Our updated look at the top HS football teams in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
The Great Lakes states
are defined -
in large - by silos, steeples and Friday night stadium lights. With
kickoff upon us, here's our latest take on our annual and
weekly list of
the top high school football programs in the region. Also listed below are
the current MaxPreps computer
rankings for every Great Lakes state.
National acclaim and big-time talent. North Coast football is a force.
@EFrantzMP's High School Football Great Lakes Regional Rankings
10/20/2025 PollLast week’s ranking in parenthesis
1 (1). Brownsburg (Ind.), 9-0 – beat Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, Ind.) 35-7
2 (3). East St. Louis (Ill.), 5-2 – beat O’Fallon (Ill.) 48-6
3 (4). LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.), 7-1 – beat Cardinal O’Hara (Springfield, Pa.) 54-17
4 (2). Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.), 9-0 – beat Fenwick (Oak Park, Ill.) 35-28
5 (5). Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 9-0 – beat Bishop Chatard (Indianapolis, Ind.) 28-7
6 (6). Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio), 9-0 – beat Winton Woods (Cincinnati, Ohio) 37-30
7 (7). Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.), 8-0 – beat King (Detroit., Mich.) 35-19
8 (8). Carmel (Ind.), 8-1 – beat Lawrence Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 36-33
9 (9). St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), 4-4 – beat MBAPC (Drexel Hill, Pa.) 56-14
10 (13). St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 8-1 – beat then-No. 16 Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 35-10
11 (10). Detroit Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 8-0 – beat Grand Ledge (Mich.) 36-14
12 (11). Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 8-1 –beat Seneca Valley, Harmony, Pa.) 48-6
13 (14). Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio), 9-0 – beat Hilliard Bradley (Ohio) 38-14
14 (12). Avon (Ohio), 8-1 – beat Avon Lake (Ohio) 43-12
15 (15). Hoban (Akron, Ohio), 7-1 – beat Centgral York (Pa.) 46-21
16 (18). Center Grove (Greenwood, IN), 8-1 – beat Bloomington South (Ind.) 33-12
17 (NR). Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), 5-3 – beat Father Judge (Philadelphia, Pa.) 56-7
18 (22). Peters Township (McMurray, Pa.), 8-0 – beat Baldwin (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 61-0
19 (19). Harrisburg (Pa.), 9-0 – beat Central Dauphin, Harrisburg, Pa.) 27-0
20 (20). Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio), 8-0 – beat Northwest (Cincinnati, Ohio) 49-12
21 (21). New Palestine (Ind.), 9-0 – beat Delta (Ind.) 56-7
22 (23). Malvern Prep (Pa.), 6-1 – beat Haverford School (Pa.) 48-11
23 (NR) Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), 7-1 – beat St. Laurence (Burbank, Ill.) 48-6
24 (NR) Muskego (Wis.), 8-1 – beat Mukwonago (Wis.) 38-21
25 (25). Maple Grove (Minn.), 8-0 – beat Minnetonka (Minn.) 30-14
Dropped Out:
16. Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), 6-3 – lost 35-10 to then-No. 13 St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
17. Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 6-1 – lost 28-21 to Monsignor Farrell (Staten Island, N.Y.)
24. Lincoln Way-East (Frankfort, Ill.), 7-1 – lost 14-6 to Naperville North (Ill.)
Keep an Eye On:
* Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis.), 8-1
* Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), 7-0
* Franklin (Wis.), 9-0
* Highland (Medina, Ohio), 8-0
* Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), 6-3
* Nazareth Academy (LaGrange, Ill.), 8-1
* Pine Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.), 8-1
* St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, Minn.), 8-0
* St. Xavier (Cincinnati, Ohio), 7-2
* Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 7-1
* Westfield (Ind.), 7-2
MaxPreps Computer Rankings
Below are the Top 25 teams in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings in each of the Great Lakes states.
Illinois State Rankings
Pennsylvania State Rankings
