NOTE: The video attached to this story is from a feature by WGN-TV’s Patrick Elwood about Chicago Brother Rice’s Mt. Sion program. Click HERE to read the full story.
The 2025 Illinois high school football season is underway, with teams playing their season openers last week.
Now the season shifts to Week 2, with games around the Chicago area and statewide scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Here’s a closer look at the Week 2 high school football slate in the Chicago area and around the state:
Area game of the week
There’s little doubt about this one for Week 2.
Two of the top-ranked teams in the state, Chicago St. Rita and three-time defending state champion Chicago Mt. Carmel, will square off Friday night in a matchup of Chicago Catholic League programs, though from different divisions.
The game is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. at Mt. Carmel’s Carey Field at Barda-Dowling Stadium, located at 6410 South Dante Avenue.
Mt. Carmel (No. 2) and St. Rita (No. 6) were each in ranked in the top 10 by MaxPreps in its latest statewide poll. In the Associated Press preseason state poll, Mt. Carmel was ranked No. 1 in Class 8A and St. Rita was ranked No. 3 in Class 6A.
Both teams opened their seasons with Week 1 victories, Mt. Carmel in a 43-42 thriller over Archbishop Moeller of Ohio and St. Rita over Chicago Marist, another state-ranked team, 28-21.
Mt. Carmel is attempting to win a fourth consecutive Illinois High School Association state championship this season after winning the Class 7A state title each of the last three seasons.
Tickets are required to attend Friday’s game. Click HERE to purchase electronically via GoFan, and click HERE for more information via the Mt. Carmel Caravan athletics website.
Other area games to watch
Friday, Sept. 5
Kankakee at Lincoln-Way East, 6 p.m.
Cary-Grove at Burlington Central, 7 p.m.
Coal City at Richmond-Burton, 7 p.m.
Downers Grove North at Downers Grove South, 7 p.m.
Providence Catholic at Lincoln-Way Central, 7 p.m.
Chicago Brother Rice at Chicago Marist, 7:30 p.m.
Maine South (Park Ride) at Gurnee (Warren), 7:30 p.m.
Morris at Mahomet-Seymour, 7:30 p.m.
Chicago Public League schedule
Thursday, Sept. 4
Curie at Dyett (Gately Stadium), 4 p.m.
Marine Leadership Academy at Kelly (Rockne Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Noble/Comer at Back of the Yards (Back of the Yards HS), 4:15 p.m.
Chicago Military Academy-Bronzeville at Lindblom (Stagg Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Richards at Julian (Eckersall Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Noble/Golder at Noble/Pritzker (Lane Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Thornwood at Corliss (Gately Stadium), 7:15 p.m.
Sullivan at Phoenix Military Academy (Rockne Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 5
Noble/Hansberry at Agricultural Science (Gately Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Mather at Marshall (Rockne Stadium), 4:15 p.m.
Orr at Lake View (Lane Stadium), 4:30 p.m.
Englewood STEM at Hubbard (Stagg Stadium), 4:30 p.m.
Noble/Johnson at Eisenhower (Eisenhower HS), 6 p.m.
Morgan Park at Nazareth Academy (Nazareth Academy HS, La Grange Park), 6:30 p.m.
Crane Medical Prep at Aurora Christian, 7 p.m.
Thornton Fractional South at Lane (Lane Stadium), 7 p.m.
Simeon at Bolingbrook (Bolingbrook HS), 7 p.m.
Kennedy at Lincoln Park (Hanson Stadium), 7 p.m.
Goode STEM Academy at Solorio Academy (Solorio Academy HS), 7 p.m.
Von Steuben at Noble/ITS Speer (ITW Speer Field), 7 p.m.
Clemente at Marian Central Catholic (Marian Central Catholic HS), 7 p.m.
Urban Prep/Bronzeville at Sterling (Sterling HS), 7 p.m.
Catalyst/Maria at Westmont (Westmont HS), 7 p.m.
Glenbrook South at Taft (Taft Varsity Campus), 7 p.m.
Brooks at Hope (Chicago Hope Academy), 7 p.m.
Phillips at DeKalb (DeKalb HS), 7 p.m.
North Lawndale Charter at Marmion Academy, 7 p.m.
Kenwood at St. Viator (Forest View Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
Noble/UIC at Noble/Bulls (Rockne Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
Thornton Fractional North at Carver Military Academy (Gately Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 6
Chicago Academy at Little Village (Rockne Stadium), 10 a.m.
Whitney Young at Perspectives (Perspectives Leadership Academy), 11 a.m.
Fenger at Noble/Rauner (Lane Stadium), Noon
Washington at Schurz (Hanson Stadium), Noon
Collins Academy at Dunbar (Stagg Stadium), Noon
Steinmetz at Bowen (Eckersall Stadium), Noon
Gage Park at Senn (Winnemac Stadium), Noon
Prosser at Hopkinsville (Hopkinsville HS), 1 p.m.
Rochelle at King (Gately Stadium), 1:30 p.m.
Noble Street Charter at Noble/Rowe-Clark (Rockne Stadium), 1:30 p.m.
Chicago Vocational at Westinghouse College Prep, 3 p.m.
Uplift at UCCS/Woodlawn (UC Woodlawn HS), 3:30 p.m.
Noble/Noble Academy at Bogan (Stagg Stadium), 3:30 p.m.
Payton at Hyde Park (Eckersall Stadium), 3:30 p.m.
Foreman at Clark (Rockne Stadium), 5 p.m.
Amundsen at Leo (Leo Catholic HS), 5 p.m.
Morton-Cicero at South Shore International College Prep (Gately Stadium), 5 p.m.
MaxPreps Statewide Top 10 (Through Week 1)
- East St. Louis (0-1)
- Chicago Mt. Carmel (1-0)
- Lincoln-Way East (1-0)
- Loyola Academy (1-0)
- Nazareth Academy (1-0)
- Chicago St. Rita (1-0)
- Chicago Brother Rice (1-0)
- Lyons (1-0)
- Glenbard West (1-0)
- Batavia (0-1)
Click HERE to view Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 rankings going into Week 2 for the Chicago Sun-Times.
Latest AP State Poll
(NOTE: Only the state’s six largest classes, 8A-3A, are listed here. Click HERE if you’d like to also view the latest AP rankings for Classes 2A and 1A).
Class 8A
- Chicago Mt. Carmel (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Archbishop Moeller (Ohio), 43-42; Week 2: vs. St. Rita
- Lincoln Way-East, Frankfort (1-0); Week 1: W at Maine South, 40-0; Week 2: vs. Kankakee
- Loyola Academy, Wilmette (1-0); Week 1: W at Merrillville (Ind.); Week 2: at St. Francis
- Maine South, Park Ridge (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Lincoln-Way East, 40-0; Week 2: at Gurnee Warren
- Elmhurst York (0-1); Week 1: L at Glenbrook South, 35-28; Week 2: vs. Plainfield North
- Chicago Marist (0-1); Week 1: L at St. Rita, 28-21; Week 2: vs. Brother Rice
- Gurnee Warren (1-0); Week 1: W at Hersey, 43-36; Week 2: vs. Maine South
- Palatine Fremd (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Lake Zurich, 35-3; Week 2: vs. Buffalo Grove
- LaGrange Lyons (1-0); Week 1: W at Joliet Catholic, 24-14; Week 2: vs. Warrenville South
- Palatine HS (1-0); Week 1: W at Rolling Meadows, 39-22; Week 2: vs. Prospect
Class 7A
- Batavia (0-1)*; Week 1: L vs. Glenbard West, 31-28; Week 2: at South Elgin
- Downers Grove North (1-0)*; Week 1: W vs. Morgan Park, 11-8; Week 2: at Downers Grove South
- Chicago Brother Rice (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Valparaiso (Ind.), 43-19; Week 2: at Marist
- St. Charles North (1-0); Week 1; Week 1: W at Minooka, 38-35; Week 2: vs. Homewood-Flossmoor
- Arlington Heights Hersey (0-1); L vs. Gurnee Warren, 43-36; Week 2: at Barrington
- Normal Community (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Richwoods, 40-6; Week 2: at Normal West
- Lincoln Way-West, New Lenox (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Blue Island Eisenhower, 47-7; Week 2: at Lockport
- Bradley-Bourbonnais (1-0); Week 1: W vs. T F North, 42-0; Week 2: vs. Crete-Monee
- Edwardsville (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Glenwood, 39-31; Week 2: at Indianapolis Lawrence Central (Ind.)
- Lincoln-Way Central, New Lenox (1-0)+; Week 1: W vs. St. Charles East, 63-0; Week 2: vs. Providence
- Mt. Prospect (1-0)+; Week 1: W vs. St. Charles East, 63-0; Week 2: vs. Providence
*tied at No. 1
+tied at No. 10
Class 6A
- East St. Louis (0-1); Week 1: L at Bergen Catholic (N.J.), 22-21; Week 2: vs. Gadsden County, Fla.
- Nazareth Academy, LaGrange Park (1-0); Week 1: W at Kankakee, 33-12; Week 2: vs. Morgan Park
- Chicago St. Rita (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Marist, 28-21; Week 2: at Chicago Mt. Carmel
- Oak Park Fenwick (1-0); Week 1: W at DePaul, 40-14; Week 2: vs. Oak Park-River Forest
- Oak Lawn Richards (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Crete-Monee, 51-41; Week 2: at Sandburg
- Geneva (1-0); Week 1: W at Larkin, 56-0; Week 2: at Oswego
- Joliet Catholic Academy (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Lyons, 24-14; Week 2: at Glenbard West
- Chatham Glenwood (1-0); Week 1: W at Edwardsville, 39-31; Week 2: vs. North County (Mo.)
- Quincy (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Boonville (Mo.), 27-19; Week 2: at Alton
- Burlington Central (1-0); Week 1: W at Crystal Lake South, 21-0; Week 2: vs. Cary-Grove
Class 5A
- Cary-Grove (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Prairie Ridge, 34-21; Week 2: at Burlington Central
- Wheaton St. Francis (1-0); Week 1: W at Kenwood, 38-34; Week 2: vs. Mt. Zion Prep (Md.)
- Crystal Lake Prairie Ridge (1-0); Week 1: W at Cary-Grove, 34-21; Week 2: vs. Jacobs
- Kankakee (0-1); Week 1: L vs. Nazareth, 33-12; Week 2: at Lincoln-Way East
- Sycamore (1-0); Week 1: W vs. DeKalb, 22-21; Week 2: at Moline
- Peoria (1-0)*; Week 1: W at Champaign Centennial, 42-0; Week 2: vs. Peoria Notre Dame
- Chicago Morgan Park (0-1)*; Week 1: L vs. Downers Grove North, 11-8; Week 2: at Nazareth
- Providence Catholic, New Lenox (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Wheaton Academy, 49-14; Week 2: at Lincoln-Way Central
- Mahomet-Seymour (0-1); L at Morton, 28-27; Week 2: vs. Morris
- Lemont (0-1); L vs. Libertyville, 24-14; Week 2: at Kaneland
*tied at No. 6
Class 4A
- Lombard Montini (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Lumen Christi (Mich.), 20-16; Week 2: at Hillcrest
- Rochester (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Fort Branch Gibson Southern (Ind.), 42-21; Week 2: at Mt. Zion
- Mt. Zion (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Limestone, 49-0; Week 2: vs. Rochester
- Coal City (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Pontiac, 40-13; Week 2: at Richmond-Burton
- Morris (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Wilmington, 27-20; Week 2: at Mahomet-Seymour
- Sacred Heart-Griffin, Springfield (0-1); Week 1: L vs. St. Louis Christian Brothers (Mo.), 63-20; Week 2: at Mascoutah
- Breese Central (1-0); Week 1: W at Effingham, 42-7; Week 2: vs. Mater Dei
- Dixon (1-0); Week 1: W at Rockford Lutheran, 47-8; Week 2: at Byron
- Metamora (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Sterling, 43-14; Week 2: at LaSalle-Peru
- Highland (1-0); Week 1: W at Jacksonville, 50-27; Week 2: at Althoff
Class 3A
- Byron (1-0); Week 1: W at Rock Falls, 63-0; Week 2: vs. Dixon
- Wilmington (0-1); Week 1: L at Morris; Week 2: vs. Sandwich
- IC Catholic, Elmhurst; (1-0); Week 1: W vs. St. Mary’s South Side (Mo.), 33-7; Week 2: vs. Woodstock North
- Althoff Catholic, Belleville (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Alton, 34-13; Week 2: vs. Highland
- Unity Tolono (1-0); Week 1: W vs. Rantoul, 48-0; Week 2: at Monticello
- Princeton (0-1); Week 1: W at Newman Central Catholic, 28-14; Week 2: vs. Rockridge
- Ogden St. Joseph (1-0); Week 1: W at Prairie Central; Week 2: vs. Paxton-Buckley-Loda
- Williamsville (1-0); Week 1: W at Auburn, 42-7; Week 2: vs. PORTA
- Richmond-Burton (1-0); Week 2: W at Woodstock-Marian, 49-13; Week 2: vs. Coal City
- Monticello (1-0); Week 1: W vs. IVC, 21-6; Week 2: vs. Tolono Unity
Statewide Week 1 scores (via AP)
Friday, Aug. 29
Alden-Hebron 31, Orangeville 16
Annawan-Wethersfield 44, Abingdon (A.-Avon) 14
Antioch 34, Schaumburg 29
Arthur (A.-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond) 43, Sangamon Valley 13
Ashton (A.-Franklin Center) 28, West Prairie 18
Aurora (A. Christian) 43, Ottawa Marquette 22
Aurora (Central Catholic) 36, St Edward 0
Aurora (Metea Valley) 35, Downers Grove South 19
Barrington 48, South Elgin 20
Beardstown 41, North Greene 6
Belleville (East) 40, Collinsville 6
Belleville (West) 40, Mascoutah 21
Benton 69, Herrin 0
Bloomington 21, Danville 14
Boonville, Mo. 27, Quincy 19
Bradley-Bourbonnais 42, T.F. North 0
Brown County 28, Carrollton 7
Carterville 35, Marion 34
Casey-Westfield 50, Fisher 6
Central 21, Crystal Lake South 0
Central 34, BHRA 13
Central 42, Effingham 7
Central 50, Winchester (West Central) 8
Centralia 42, Salem 0
Chester 55, East Alton-Wood River 0
Christian Brothers, Mo. 63, Sacred Heart-Griffin 20
Christopher 35, Eldorado 30
Coal City 40, Pontiac 13
Columbia 23, Mater Dei 22
Deer Creek-Mackinaw 38, Eureka 8
Dixon 47, Rockford Lutheran 8
Du Quoin 48, Mt. Carmel 19
Dunlap 44, Galesburg 0
Durand-Pecatonica 56, Dakota 16
El Paso-Gridley 28, Reed-Custer 14
Elgin 20, Bensenville (Fenton) 14
Elmwood 36, Knoxville 22
Fairfield 39, Albion (Edwards County) 33
Farmington 51, West Hancock 28
Fenwick 40, DePaul 14
Flora 28, Sesser-Valier 14
Frankfort 50, Massac County 28
Freeburg 30, DeSoto, Mo. 14
Fremd 35, Lake Zurich 3
Galena 22, Morrison 14
Geneva 56, Larkin 0
Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley 38, Tremont 13
Gillespie 30, Litchfield 28
Glenbard North 38, Bartlett 3
Glenbard West 31, Batavia 28
Glenwood 39, Edwardsville 31
Greenville 35, North-Mac 7
Harrisburg 31, Anna (A.-Jonesboro) 13
Herscher 42, Canton 38
Heyworth 24, Warrensburg-Latham 0
Hinsdale Central 56, Aurora (West Aurora) 7
Hoffman Estates 55, Buffalo Grove 14
Homewood-Flossmoor 44, Bolingbrook 30
Huntley 42, Crystal Lake Central 0
Illini West 68, LCSRV (CO-OP) 6
Johnston City 46, Carmi-White County 8
Kaneland 44, Rock Island 7
Lake Forest 30, Deerfield 0
Lake Park 35, Hoffman Estates (Conant) 13
Lanark (Eastland)-Pearl City 52, Fulton 20
Lanphier 18, Lincoln 14
Lena-Winslow 50, Forreston 12
Libertyville 24, Lemont 14
Lincoln Way West 47, Eisenhower 7
Lincoln-Way East 40, Maine South 0
Lockport 34, Plainfield North 0
Lyons 24, Joliet Catholic 14
Macomb 28, Rushville-Industry 14
Maine East 16, Aurora (East) 0
Maine West 34, Elk Grove 16
Maroa-Forsyth 48, Athens 7
Marshall 36, Wesclin 34, OT
McHenry 17, Dundee-Crown 14
Metamora 43, Sterling 14
Milledgeville 30, Amboy 22
Monmouth-Roseville 35, Aledo (Mercer County) 14
Montini Catholic 20, Jackson Lumen Christi, Mich. 16
Morris 27, Wilmington 20
Morton 28, Mahomet-Seymour 27
Mt Prospect (Prospect) 28, Stevenson 18
Mt Zion 49, Bartonville (Limestone) 0
Nashville 28, Carlyle 21
Nazareth 33, Kankakee 12
Neuqua Valley 21, Aurora (Waubonsie Valley) 13
New Trier 20, Naperville North 14
Newton 35, Bethalto (Civic Memorial) 21
Normal West 34, Peoria Notre Dame 14
Notre Dame 13, Washington 12
O’Fallon 24, Triad 8
Oak Forest 41, Aurora (Marmion Academy) 28
Oak Lawn 52, Wheeling 0
Oakwood 27, Momence 26, 2OT
Oblong 43, Blue Ridge 6
Olney 60, Taylorville 36
Olympia 38, PORTA 36
Oregon 27, Genoa-Kingston 20
Oswego 31, Naperville Central 15
Oswego East 41, Joliet West 0
Ottawa 35, Plano 6
Pana 46, Hillsboro 27
Paris 57, N. Vermillion, Ind. 0
Pekin (IL) 28, Plainfield South 7
Peoria (H.S.) 42, Centennial 0
Peotone 48, Granite City 7
Pinckneyville 22, Red Bud 6
Plainfield Central 21, Waukegan 18
Pleasant Plains 26, New Berlin 20
Polo 50, Bushnell (B.-Prairie City) 0
Prairie Ridge 34, Cary-Grove 21
Princeville 54, Havana 7
Providence 49, Wheaton Academy 14
Red Hill 23, Hamilton County 14
Richmond-Burton 49, Marian 13
Ridgeview 22, Le Roy 7
Ridgewood 50, River Ridge 14
Riverdale 20, Mendota 0
Riverside-Brookfield 35, Niles West 27
Riverton 29, Pittsfield 20
Robinson 41, Charleston 6
Rochelle 41, Geneseo 14
Rockridge 45, Sherrard 0
Roxana 30, Jersey 18
SLUH, Mo. 22, St Ignatius 3
Seneca 47, Chicago Christian 6
Sparta 48, Madison 32
St Bede 47, Bureau Valley 6
St Charles North 36, Minooka 35
St Joseph-Ogden 44, Prairie Central 7
St Rita 28, Marist 21
St Teresa 29, Urbana 7
Stark County 41, Astoria (South Fulton) 18
Stockton 46, Benton/Scales Mound IL/Shullsburg, Wis. 0
Streator 36, Eisenhower 14
Sullivan 61, Arcola 6
Sycamore 22, DeKalb 21
Tuscola 16, Shelbyville 14
Unity 48, Rantoul 0
University 71, Manual 22
Vandalia 51, Carlinville 33
Warren 43, Arlington Heights (Hersey) 36
Wauconda 44, Hinsdale South 26
Westville 54, Salt Fork 13
Wheaton North 34, Simeon 20
Williamsville 42, Auburn 7
Woodstock North 68, Elmwood Park 0
Yorkville 14, St Patrick 7
Young 41, Carver 0
Saturday, Aug. 30
Belvidere (North) 28, Belvidere 6
Belvidere 13, Ashton (A.-Franklin Center) 3
Bishop McNamara 58, Lawrenceville 0
Boylan 52, River Ridge 7
Byron 35, West Carroll 17
Byron 42, Milledgeville 17
Central 31, Sycamore 20
Central 34, Aurora (A. Christian) 22
Dixon 48, Rockford Lutheran 6
Downers Grove North 11, Morgan Park 8
Durand-Pecatonica 38, Rockford Lutheran 12
East 19, Winnebago 13
East Moline (United) 23, La Salle-Peru 21
Forreston 22, Jefferson 6
Forreston 44, Durand-Pecatonica 18
Freeport 27, Dakota 16
Freeport 34, Christian Life 15
Goode 56, Collins 22
Greenfield-Northwestern 19, Routt 0
Guilford 35, South Beloit 31
Harlem 31, Jefferson 14
Harlem 34, Orangeville 14
Hononegah 33, East 0
Hononegah 49, Stockton 8
Kirkland Hiawatha 26, Galva 22
Lanark (Eastland)-Pearl City 27, Dixon 21
Lena-Winslow 28, Guilford 20
Lena-Winslow 64, Orangeville 0
Leo 46, Dunbar 2
Milledgeville 42, Auburn 14
Morrison 22, Christian Life 0
Morrison 28, Ashton (A.-Franklin Center) 8
Mt Carmel 43, Cin. Moeller, Ohio 42
Oregon 19, Auburn 14
Pawnee 43, St Thomas More 8
Polo 36, Winnebago 24
Polo 44, River Ridge 34
Rochester 42, Gibson Southern, Ind. 21
South Beloit 38, Dakota 8
St Anne 30, Martinsville 0
Stillman Valley 24, Boylan 21
Stillman Valley 24, West Carroll 6
Stockton 22, Lanark (Eastland)-Pearl City 20
Sycamore 23, Belvidere (North) 18
Michael Johnson
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