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 Eric Frantz

Aug 31, 2026, 8:25am

Ten MaxPreps Top 25 teams represent their state led by St. John Bosco, St. Thomas Aquinas, Buford and Duncanville.

Best Football Team in Every State | 2026 Season 1,653,481 views 1:05

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: 8/31/26 Poll

Last week’s ranking in parenthesis

1 (1). Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, Pa.), 1-0 – beat Bergen Catholic (Oradell, N.J.) 45-30 

2 (2). Brownsburg (Ind.), 2-0 – beat Rabun Gap-Naccochee (Ga.) 31-15 

3 (3). Massillon (Ohio), 2-0 – beat GlenOak (Canton, Ohio) 54-7 

4 (9). Elder (Cincinnati, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Covington Catholic (Park Hills, Ky.) 56-20
5 (8). Catholic Central (Novi, Mich.), 1-0 – beat Chippewa Valley (Clinton Township, Mich.) 55-0
6 (4). East St. Louis (Ill.), 1-1 – lost 35-28 to American Heritage (Plantation, Fla.)

 7 (6). St. Joseph’s Prep (Philadelphia, Pa.), 0-0 – DNP

 8 (10). Mount Carmel (Chicago, Ill.), 1-1 – beat St. Joseph Regional (Montvale, N.J.) 48-44
9 (7). St. Edward (Lakewood, Ohio), 2-0 – beat McKinley (Canton, Ohio) 22-8 

10 (12). Cass Tech (Detroit, Mich.), 1-0 – beat Michigan City (Ind.) 62-0 

11 (11). Roman Catholic (Philadelphia, Pa.), 0-1 – lost 45-25 to St. John Bosco (Bellflower, Ca.)
12 (13). Princeton (Cincinnati, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Middletown (Ohio) 28-7 

13 (14). Lakota West (West Chester, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Lakota East (Liberty Township, Ohio) 48-18

 14 (15). Bishop Watterson (Columbus, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Pickerington Central (Ohio) 28-0
15 (18). Westfield (Ind.), 2-0 – beat then-No. 24 Carmel (Ind.) 38-34 

16 (16). Big Walnut (Sunbury, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Dublin Coffman (Ohio) 39-7

 17 (17). Loyola Academy (Wilmette, Ill.), 2-0 – beat Cathedral (Indianapolis, Ind.) 33-19
18 (5). La Salle College (Wyndmoor, Pa.), 0-1 – lost 35-14 to Paramus Catholic (N.J.) 

19 (20). Central Catholic (Toledo, Ohio), 2-0 – beat Portage Central (Mich.) 24-14

 20 (21). Moorhead (Minn.), 0-0 – DNP

 21 (22). Saline (Mich.), 1-0 – beat Rockford (Mich.) 39-12

 22 (23). Lincoln-Way East (Frankfort, Ill.), 2-0 – beat Kankakee (Ill.) 22-14 

23 (25). Brother Rice (Chicago, Ill.), 1-1 – beat Woodlawn (Chicago, Ill.) 69-0
24 (NR). Warren Central (Indianapolis, Ind.), 2-0 – beat Elkhart (Ind.) 49-10
25 (NR). Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.), 1-0 – beat then-No. 19 Avon (Ohio) 48-18

Dropped Out:

19. Avon (Ohio), 1-1 – lost 48-18 to Pine-Richland (Gibsonia, Pa.)
24. Carmel (Ind.), 1-1 – lost 38-34 to then-No. 18 Westfield (Ind.) 

Keep an Eye On: 

* Anderson (Cincinnati, Ohio), 1-1
* Arrowhead (Wisc.), 2-0
* Carmel (Ind.), 1-1

 * Catholic Memorial (Wisc.), 2-0

 * Christian Brothers Academy (Syracuse, NY), 0-0

 * Iona Prep (New Rochelle, NY), 0-0 

* James Monroe (Rochester, NY), 0-0
* Malvern Prep (Pa.), 0-0

 * Notre Dame Academy (Green Bay, Wisc.), 2-0

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.
1	East St. Louis	1-1	57.6
2	CMCHS (Chicago)	1-1	57.1
3	LWEHS (Frankfort)	2-0	41.3
4	Brother Rice (Chicago)	1-1	33.9
5	Fenwick (Oak Park)	2-0	33.1
6	Loyola Academy (Wilmette)	2-0	33.4
7	ICCP (Elmhurst)	2-0	37.6
8	NA (LaGrange Park)	1-1	40.2
9	Rochester	2-0	32.7
10	Batavia	1-1	41.0
11	PCHS (New Lenox)	2-0	33.6
12	St. Rita (Chicago)	1-1	40.2
13	DGNHS (Downers Grove)	2-0	30.9
14	SCNHS (St. Charles)	2-0	20.7
15	St. Francis (Wheaton)	1-1	30.0
16	Maine South (Park Ridge)	1-1	34.2
17	Marist (Chicago)	2-0	20.0
18	Sandburg (Orland Park)	2-0	30.7
19	HFHS (Flossmoor)	2-0	28.3
20	Lyons (LaGrange)	2-0	35.6
21	WWSHS (Wheaton)	1-1	36.4
22	Fremd (Palatine)	2-0	27.6
23	Joliet Catholic (Joliet)	1-1	40.6
24	Oswego	2-0	33.1
25	Morris	2-0	25.0
26	GWHS (Glen Ellyn)	1-1	34.4
27	GNHS (Carol Stream)	2-0	28.6
28	HHS (Arlington Heights)	2-0	27.9
29	Carmel (Mundelein)	1-1	24.5
30	MCHS (Lombard)	1-1	22.6
31	Barrington	0-2	38.4
32	SICP (Chicago)	2-0	16.6
33	Geneva	1-1	30.7
34	York (Elmhurst)	1-1	37.3
35	Morgan Park (Chicago)	1-1	36.7
36	Wheaton North (Wheaton)	2-0	23.2
37	LWCHS (New Lenox)	1-1	33.7
38	NCHS (Naperville)	1-1	33.4
39	Palatine	1-1	27.0
40	Evanston	2-0	19.0
41	Byron	2-0	17.1
42	NNHS (Naperville)	1-1	29.5
43	New Trier (Winnetka)	2-0	23.2
44	GSHS (Glenview)	0-2	36.0
45	Niles Notre Dame (Niles)	1-1	27.3
46	SHGHS (Springfield)	1-1	36.9
47	NVHS (Naperville)	1-1	30.2
48	Bolingbrook	1-1	29.8
49	Lockport	0-2	35.0
50	HCHS (Hinsdale)	2-0	15.1

Indiana State Rankings

#	School	Rec.	Str.
1	Brownsburg	2-0	47.1
2	Westfield	2-0	42.9
3	WCHS (Indianapolis)	2-0	39.8
4	Center Grove (Greenwood)	1-1	46.3
5	Carmel	1-1	44.4
6	East Central (St. Leon)	2-0	40.4
7	New Palestine	1-1	43.5
8	LNHS (Indianapolis)	1-1	49.4
9	Avon	2-0	39.0
10	Cathedral (Indianapolis)	0-2	43.6
11	FWBD (Fort Wayne)	2-0	38.8
12	Roncalli (Indianapolis)	1-1	42.5
13	IBCHS (Indianapolis)	2-0	26.3
14	Carroll (Fort Wayne)	1-1	44.5
15	Zionsville	2-0	34.0
16	HSHS (Fishers)	1-1	34.2
17	FCHS (Indianapolis)	1-1	39.3
18	Ben Davis (Indianapolis)	1-1	43.1
19	LCHS (Indianapolis)	1-1	28.6
20	Fishers	0-2	49.3
21	Crown Point	2-0	27.2
22	Merrillville	2-0	29.5
23	DCHS (Indianapolis)	1-1	27.7
24	Homestead (Fort Wayne)	1-1	40.9
25	BSHS (Bloomington)	2-0	19.3
26	Plainfield	1-1	29.2
27	Penn (Mishawaka)	2-0	30.1
28	Pike (Indianapolis)	0-2	43.5
29	FCHS (Floyds Knobs)	2-0	30.4
30	GSHS (Fort Branch)	1-1	28.0
31	Noblesville	1-1	20.3
32	Columbus North (Columbus)	2-0	21.1
33	Whiteland	0-2	35.7
34	Warsaw	2-0	26.4
35	East Noble (Kendallville)	2-0	25.0
36	Andrean (Merrillville)	1-1	30.5
37	FWSHS (Fort Wayne)	0-2	31.3
38	Valparaiso	1-1	31.6
39	BCHS (Brownstown)	2-0	16.5
40	PHHS (Pendleton)	2-0	23.0
41	Danville	2-0	22.2
42	Yorktown	2-0	13.9
43	NJSP (North Judson)	2-0	21.4
44	EMHS (Evansville)	2-0	22.7
45	Concord (Elkhart)	1-1	22.7
46	Eastside (Butler)	2-0	26.9
47	Lawrenceburg	1-1	34.6
48	HHHS (Lincoln City)	1-1	19.2
49	EHHS (Charlottesville)	2-0	18.5
50	Adams Central (Monroe)	1-1	27.0

Michigan State Rankings

#	School	Rec.	Str.
1	Catholic Central (Novi)	1-0	20.4
2	Clarkston	1-0	24.2
3	SMP (Orchard Lake)	1-0	32.8
4	Cass Tech (Detroit)	1-0	22.6
5	East Kentwood (Kentwood)	1-0	16.0
6	Saline	1-0	35.7
7	Rockford	0-1	41.8
8	Romeo	1-0	37.8
9	Adams (Rochester)	0-1	39.2
10	Hudsonville	0-1	41.7
11	Byron Center	1-0	35.6
12	Muskegon	0-1	35.1
13	Grandville	1-0	35.9
14	BRHS (Bloomfield Hills)	1-0	30.4
15	DLSC (Warren)	1-0	12.8
16	West Bloomfield	1-0	20.8
17	DeWitt	1-0	22.5
18	Divine Child (Dearborn)	1-0	31.2
19	UCHS (Hudsonville)	0-1	39.2
20	Oxford	1-0	18.3
21	MSHS (Norton Shores)	0-1	43.3
22	Caledonia	1-0	18.0
23	Harper Woods	0-1	32.4
24	Chelsea	1-0	31.5
25	King (Detroit)	1-0	31.7
26	Grand Blanc	1-0	32.2
27	Dakota (Macomb)	0-1	37.4
28	Davison	1-0	22.1
29	EGRHS (Grand Rapids)	1-0	29.2
30	SCHS (Rochester Hills)	1-0	29.5
31	UEHS (Shelby Township)	0-1	34.4
32	Zeeland West (Zeeland)	1-0	21.1
33	SCHS (Grand Rapids)	1-0	18.8
34	Northville	0-1	27.3
35	Lake Orion	1-0	29.3
36	Dow (Midland)	1-0	21.6
37	Mt. Pleasant	1-0	22.4
38	Brighton	1-0	26.5
39	Goodrich	1-0	31.1
40	Coopersville	1-0	25.0
41	Menominee	1-0	20.2
42	Jenison	1-0	18.3
43	Dexter	0-1	36.7
44	Portage Central (Portage)	0-1	47.9
45	WCHS (Grand Rapids)	1-0	19.7
46	LCCHS (Jackson)	1-0	20.6
47	Mason	1-0	15.9
48	Belleville	0-1	34.7
49	Hudson	1-0	17.2
50	Kingsley	1-0	21.0

Minnesota State Rankings

#	School	Rec.
1	Maple Grove	0-0
2	Minnetonka	0-0
3	Moorhead	0-0
4	Alexandria	0-0
5	Chanhassen	0-0
6	Elk River	0-0
7	Edina	0-0
8	Minneota	0-0
9	Marshall	0-0
10	JCCHS (Jackson)	0-0
11	Monticello	0-0
12	STA (Mendota Heights)	0-0
13	Rocori (Cold Spring)	0-0
14	Orono (Long Lake)	0-0
15	Spring Lake Park	0-0
16	Bemidji	0-0
17	Annandale	0-0
18	DGFHS (Glyndon)	0-0
19	Byron	0-0
20	Holdingford	0-0
21	Goodhue	0-0
22	EVWHS (Eden Valley)	0-0
23	Stewartville	0-0
24	Chaska	0-0
25	Eden Prairie	0-0
26	NCHS (Minneapolis)	0-0
27	Hutchinson	0-0
28	Becker	0-0
29	Waseca	0-0
30	FCHS (Harmony)	0-0
31	Breckenridge	0-0
32	Pillager	0-0
33	Grand Rapids	0-0
34	KMHS (Kasson)	0-0
35	Osakis	0-0
36	Mankato West (Mankato)	0-0
37	LSHS (Lakeville)	0-0
38	Barnesville	0-0
39	Caledonia	0-0
40	MCCHS (Slayton)	0-0
41	Pierz	0-0
42	Dawson-Boyd (Dawson)	0-0
43	Staples-Motley (Staples)	0-0
44	Fergus Falls	0-0
45	Pine Island	0-0
46	Hill-Murray (Maplewood)	0-0
47	Willmar	0-0
48	Parkers Prairie	0-0
49	Waconia	0-0
50	Chatfield	0-0

New York State Rankings

#	School	Rec.
1	CBA (Syracuse)	0-0
2	St. Francis (Hamburg)	0-0
3	Bronxville	0-0
4	Somers (Lincolndale)	0-0
5	Rye	0-0
6	Garden City	0-0
7	Massapequa	0-0
8	Monroe (Rochester)	0-0
9	Maine-Endwell (Endwell)	0-0
10	CBA (Albany)	0-0
11	Sayville	0-0
12	LJBOMECE (CO-OP) (Buffalo)	0-0
13	CFHS (Binghamton)	0-0
14	Plainedge (Massapequa)	0-0
15	Waverly	0-0
16	Westlake (Thornwood)	0-0
17	SHS (Clifton Park)	0-0
18	BBPHS (Bayport)	0-0
19	Tioga (Tioga Center)	0-0
20	Glens Falls	0-0
21	Seaford	0-0
22	EIHS (Islip Terrace)	0-0
23	WMHS (East Setauket)	0-0
24	WFHS (Mastic Beach)	0-0
25	New Hartford	0-0
26	Farmingdale	0-0
27	Wantagh	0-0
28	Niskayuna	0-0
29	MWHS (Central Valley)	0-0
30	OFA (Owego)	0-0
31	CCHS (New Windsor)	0-0
32	HSBASGC (CO-OP) (Buffalo)	0-0
33	MVHS (Slate Hill)	0-0
34	Liverpool	0-0
35	Babylon	0-0
36	General Brown (Dexter)	0-0
37	Sleepy Hollow	0-0
38	Palmyra-Macedon (Palmyra)	0-0
39	Saratoga Springs	0-0
40	Whitesboro (Marcy)	0-0
41	Schuylerville	0-0
42	CNSHS (Cicero)	0-0
43	IRHS (Philadelphia)	0-0
44	Brighton (Rochester)	0-0
45	Mamaroneck	0-0
46	Ardsley	0-0
47	Shaker (Latham)	0-0
48	OFA (Ogdensburg)	0-0
49	Carey (Franklin Square)	0-0
50	Oceanside	0-0

Ohio State Rankings

#	School	Rec.	Str.
1	Washington (Massillon)	2-0	34.1
2	Elder (Cincinnati)	2-0	38.9
3	BWHS (Columbus)	2-0	30.4
4	St. Edward (Lakewood)	2-0	41.5
5	LWHS (West Chester)	2-0	42.2
6	Big Walnut (Sunbury)	2-0	32.8
7	Anderson (Cincinnati)	1-1	41.3
8	Princeton (Cincinnati)	2-0	41.9
9	WJHS (Cuyahoga Falls)	2-0	37.9
10	Glenville (Cleveland)	1-1	49.0
11	Central Catholic (Toledo)	2-0	33.2
12	AMHS (Cincinnati)	1-1	40.2
13	St. Xavier (Cincinnati)	1-1	41.5
14	Avon	1-1	43.8
15	Steubenville	2-0	30.8
16	UAHS (Columbus)	2-0	35.0
17	Archbishop Hoban (Akron)	0-2	43.7
18	OOHS (Lewis Center)	1-1	34.2
19	Lincoln (Gahanna)	2-0	38.1
20	PCHS (Pickerington)	0-2	50.6
21	Mentor	2-0	35.3
22	Springfield	1-1	45.3
23	McKinley (Canton)	1-1	39.9
24	SFDS (Columbus)	2-0	26.5
25	Hudson	2-0	37.0
26	OLHS (Powell)	0-2	51.3
27	PNHS (Pickerington)	1-1	31.7
28	OBHS (Delaware)	1-1	46.1
29	AFHS (Youngstown)	0-1	43.5
30	Winton Woods (Cincinnati)	1-1	34.9
31	Lake (Uniontown)	2-0	27.4
32	St. Ignatius (Cleveland)	1-1	41.4
33	Ursuline (Youngstown)	1-1	31.7
34	Wadsworth	2-0	23.6
35	Highland (Medina)	1-1	39.2
36	Olmsted Falls	1-1	34.5
37	LEHS (Liberty Township)	1-1	41.2
38	TMHS (Trotwood)	1-1	30.6
39	Middletown	0-2	54.6
40	Jackson (Massillon)	1-1	36.4
41	Springboro	1-1	37.3
42	Salem	2-0	32.6
43	Garfield Heights	2-0	33.8
44	Canfield	0-2	34.7
45	IVHS (Gnadenhutten)	2-0	24.4
46	Green (Uniontown)	1-1	29.6
47	Riverside (Painesville)	1-1	33.9
48	HBHS (Hilliard)	1-1	37.7
49	La Salle (Cincinnati)	2-0	21.5
50	Badin (Hamilton)	2-0	18.8

Pennsylvania State Rankings

#	School	Rec.	Str.
1	SJP (Philadelphia)	0-0	0.0
2	CCHS (Pittsburgh)	1-0	51.4
3	LSCHS (Wyndmoor)	0-1	48.0
4	RCHS (Philadelphia)	0-1	70.7
5	Pine-Richland (Gibsonia)	1-0	42.5
6	Harrisburg	1-0	22.9
7	PTHS (McMurray)	0-1	40.3
8	CMMHS (Canonsburg)	1-0	38.5
9	BMDHS (Harrisburg)	1-0	41.6
10	CBWHS (Doylestown)	1-0	36.1
11	Easton Area (Easton)	0-1	42.8
12	MBAPC (CO-OP) (Drexel Hill)	0-1	41.0
13	Aliquippa	0-0	0.0
14	State College	1-0	34.2
15	Hopewell (Aliquippa)	1-0	36.7
16	Avonworth (Pittsburgh)	0-1	38.8
17	Upper St. Clair	1-0	26.7
18	North Penn (Lansdale)	1-0	18.4
19	IC (Philadelphia)	1-0	31.5
20	Freedom (Bethlehem)	1-0	30.9
21	Montour (McKees Rocks)	1-0	33.0
22	Moon Area (Moon Township)	0-1	32.8
23	DWHS (Downingtown)	0-1	40.0
24	North Hills (Pittsburgh)	1-0	30.8
25	North Allegheny (Wexford)	0-1	31.0
26	Central York (York)	0-1	38.8
27	COHHS (Springfield)	1-0	13.4
28	BRHS (West Chester)	0-0	0.0
29	Coatesville	0-1	27.2
30	PWHS (Plymouth Meeting)	1-0	31.1
31	Pennridge (Perkasie)	1-0	26.6
32	MTHS (Lancaster)	1-0	31.1
33	CVHS (Mechanicsburg)	0-1	34.5
34	Seneca Valley (Harmony)	1-0	26.9
35	Downingtown East (Exton)	1-0	19.4
36	ICA (Pittsburgh)	0-0	0.0
37	Bethel Park	1-0	24.8
38	Clairton	0-0	0.0
39	Farrell	0-0	0.0
40	McDowell (Erie)	0-1	43.6
41	Parkland (Allentown)	0-1	36.8
42	Spring-Ford (Royersford)	1-0	26.2
43	GVHS (Glen Mills)	1-0	28.2
44	McKeesport	1-0	12.5
45	Nazareth Area (Nazareth)	0-1	35.8
46	TJHS (Jefferson Hills)	1-0	21.4
47	CDHS (Harrisburg)	0-1	28.0
48	Mechanicsburg	1-0	27.3
49	Hollidaysburg	1-0	19.9
50	Springfield	1-0	26.5

Wisconsin State Rankings

#	School	Rec.	Str.
1	Arrowhead (Hartland)	2-0	33.8
2	Muskego	2-0	29.6
3	Bay Port (Green Bay)	2-0	33.8
4	Hamilton (Sussex)	2-0	36.5
5	West De Pere (De Pere)	2-0	35.6
6	Mukwonago	1-1	31.6
7	Kimberly	0-2	46.8
8	Waunakee	1-1	40.1
9	Oconomowoc	2-0	22.7
10	NDA (Green Bay)	2-0	33.8
11	Neenah	0-2	44.5
12	Appleton North (Appleton)	1-1	42.6
13	Homestead (Mequon)	2-0	27.5
14	De Pere	2-0	21.0
15	Fond du Lac	1-1	27.2
16	Franklin	0-2	38.8
17	Racine Case (Racine)	1-1	39.8
18	BEHS (Brookfield)	1-1	24.6
19	Pewaukee	2-0	23.0
20	MU (Milwaukee)	1-1	41.4
21	Grafton	1-1	29.8
22	Kaukauna	1-1	22.6
23	Germantown	1-1	27.7
24	CMHS (Waukesha)	2-0	15.5
25	Monona Grove (Monona)	2-0	15.7
26	Darlington	2-0	23.1
27	Little Chute	2-0	20.5
28	New Richmond	2-0	19.5
29	Hudson	2-0	13.0
30	Verona	1-1	28.7
31	Badger (Lake Geneva)	0-2	36.4
32	Stratford	2-0	23.9
33	Freedom	2-0	19.0
34	Port Washington	2-0	23.4
35	BCHS (Brookfield)	2-0	23.4
36	Mayville	1-1	30.4
37	LCLHS (Hartland)	2-0	27.4
38	Indian Trail (Kenosha)	2-0	26.3
39	Middleton	0-2	38.2
40	Northwestern (Maple)	2-0	15.2
41	Slinger	1-1	24.6
42	KBHS (Kenosha)	1-1	29.8
43	Pulaski	2-0	20.1
44	Mondovi	2-0	20.0
45	LCLHS (La Crosse)	2-0	17.8
46	MLHS (Manitowoc)	2-0	20.3
47	Aquinas (La Crosse)	2-0	19.5
48	Elkhorn	2-0	21.5
49	West Salem	2-0	16.8
50	Edgar	1-1	26.9

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.

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