High school football: @EFrantzMP’s 2026 Great Lakes Region Rankings

Our weekly look at the top 2026 high school football teams in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Thumbnail image of this articles writer: Eric Frantz
By
Sep 7, 2026, 9:40am
The Great Lakes states are defined - in large - by silos, steeples and Friday night stadium lights. With kickoff approaching, here's our updated take on our annual and weekly list of the top high school football programs in the region. Also listed below are the MaxPreps computer rankings for every Great Lakes state.

Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin started regular season play last week. Pennsylvania, Michigan and New York kick off this week. Minnesota follows Sept. 3.

National acclaim and big-time talent. North Coast football is a force.
Previous @EFrantzMP Great Lakes Region Rankings Champions (final rankings in link)
2020: St. Joseph's Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.)
2021: Center Grove (Greenwood, Ind.)
2022: St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio)
2023: Massillon (Ohio)
2024: East St. Louis (Ill.)
2025: Brownsburg (Ind.)
2026: TBD

@EFrantzMP's High School Football Great Lakes Regional Rankings: 9/7/26 Poll

Last week’s ranking in parenthesis

1 (1). Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 2-0 – beat Woodland Hills (Pittsburgh, Pa.) 45-0 

2 (2). Brownsburg (Ind.), 3-0 – beat Franklin Central (Indianapolis. Ind.) 48-0

3 (3). Massillon (Ohio), 3-0 – beat NFL Academy (Loughborough, England) 21-16

4 (4). Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 3-0 – beat East Central (St. Leon, Ind.) 42-7

5 (5). Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 2-0 – beat Davison (Mich.) 56-14
6 (6). East St. Louis (Ill.), 2-1 – beat Gainesville (Ga.) 24-21
7 (7). St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), 1-0 – beat Brentwood Academy (Tenn.) 31-23
8 (8). Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.), 2-1 – beat Nazareth Academy (LaGrange Park, Ill.) 35-7

9 (9). St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 3-0 – beat Wayne (Huber Heights, Ohio) 48-21

10 (10). Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.), 2-0 – beat Grandville (Mich.) 48-21
11 (14). Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio), 3-0 – beat Ursuline (Youngstown, Ohio) 41-10
12 (12). Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio), 3-0 – beat Colerain (Cincinnati, Ohio) 49-6

13 (15). Westfield (Ind.), 3-0 – beat Zionsville (Ind.) 42-7
14 (13). Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio), 3-0 – beat Mason (Ohio) 35-10
15  (16). Big Walnut (Sunbury, Ohio), 3-0 – beat Reynoldsburg (Ohio) 44-7
16 (17). Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.), 3-0 – best St. Rita (Chicago, Ill.) 31-0

17 (NR). Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio), 3-0 – beat then-No. 19 Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio) 38-25

18 (21). Saline (Mich.), 2-0 – beat Skyline (Ann Arbor, Mich.) 59-0
19 (20). Moorhead (Minn.), 1-0 – beat Rogers (Minn.) 48-30
20 (22). Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.), 3-0 – beat Homewood-Flossmoor (Ill.) 38-7

21 (23). Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), 2-1 – beat St. Francis (Wheaton, Ill.) 43-0

22 (24). Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), 3-0 – beat North Central (Indianapolis, Ind.) 45-42

23 (25). Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.), 2-0 – beat West Allegheny (Imperial, Pa.) 59-20

24 (NR). Malvern Prep (Pa.), 1-0 – beat then-No. 18 LaSalle College Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.) 21-0
25 (NR). Arrowhead (Wisc.), 3-0 – beat Catholic Memorial (Waukesha, Wisc.) 34-14
 
Dropped Out: 
11. Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), 0-2 – lost 38-14 to Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey, N.J.)
18. La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.), 0-2 – lost 21-0 to Malvern Prep (Pa.)
19. Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio), 2-1 – lost 38-25 to Walsh Jesuit (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio)
 
Keep an Eye On:

 
* Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio), 2-1
* Iona Prep (New Rochelle, NY), 1-0

* James Monroe (Rochester, NY), 1-0 

* Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wisc.), 3-0

MaxPreps Computer Rankings
Below are the Top 25 teams in the MaxPreps Computer Rankings in each of the Great Lakes states. 

Illinois State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1East St. Louis2-156.2
2CMCHS (Chicago)2-151.4
3LWEHS (Frankfort)3-041.8
4Brother Rice (Chicago)2-135.7
5Loyola Academy (Wilmette)3-035.4
6Fenwick (Oak Park)3-029.6
7ICCP (Elmhurst)3-037.6
8DGNHS (Downers Grove)3-034.6
9PCHS (New Lenox)3-035.3
10Oswego3-035.0
11Geneva2-136.2
12Rochester3-028.0
13Batavia2-139.9
14NA (LaGrange Park)1-245.1
15Sandburg (Orland Park)3-030.4
16St. Rita (Chicago)1-244.9
17SICP (Chicago)2-128.2
18HFHS (Flossmoor)2-135.9
19Marist (Chicago)2-128.8
20Lyons (LaGrange)3-025.2
21WWSHS (Wheaton)2-132.2
22Morris3-025.4
23GWHS (Glen Ellyn)2-130.8
24MCHS (Lombard)2-126.5
25St. Francis (Wheaton)1-234.0
26Morgan Park (Chicago)2-134.3
27GNHS (Carol Stream)2-135.3
28SCNHS (St. Charles)2-129.5
29Fremd (Palatine)3-025.4
30Wheaton North (Wheaton)3-026.3
31HHS (Arlington Heights)3-030.8
32Carmel (Mundelein)2-127.5
33New Trier (Winnetka)3-021.0
34NNHS (Naperville)2-132.5
35Joliet Catholic (Joliet)1-241.3
36Maine South (Park Ridge)2-125.5
37HCHS (Hinsdale)2-129.9
38Byron3-020.5
39Bolingbrook2-129.7
40LWCHS (New Lenox)2-128.7
41York (Elmhurst)2-129.4
42Niles Notre Dame (Niles)2-124.0
43NCHS (Naperville)1-235.4
44Prospect (Mt. Prospect)3-026.7
45NVHS (Naperville)1-237.2
46PNHS (Plainfield)2-131.0
47LWWHS (New Lenox)3-020.1
48GSHS (Glenview)1-229.6
49Barrington0-335.7
50St. Laurence (Burbank)0-334.6


Indiana State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Brownsburg3-045.1
2Westfield3-042.3
3Carmel1-246.4
4LNHS (Indianapolis)2-144.7
5WCHS (Indianapolis)3-035.6
6Center Grove (Greenwood)2-146.4
7Avon3-040.4
8New Palestine2-139.2
9IBCHS (Indianapolis)3-036.3
10Cathedral (Indianapolis)1-245.4
11East Central (St. Leon)2-146.2
12Ben Davis (Indianapolis)2-140.6
13Carroll (Fort Wayne)2-131.9
14FWBD (Fort Wayne)3-027.0
15Roncalli (Indianapolis)1-244.2
16DCHS (Indianapolis)2-128.8
17Zionsville2-139.6
18FCHS (Indianapolis)1-246.5
19HSHS (Fishers)1-241.1
20Crown Point3-028.8
21LCHS (Indianapolis)1-233.9
22Homestead (Fort Wayne)2-134.5
23Merrillville2-134.6
24Fishers0-343.5
25Penn (Mishawaka)3-026.9
26Plainfield2-128.3
27Noblesville2-123.6
28BSHS (Bloomington)3-015.1
29Warsaw3-025.6
30East Noble (Kendallville)3-026.4
31FWSHS (Fort Wayne)1-227.8
32Pike (Indianapolis)0-341.3
33NCHS (Indianapolis)1-237.8
34Northview (Brazil)3-018.9
35ERHS (Evansville)3-020.0
36FCHS (Floyds Knobs)3-024.1
37GSHS (Fort Branch)2-123.5
38SPHS (Greencastle)3-019.4
39BCHS (Brownstown)3-016.9
40LJHS (Lafayette)1-234.9
41Yorktown2-125.8
42EHHS (Charlottesville)3-020.2
43Eastside (Butler)3-023.1
44Valparaiso2-126.0
45Adams Central (Monroe)2-126.8
46Logansport3-020.4
47Hobart3-016.7
48PHHS (Pendleton)3-021.7
49Leo2-129.0
50Danville3-016.8


Michigan State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Catholic Central (Novi)2-022.5
2Clarkston2-033.4
3East Kentwood (Kentwood)2-030.3
4King (Detroit)2-038.6
5SMP (Orchard Lake)1-138.7
6Cass Tech (Detroit)2-025.1
7Saline2-029.0
8Rockford1-137.9
9BRHS (Bloomfield Hills)2-027.4
10DLSC (Warren)2-09.4
11Romeo2-026.6
12Adams (Rochester)1-134.4
13Hudsonville1-126.9
14Byron Center1-142.1
15Mason2-030.1
16DeWitt1-136.0
17Caledonia1-014.8
18Oxford2-020.0
19Coopersville2-029.1
20SCHS (Rochester Hills)1-139.1
21SCHS (Grand Rapids)2-024.8
22Grandville1-141.3
23Muskegon0-236.2
24Divine Child (Dearborn)2-024.7
25UCHS (Hudsonville)1-130.4
26MSHS (Norton Shores)1-129.3
27Dakota (Macomb)1-129.9
28Chelsea2-022.8
29Harper Woods1-128.0
30Grand Blanc2-025.8
31Fordson (Dearborn)2-027.0
32West Bloomfield1-121.6
33EGRHS (Grand Rapids)1-133.3
34Davison1-135.3
35Northville2-019.8
36Lake Orion1-120.4
37Zeeland West (Zeeland)2-018.6
38Goodrich2-026.1
39Dow (Midland)1-123.8
40LCCHS (Jackson)2-025.2
41Howell2-026.5
42UEHS (Shelby Township)1-122.4
43Brighton2-018.6
44Menominee2-018.1
45Portage Central (Portage)1-131.1
46Jenison2-021.3
47Carlson (Gibraltar)2-019.6
48Clinton2-021.4
49Mt. Pleasant2-018.4
50Belleville0-236.5


Minnesota State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Alexandria1-035.9
2Chanhassen0-137.2
3Elk River1-027.5
4Monticello1-016.9
5Bemidji0-139.0
6Moorhead1-018.2
7Marshall1-014.7
8Minnetonka1-020.8
9Orono (Long Lake)1-024.5
10Maple Grove1-018.5
11Rocori (Cold Spring)0-129.2
12STA (Mendota Heights)0-129.0
13CDHHS (St. Paul)1-028.3
14Edina1-014.6
15Byron1-017.0
16JCCHS (Jackson)1-019.6
17Spring Lake Park0-126.6
18Becker0-132.3
19Hutchinson1-015.7
20Stewartville1-015.7
21Minneota1-014.5
22DGFHS (Glyndon)1-015.2
23Chaska1-021.3
24Willmar1-017.2
25Mankato West (Mankato)1-021.9
26EVWHS (Eden Valley)1-012.0
27Eden Prairie1-014.5
28Annandale1-014.0
29KMHS (Kasson)1-09.3
30Dawson-Boyd (Dawson)1-018.8
31Grand Rapids1-011.9
32Waseca1-017.4
33Pierz1-011.0
34Hill-Murray (Maplewood)1-011.5
35Forest Lake1-016.5
36Centennial (Circle Pines)1-016.9
37Triton (Dodge Center)1-026.8
38LSHS (Lakeville)1-018.2
39Waconia1-015.1
40Osakis1-011.2
41FCHS (Harmony)1-014.0
42Pillager1-013.5
43Albany1-018.2
44RVHS (Redwood Falls)1-013.5
45Chatfield1-016.4
46Holdingford1-024.1
47Zimmerman1-014.0
48Hermantown1-011.7
49Champlin Park (Champlin)1-013.9
50SHS (Inver Grove Heights)1-016.8


New York State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Iona Prep (New Rochelle)1-040.90
2EAII (Brooklyn)2-035.177
3MFHS (Staten Island)2-021.51
4Garden City0-00.06
5Canisius (Buffalo)1-021.71
6St. Francis (Hamburg)1-027.8-1
7St. Anthony's (Melville)0-139.3-4
8Sayville0-00.08
9Plainedge (Massapequa)0-00.010
10BBPHS (Bayport)0-00.013
11CBA (Albany)1-029.24
12ASHS (White Plains)1-126.01
13Seaford0-00.013
14Chaminade (Mineola)1-129.648
15EIHS (Islip Terrace)0-00.012
16WMHS (East Setauket)0-00.013
17WFHS (Mastic Beach)0-00.013
18Wantagh0-00.015
19Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn)0-239.818
20Cardinal Hayes (Bronx)0-133.28
21CBA (Syracuse)0-150.1-19
22Averill Park1-030.079
23Bronxville0-128.7-16
24Maine-Endwell (Endwell)1-020.2-10
25Waverly1-021.6-5
26THS (Staten Island)0-133.919
27Carey (Franklin Square)0-00.031
28Rye1-022.8-19
29CFHS (Binghamton)1-020.7-11
30HHHE (Dix Hills)0-00.030
31Monroe (Rochester)1-011.7-19
32Westlake (Thornwood)1-017.1-11
33Southwestern (Jamestown)0-00.032
34SHS (Clifton Park)1-019.3-12
35Massapequa1-016.7-24
36SSHS (Rockville Centre)0-00.030
37Liverpool1-015.14
38Shaker (Latham)1-020.017
39Somers (Lincolndale)1-025.1-31
40New Hartford1-012.9-9
41Curtis (Staten Island)2-018.727
42Pearl River1-015.225
43Delaware Academy (Delhi)1-024.287
44Glens Falls1-018.3-19
45McKinley (Buffalo)1-015.228
46Saratoga Springs1-011.81
47EWIHS (CO-OP) (Rochester)0-00.028
48Xavier (New York)1-017.329
49Schuylerville1-011.50
50CNSHS (Cicero)1-014.20


Ohio State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Elder (Cincinnati)3-041.6
2Washington (Massillon)3-040.2
3BWHS (Columbus)3-031.9
4WJHS (Cuyahoga Falls)3-040.3
5Princeton (Cincinnati)3-037.4
6Anderson (Cincinnati)2-137.5
7St. Edward (Lakewood)3-037.3
8Glenville (Cleveland)1-149.8
9LWHS (West Chester)3-035.4
10UAHS (Columbus)3-037.3
11Big Walnut (Sunbury)3-025.9
12AMHS (Cincinnati)1-247.7
13Central Catholic (Toledo)2-143.4
14Steubenville3-023.6
15OOHS (Lewis Center)2-133.2
16Lincoln (Gahanna)3-038.7
17Avon1-248.7
18PNHS (Pickerington)2-136.5
19St. Ignatius (Cleveland)2-142.1
20St. Xavier (Cincinnati)1-240.6
21McKinley (Canton)2-131.1
22TMHS (Trotwood)2-136.0
23OLHS (Powell)0-349.9
24OBHS (Delaware)2-140.6
25Archbishop Hoban (Akron)0-341.7
26SFDS (Columbus)3-025.4
27Hudson3-028.7
28AFHS (Youngstown)1-136.2
29Mentor2-138.2
30Springfield1-245.6
31PCHS (Pickerington)0-348.6
32Winton Woods (Cincinnati)2-128.6
33LEHS (Liberty Township)2-138.5
34Springboro2-133.9
35Rocky River3-020.4
36Lake (Uniontown)2-127.9
37Middletown1-247.1
38Olmsted Falls2-130.1
39HBHS (Hilliard)2-134.4
40Highland (Medina)2-133.7
41Ursuline (Youngstown)1-239.8
42Oak Hills (Cincinnati)2-129.8
43Jackson (Massillon)1-235.6
44Wadsworth3-023.6
45AAHS (Kettering)3-022.1
46Fairmont (Kettering)1-239.3
47La Salle (Cincinnati)2-126.5
48WKHS (Columbus)3-023.9
49Green (Uniontown)2-126.0
50IVHS (Gnadenhutten)3-022.5


Pennsylvania State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1SJP (Philadelphia)1-059.6
2CCHS (Pittsburgh)2-041.4
3BMDHS (Harrisburg)2-029.8
4Harrisburg2-020.6
5Pine-Richland (Gibsonia)2-032.2
6RCHS (Philadelphia)0-267.0
7MBAPC (CO-OP) (Drexel Hill)1-131.6
8LSCHS (Wyndmoor)0-247.2
9CBWHS (Doylestown)2-035.6
10Easton Area (Easton)1-133.3
11IC (Philadelphia)1-146.5
12Hopewell (Aliquippa)2-030.4
13Avonworth (Pittsburgh)1-134.8
14Upper St. Clair2-028.6
15Montour (McKees Rocks)2-034.0
16Moon Area (Moon Township)0-137.0
17State College2-025.8
18Central York (York)1-137.6
19South Fayette (McDonald)2-028.8
20PTHS (McMurray)0-237.5
21North Penn (Lansdale)1-127.1
22Aliquippa1-025.6
23North Hills (Pittsburgh)1-031.0
24North Allegheny (Wexford)0-235.4
25Trinity (Washington)2-028.9
26CMMHS (Canonsburg)1-135.2
27COHHS (Springfield)2-018.3
28Seneca Valley (Harmony)1-025.6
29Downingtown East (Exton)1-030.5
30Freedom (Bethlehem)1-134.1
31Parkland (Allentown)1-137.1
32Nazareth Area (Nazareth)1-128.1
33GVHS (Glen Mills)2-029.5
34Bethel Park1-023.2
35Pennridge (Perkasie)2-024.2
36McDowell (Erie)1-132.7
37Spring-Ford (Royersford)2-024.4
38SL (Center Valley)2-024.6
39MTHS (Lancaster)2-030.5
40CVHS (Mechanicsburg)1-124.8
41BCHS (Bethlehem)2-027.2
42TJHS (Jefferson Hills)1-023.5
43Scranton Prep (Scranton)1-126.8
44Hollidaysburg2-022.7
45NL (New Tripoli)2-022.2
46DWHS (Downingtown)1-128.8
47PTHS (Harrison City)2-025.6
48McKeesport1-122.6
49Norwin (North Huntingdon)1-129.5
50WHHS (Pittsburgh)1-135.7


Wisconsin State Rankings
# School Rec. Str. +/-
1Muskego3-033.6
2Arrowhead (Hartland)3-036.3
3Bay Port (Green Bay)3-031.0
4Hamilton (Sussex)3-038.2
5West De Pere (De Pere)3-033.8
6Waunakee3-136.8
7Oconomowoc2-131.2
8Neenah1-236.1
9NDA (Green Bay)3-026.7
10Kimberly0-343.5
11Appleton North (Appleton)2-134.5
12Mukwonago1-231.6
13Franklin1-237.9
14MU (Milwaukee)2-135.6
15BEHS (Brookfield)2-125.2
16Kaukauna2-125.8
17Racine Case (Racine)2-134.4
18De Pere2-129.3
19Darlington3-026.1
20Homestead (Mequon)3-020.2
21Pewaukee3-019.8
22Little Chute3-025.8
23Fond du Lac2-122.6
24CMHS (Waukesha)2-127.8
25Monona Grove (Monona)3-013.7
26West Salem3-022.1
27Stratford3-022.6
28Northwestern (Maple)3-020.2
29New Richmond3-017.0
30KBHS (Kenosha)2-128.3
31Freedom3-018.1
32Hudson3-014.2
33Grafton2-121.6
34BCHS (Brookfield)2-131.2
35Verona2-124.4
36LCLHS (La Crosse)3-018.3
37Germantown1-229.9
38Port Washington3-020.9
39Union Grove3-025.5
40LCLHS (Hartland)3-025.0
41Mondovi3-020.4
42Slinger2-125.7
43MLHS (Manitowoc)3-020.4
44Mayville2-125.5
45Reedsburg3-026.1
46LCCHS (La Crosse)2-121.6
47Pulaski2-128.5
48Edgar2-120.4
49Middleton1-232.9
50Burlington3-018.5

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