High school football season is in full swing across the Midwest, and the latest rankings are out! Week one saw some exciting matchups, dramatic upsets, and a few teams making a big jump into the top 25. Let’s break down the Midwest High School Football Top 25 Rankings for this week.
Despite a narrow loss to a national powerhouse, East St. Louis (Illinois) holds on to the No. 1 spot. Their 22-21 defeat against Bergen Catholic (New Jersey) was a hard-fought game that proved they can compete with the best. They’ll look to get in the win column in their next game. Close behind is Loyola Academy (Illinois), which secured a solid win to remain at No. 2.
The biggest shake-ups this week happened lower in the rankings, with five new teams entering the top 25. These teams—Blaine (Minnesota), Waverly (Nebraska), Lyons (Illinois), Norris (Nebraska), and Grundy Center (Iowa)—each had impressive victories, earning their way onto the list. The shake-up also meant five teams previously in the rankings, including Lakeville North and Bennington, have dropped out.
Full Midwest High School Football Top 25 Rankings
Here is the complete list of the top 25 teams in Midwest high school football, including their current record, previous ranking, and upcoming schedule.
| Rank | Team (State) | 2025 Record | Next Game | Last Game | Previously Ranked |
| 1 | East St. Louis (Illinois) | 0-1 | vs. Gadsden County, Sept. 6 | Lost to Bergen Catholic (New Jersey), 22-21 | No. 1 |
| 2 | Loyola Academy (Illinois) | 1-0 | at St. Francis, Sept. 12 | Beat Merrillville (Indiana), 20-14 | No. 2 |
| 3 | Millard South (Nebraska) | 1-0 | at Millard West, Sept. 5 | Beat Arbor View, 49-7 | No. 3 |
| 4 | Mt. Carmel (Illinois) | 1-0 | vs. St. Rita, Sept. 5 | Beat Archbishop Moeller, 49-42 | No. 4 |
| 5 | West Des Moines Valley (Iowa) | 1-0 | at Waukee Northwest, Sept. 5 | Beat Dowling Catholic, 20-19 | No. 5 |
| 6 | Lincoln-Way East (Illinois) | 1-0 | vs. Kankakee, Sept. 5 | Beat Maine South, 40-0 | No. 8 |
| 7 | Westside (Nebraska) | 1-0 | vs. Columbus, Sept. 5 | Beat Omaha North, 58-20 | No. 9 |
| 8 | Dowling Catholic (Iowa) | 0-1 | vs. Johnston, Sept. 5 | Lost to West Des Moines Valley, 20-19 | No. 7 |
| 9 | Gardner-Edgerton (Kansas) | 0-0 | at Lawrence-Free State, Sept. 5 | N/A | No. 10 |
| 10 | St. Thomas Aquinas (Kansas) | 0-0 | at Blue Valley West, Sept. 5 | N/A | No. 11 |
| 11 | Iowa City Liberty (Iowa) | 1-0 | at Southeast Polk, Sept. 5 | Beat Cedar Falls, 15-14 | No. 12 |
| 12 | Blaine (Minnesota) | 1-0 | at Rogers, Sept. 5 | Beat Lakeville North, 21-14 | Unranked |
| 13 | Maple Grove (Minnesota) | 1-0 | vs. Eden Prairie, Sept. 5 | Beat Stillwater, 37-17 | No. 14 |
| 14 | Minnetonka (Minnesota) | 1-0 | at St. Michael-Albertville, Sept. 5 | Beat East Ridge, 41-0 | No. 15 |
| 15 | Eden Prairie (Minnesota) | 1-0 | at Maple Grove, Sept. 5 | Beat Anoka, 49-21 | No. 18 |
| 16 | Southeast Polk (Iowa) | 1-0 | vs. Iowa City Liberty, Sept. 5 | Beat Ankeny Centennial, 30-14 | No. 19 |
| 17 | Elkhorn South (Nebraska) | 1-0 | vs. Bellevue West, Sept. 5 | Beat Lincoln East, 30-7 | No. 20 |
| 18 | Derby (Kansas) | 0-0 | at Hays, Sept. 5 | N/A | No. 22 |
| 19 | Edina (Minnesota) | 1-0 | vs. Wayzata, Sept. 5 | Beat Anoka, 49-21 | No. 23 |
| 20 | Blue Valley Northwest (Kansas) | 0-0 | at Blue Valley North, Sept. 5 | N/A | No. 24 |
| 21 | Wahoo (Nebraska) | 1-0 | at Ashland-Greenwood, Sept. 5 | Beat Nebraska City, 55-0 | No. 25 |
| 22 | Waverly (Nebraska) | 1-0 | vs. Seward, Sept. 5 | Beat Bennington, 21-19 | Unranked |
| 23 | Lyons (Illinois) | 1-0 | vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South, Sept. 5 | Beat Joliet, 24-14 | Unranked |
| 24 | Norris (Nebraska) | 1-0 | at Gretna, Sept. 5 | Beat Skutt Catholic, 49-3 | Unranked |
| 25 | Grundy Center (Iowa) | 1-0 | at Waterloo Columbus, Sept. 5 | Beat Aplington-Parkersburg, 35-13 | Unranked |
