Top 12 Public High School Football Teams

Alexander33

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2016
843
1,116
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This is a very restricted top-12 list. First, it lists only teams that are public high schools. Second, the teams must be undefeated to be included on this list. Third, the teams must play at the 4A class level or higher in the playoffs to be on the list. The main purpose is to generate a little discussion that is not focused on the Chicago Catholic League, which tends to dominate this message board. Given the restrictions described above, are there any teams you would put on the list instead of any one of the teams I have listed? It will be interesting to see what kind of success these teams experience in the playoffs.

1. Lincoln-Way East (6-0) 8A
2. Downers Grove North (6-0) 7A [They host Lyons October 9th in what could prove to be a difficult game.]
3. Rochester (6-0) 4A [They host Sacred Heart - Griffin October 9th in what is their most challenging remaining game.]
4. Morris (6-0) 4A
5. Normal (6-0) 7A [They play at Normal West on October 16th for the conference championship.]
6. Prospect (6-0) 7A [They host Hersey October 16th for the conference championship.]
7. Normal West (6-0) 6A
8. Hersey (6-0) 7A
9. Huntley (6-0) 8A [Can they at least make it to the quarterfinals in the tough 8A bracket?]
10. Oak Lawn (6-0) 6A [They play at Richards tomorrow for the conference championship.]
11. Machesney Park, Harlem (6-0) 6A
12. Mahomet-Seymour (6-0) 5A

For starters, which teams do you think will lose a game before the playoffs begin. They cannot all still be undefeated at the end of the regular season because two games will be played between teams on the list.
 
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Alexander33

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2016
843
1,116
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I hear all of you. Let's expand it to one-loss teams right now. Feel free to include one-loss teams but let's keep the other two restrictions, namely public schools and 4A and higher. Provide any comments you like and feel free to share your own top-ten teams, or top 12 if you would like.

It will be interesting to see how many teams on my original list will still be included in your lists. My guess is roughly six of my teams will make your lists (my top eight teams minus the two Big Twelve teams).

Teams such as East St. Louis, Wheaton North, Oswego, Fremd, Maine South, Geneva, Crete-Monee, Morton, Breese Central, Coal City, Lyons, Bolingbrook, Plainfield North, Conant, Naperville North, New Trier, Troy Triad, Jacobs, Pekin, Kaneland, Rockton Hononegah, Jacksonville, Centralia, Carterville, Morgan Park and more now become eligible.
 
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DR.Eireog

Junior
Nov 26, 2025
171
236
43
This is a very restricted top-12 list. First, it lists only teams that are public high schools. Second, the teams must be undefeated to be included on this list. Third, the teams must play at the 4A class level or higher in the playoffs to be on the list. The main purpose is to generate a little discussion that is not focused on the Chicago Catholic League, which tends to dominate this message board. Given the restrictions described above, are there any teams you would put on the list instead of any one of the teams I have listed? It will be interesting to see what kind of success these teams experience in the playoffs.

1. Lincoln-Way East (6-0) 8A
2. Downers Grove North (6-0) 7A [They host Lyons October 9th in what could prove to be a difficult game.]
3. Rochester (6-0) 4A [They host Sacred Heart - Griffin October 9th in what is their most challenging remaining game.]
4. Morris (6-0) 4A
5. Normal (6-0) 7A [They play at Normal West on October 16th for the conference championship.]
6. Prospect (6-0) 7A [They host Hersey October 16th for the conference championship.]
7. Normal West (6-0) 6A
8. Hersey (6-0) 7A
9. Huntley (6-0) 8A [Can they at least make it to the quarterfinals in the tough 8A bracket?]
10. Oak Lawn (6-0) 6A [They play at Richards tomorrow for the conference championship.]
11. Machesney Park, Harlem (6-0) 6A
12. Mahomet-Seymour (6-0) 5A

For starters, which teams do you think will lose a game before the playoffs begin. They cannot all still be undefeated at the end of the regular season because two games will be played between teams on the list.
Damn… Maine South has really fallen off the radar. I’m going to have to take a walk down Talcott to make sure it’s still there.
 
Jul 9, 2025
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Definitely Oak Lawn Community. They haven't played anybody and small school Evergreen Park took them to OT. However, the word around EP is this is the worst Richards team in recent memory and OL has their best group of seniors in school history, so it could be a decent game.
 

Alexander33

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2016
843
1,116
93
It’s an awful premise. He offers the Top 12 public HS FB teams in the thread headline, then says those that are undefeated. Okay, a good list but I’ll take my chances with some of the ones that have lost.
Where’s are the Sequoits?
Although Antioch is undefeated, I would take any of the 12 teams on my list to beat them if they played. The same thing is true about Wauconda.
 

Cross Bones

All-Conference
Aug 19, 2001
53,447
4,537
113
This is a very restricted top-12 list. First, it lists only teams that are public high schools. Second, the teams must be undefeated to be included on this list. Third, the teams must play at the 4A class level or higher in the playoffs to be on the list. The main purpose is to generate a little discussion that is not focused on the Chicago Catholic League, which tends to dominate this message board. Given the restrictions described above, are there any teams you would put on the list instead of any one of the teams I have listed? It will be interesting to see what kind of success these teams experience in the playoffs.

1. Lincoln-Way East (6-0) 8A
2. Downers Grove North (6-0) 7A [They host Lyons October 9th in what could prove to be a difficult game.]
3. Rochester (6-0) 4A [They host Sacred Heart - Griffin October 9th in what is their most challenging remaining game.]
4. Morris (6-0) 4A
5. Normal (6-0) 7A [They play at Normal West on October 16th for the conference championship.]
6. Prospect (6-0) 7A [They host Hersey October 16th for the conference championship.]
7. Normal West (6-0) 6A
8. Hersey (6-0) 7A
9. Huntley (6-0) 8A [Can they at least make it to the quarterfinals in the tough 8A bracket?]
10. Oak Lawn (6-0) 6A [They play at Richards tomorrow for the conference championship.]
11. Machesney Park, Harlem (6-0) 6A
12. Mahomet-Seymour (6-0) 5A

For starters, which teams do you think will lose a game before the playoffs begin. They cannot all still be undefeated at the end of the regular season because two games will be played between teams on the list.
Theres only a few other candidates given the criteria and a couple of them are CPS. Opening it up to 3A gives us Byron, Mount Carmel, and Richmond Burton.
 
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