Midwest High School Football Top 25 Rankings

Dana Becker

Midwest High School Football Top 25 Rankings image

While the top of The Sporting News Midwest High School Football Top 25 remained the same, there was plenty of change throughout the pool.

MORE: Preseason rankings released for Illinois high school football

Five teams suffered tough losses and were dropped from the Top 25, replaced by Blaine (Minnesota), Waverly (Nebraska), Lyons (Illinois), Norris (Nebraska) and Grundy Center (Iowa).

Despite a tough loss to one of the top teams in New Jersey, East St. Louis (Illinois) remained at the top of the rankings. They are followed by Loyola Academy (Illinois), Millard South (Nebraska), Mt. Carmel (Illinois) and West Des Moines Valley (Iowa).

Here are the newest installment of The Sporting News Midwest High School Football Top 25:

The Sporting News Midwest High School Football Top 25

No. 1 East St. Louis (Illinois)

2025 Record: 0-1

Next Game: vs. Gadsden County, Saturday, Sept. 6

Last Game: lost to Bergen Catholic (New Jersey), 22-21

Previously Ranked: No. 1

No. 2 Loyola Academy (Illinois)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at St. Francis, Friday, Sept. 12

Last Game: beat Merrillville (Indiana), 20-14

Previously Ranked: No. 2

No. 3 Millard South (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Millard West, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Arbor View, 49-7

Previously Ranked: No. 3

No. 4 Mt. Carmel (Illinois)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. St. Rita, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Archbishop Moeller, 49-42

Previously Ranked: No. 4

No. 5 West Des Moines Valley (Iowa)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Waukee Northwest, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Dowling Catholic, 20-19

Previously Ranked: No. 5

No. 6 Lincoln-Way East (Illinois)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Kankakee, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Maine South, 40-0

Previously Ranked: No. 8

No. 7 Westside (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Columbus, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Omaha North, 58-20

Previously Ranked: No. 9

No. 8 Dowling Catholic (Iowa)

2025 Record: 0-1

Next Game: vs. Johnston, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: lost to West Des Moines Valley, 20-19

Previously Ranked: No. 7 

No. 9 Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas)

2025 Record: 0-0

Next Game: Friday, Sept. 5 at Lawrence-Free State

Last Game: N/A

Previously Ranked: No. 10

No. 10 St. Thomas Aquinas (Kansas)

2025 Record: 0-0

Next Game: Friday, Sept. 5 at Blue Valley West

Last Game: N/A

Previously Ranked: No. 11

No. 11 Iowa City Liberty (Iowa)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Southeast Polk, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Cedar Falls, 15-14

Previously Ranked: No. 12

No. 12 Blaine (Minnesota)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Rogers, Friday, Sept. 5 

Last Game: beat then-No. 6 Lakeville North, 21-14

Previously Ranked: Unranked

No. 13 Maple Grove (Minnesota)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Eden Prairie, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Stillwater, 37-17

Previously Ranked: No. 14

No. 14 Minnetonka (Minnesota)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at St. Michael-Albertville, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat East Ridge, 41-0

Previously Ranked: No. 15

No. 15 Eden Prairie (Minnesota)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Maple Grove, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Anoka, 49-21

Previously Ranked: No. 18

No. 16 Southeast Polk (Iowa)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Iowa City Liberty, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Ankeny Centennial, 30-14

Previously Ranked: No. 19

No. 17 Elkhorn South (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Bellevue West, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Lincoln East, 30-7

Previously Ranked: No. 20

No. 18 Derby (Kansas)

2025 Record: 0-0

Next Game: Friday, Sept. 5 at Hays

Last Game: N/A

Previously Ranked: No. 22

No. 19 Edina (Minnesota)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Wayzata, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Anoka, 49-21

Previously Ranked: No. 23

No. 20 Blue Valley Northwest (Kansas)

2025 Record: 0-0

Next Game: Friday, Sept. 5 at Blue Valley North

Last Game: N/A

Previously Ranked: No. 24

No. 21 Wahoo (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Ashland-Greenwood, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Nebraska City, 55-0

Previously Ranked: No. 25

No. 22 Waverly (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Seward, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Bennington, 21-19

Previously Ranked: Unranked

No. 23 Lyons (Illinois)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Joliet, 24-14

Previously Ranked: Unranked

No. 24 Norris (Nebraska)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Gretna, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Skutt Catholic, 49-3

Previously Ranked: Unranked

No. 25 Grundy Center (Iowa)

2025 Record: 1-0

Next Game: at Waterloo Columbus, Friday, Sept. 5

Last Game: beat Aplington-Parkersburg, 35-13

Previously Ranked: Unranked

Dropped out: No. 6 Lakeville North; No. 13 Bennington; No. 16 Joliet Catholic; No. 17 Ankeny Centennial; No. 21 Omaha Skutt

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Dana Becker

Dana Becker is a freelance writer with The Sporting News. He has been a sports writer since 2000, covering high school sports, the Big 12 and more for On SI, The Fort Dodge Messenger, Mason City Globe-Gazette, Cedar Rapids Gazette and others.