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
10/6/2025 PollLast week’s ranking in parenthesis
1 (1). Brownsburg (Ind.), 7-0 – beat Zionzville (Ind.) 38-6
2 (2). Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.), 6-0 – beat then-No. 22 Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.) 27-14(Lisle, Ill.) 48-0
3 (4). East St. Louis (Ill.), 3-2 – beat Edwardsville (Ill.) 54-0
4 (9). LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.), 5-1 – beat then-No. 5 St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, PA.) 31-20
5 (NR). Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 7-0 – beat then-No. 3 Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio) 24-16
6 (6). Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio), 7-0 – beat Turpin (Cincinnati, Ohio) 58-16
7 (8). Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.), 6-0 – beat Western International (Detroit, Mich.) 64-0
8 (10). Avon (Ohio), 6-1 – beat Midview (Grafton, Ohio) 52-0
9 (11). Detroit Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 6-0 – beat Brother Rice (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) 41-8
10 (12). Hoban (Akron, Ohio), 5-1 – DNP
11 (15). Carmel (Ind.), 6-1 – beat Ben Davis (Indianapolis, In.) 43-0
12 (17). Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 6-1 – beat Shaler Area (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 69-7
13 (19). St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 6-1 – beat St. Ignatius (Cleveland, Ohio) 45-31
14 (5). St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), 2-4 – lost 31-20 to then-No. 9 LaSalle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.)
15 (24). Olentangy Orange (Lewis Center, Ohio), 7-0 – beat Dublin Coffman (Ohio) 45-7
16 (3). Moeller (Cincinnati, Ohio), 5-2 – lost 24-16 to Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio)
17 (13). Harrisburg (Pa.), 7-0 – beat Altoona (Pa.) 45-7
18 (14). Iona Prep (New Rochelle, N.Y.), 5-0 – beat St. Anthony’s (Melville, N.Y.) 50-36
19 (16). Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio), 6-0 – DNP
20 (18). Peters Township (McMurray, Pa.), 6-0 – beat Moon Area (Moon Township, Pa.) 21-10
21 (7). Center Grove (Greenwood, IN), 6-1 – lost 21-15 to Cathedral (Indianapolis, In.)
22 (20). Lincoln Way-East (Frankfort, Ill.), 6-0 – beat Metea Valley (Aurora, Ill.) 42-6
23 (21). New Palestine (Ind.), 7-0 – beat Shelbyville (In.) 65-3
24 (23). Maple Grove (Minn.), 6-0 – beat St. Michael-Albertville (Minn.) 35-24
25 (25). Malvern Prep (Pa.), 4-1 – DNP
Dropped Out:
22. Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), 5-1 – lost 27-14 to then-No. 3 Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.)
Keep an Eye On:
* Arrowhead (Hartland, Wis,), 6-1
* Avonworth (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 7-0
* Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), 5-1
* Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.), 5-2
* Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, N.Y.), 5-0
* Franklin (Wisc.), 7-0
* Lawrence North (Indianapolis, Ind.), 6-1
* Muskego (Wis.), 6-1
* Nazareth Academy (LaGrange, Ill.), 6-1
* St. Thomas Academy (Mendota Heights, Minn.), 6-0
* Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), 4-2
* Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 6-1
* Westfield (Ind.), 5-2
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
