7:30 p.m. vs
River Rouge (Mich.) – 12-1 (at Ford Field)
4. Washington (Massillon, Ohio) – 13-0
Last Week (6): The
Tigers extracted revenge on
Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) with a 17-14 win over the then-No. 4 Knights in the OHSAA D-II regional finals. Hoban beat Massillon in last year’s state final.
Next Up: 11/29, 7 p.m. vs
Avon (Ohio) – 13-0
5. East St. Louis (Ill.) – 13-0
Last Week (7): Running back
DaMonta Witherspoon scored
five touchdowns as the Flyers beat
Glenwood (Chatham, Ill.) 50-28 to advance to the IHSA Class AA state final.
Next Up: 11/30, 1 p.m. vs
Prairie Ridge (Crystal Lake, Ill.) – 12-1
6. Southern Columbia Area (Catawissa, Pa.) – 14-0
Last Week (8): The Tigers
almost surrendered as many points as they had all season in a 63-22 win over
Upper Dauphin Area (Elizabethville, Pa.) in the PIAA Class AA state playoffs. Southern Columbia has outscored opponents 763-48 this season with 10 shutouts.
Next Up: 11/29, 7 p.m. vs
Richland (Johnstown, Pa.) – 13-0
7. Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.) – 13-0
Last Week (9): Michigan recruit
A.J. Henning scored two touchdowns as the Griffins beat
Marist (Chicago, Ill.) 24-7 to advance to the IHSA Class 8A state final.
Next Up: 11/30, 1 pm vs
Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.) – 13-0
8. Muskego (Wis.) – 14-0*
Last Week (10): The Warriors
defended their WIAA D-I state title and ran their win streak to 28 games with a 21-10 win over
Bay Port (Green Bay, Wis.).
Nick Maier racked up 15 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the victors.
Next Up: Season Complete
9. Pickerington Central (Ohio) – 12-1
Last Week (11): The Tigers won their fourth straight OHSAA D-I regional title and got revenge for their lone loss this season with a 23-7 win over
Groveport-Madison (Groveport, Ohio).
Pick Central outgained Groveport 277-22 in total yards in the first half and scored all 23 points in the second quarter.
Next Up: 11/29, 7 p.m. vs Mentor (Ohio) – 13-0
10. Elder (Cincinnati) – 11-2
Last Week (14): Quarterback
Matthew Luebbe accounted for
four touchdowns and ran for 170 yards and threw for 243 as the Panthers beat
Colerain (Cincinnati) 28-21 in the OHSAA D-I regional finals. Ranked No. 22 in the
MaxPreps Top 25 National Rankings.
Next Up: 11/ 29, 7 p.m. vs
Springfield (Ohio) – 12-1
Dropped Out: No. 4 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) – lost 36-35 in OT to No. 1 Mentor (Ohio)
No. 5 Archbishop Hoban (Akron, OH) – lost 17-10 to then-No. 6 Washington (Massillon, Ohio)
The Next 511.
New Palestine (Ind.) – 13-0
12. St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio) – 11-2*
13.
La Salle (Cincinnati) – 11-2
14.
Chicago Mt. Carmel (Chicago) – 13-0
15. Warren Township (Gurnee, Ill.) – 13-0
Keep An Eye On…Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.) – 13-0
Central Catholic (Pittsburgh) – 12-1
Archbishop Hoban (Akron, Ohio) – 11-2*
St. Xavier (Cincinnati) – 9-3*
Colerain (Cincinnati) – 11-2*
Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (Indianapolis) – 13-1
Central Dauphin (Harrisburg, Pa.) – 11-2
St. Ignatius (Cleveland) – 5-5*
Carmel (Ind.) – 10-3
Wayzata (Plymouth, Minn.) – 12-0
Springfield (Ohio) – 12-1
Fairfield (Ohio) – 10-2*
Brownsburg (Ind.) – 7-4*
Winton Woods (Cincinnati) – 6-3*
Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio) – 13-0
DeForest (Wis.) – 14-0*
Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.) – 10-2*
Manheim Township (Lancaster, Pa.) – 11-1*
Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wis.) – 12-2*
Thomas Jefferson (Jefferson Hills, Pa.) – 14-0
Davison (Mich.) – 11-2
State College (Pa.) – 11-2*
St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, Minn.) – 11-1
Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.) – 8-5
Catholic Central (Grand Rapids, Mich.) – 12-1
Bay Port (Wisc.) – 13-1*
King (Detroit) – 11-2
New Rochelle (N.Y.) – 12-0
* - Season Complete
