With familiar faces staying at the top, new contenders emerging and the ultimate Cinderella story, the 2024 high school football season in the Southland had it all.
The highlights were Chicago Christian’s fairytale run to the Class 2A state title and star senior quarterback Jack Elliott leading Mount Carmel to its third straight 7A championship.
Which teams will author their own heroic stories this fall?
As the high school football season begins Monday with the first day of practices across the state, here are 10 things to watch in 2025.
1. The 8A we’ve always dreamed of
At long last, the Class 8A playoffs should reach their full excitement potential this season.
Mount Carmel, in its quest for a fourth straight state championship, will have to do it in the highest class, bumping up from 7A.
The Caravan, with a loaded roster stacked with Division I recruits like senior defensive lineman Braeden Jones (USC) and senior offensive lineman Claude Mpouma (Nebraska), will look to dethrone CCL/ESCC Blue rival Loyola, which has won the last three 8A titles.
Then of course there’s Lincoln-Way East and senior quarterback Jonas Williams (USC), who will be extra motivated after last season’s 27-24 semifinal loss to Loyola.
2. It all starts up front
When it comes to the big men in the trenches, the area is particularly loaded in the 2026 class beyond Jones and Mpouma.
On the defensive line, look for seniors like Rich Township’s Carmelow Reed (Ole Miss), Brother Rice’s King Liggins (Illinois), Lincoln-Way East’s Jacob Alexander (Illinois), Mount Carmel’s Joey Quinn (Vanderbilt), Marian Catholic’s Gavin Neil (Boston College) and Hillcrest’s Maximilian Carmicle (Purdue) to dominate.
Marist’s Rico Schrieber (Purdue), Andrew’s Jake Palucki (Toledo) and Homewood-Flossmoor’s Kellen Gamble (Northern Illinois) headline a strong group of senior offensive linemen.
3. Arms race
Of course, the quarterback conversation for 2025 is focused squarely on Lincoln-Way East’s Williams. Rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Williams is ranked as the No. 10 quarterback in the country and the No. 2 player in Illinois in the senior class.
Crete-Monee senior Derrin Couch, meanwhile, threw for 2,082 yards and 41 TDs with just four interceptions last season.
Senior CJ Gray (Army) is a poised leader for Brother Rice.
4. They’ve got skills
Who will be the big playmakers on the offensive side of the ball? At the top of the list is Morgan Park receiver Nasir Rankin (Illinois), who Rivals ranks as the No. 3 senior in Illinois.
There will be many eyes on two new additions at Lincoln-Way East in senior receivers Blaise LaVista (Washington), a transfer from Libertyville, and junior receiver Jayden Cawthon, a transfer from Plainfield East.
Junior receiver Quentin Burrell of Mount Carmel has dozens of major Division I offers.
Running backs? St. Laurence senior Cory Les and Lincoln-Way Central senior Luke Tingley are proven commodities.
5. Locking down
The defensive talent is not only on the line. Secondary stars include Sandburg senior Vincent Smith (West Virginia), Rich Township senior Troy Garner (Northern Illinois) and Mount Carmel junior Tavares Harrington.
Linebackers? Keep an eye on Lemont senior Jackson Dybcio and Mount Carmel junior Roman Igwebuike.
6. Familiar faces in new places
Former Sandburg coach Troy McAllister is now at Southwest Valley Blue rival Homewood-Flossmoor, where he looks to turn around a Vikings team that finished 4-5 last season.
McAllister will make his return to Sandburg on Sept. 26, when he will square off with Sheamus Murphy. The former Eisenhower coach takes over for the Eagles after spending last season as McAllister’s assistant.
Other new head coaches include Patrick Swanson at St. Laurence, Zac Sadek at Oak Forest, Trent Jensen at T.F. South and Dante Culbreath at Bloom.
7. Reload or rebuild?
After last season’s championship run, Chicago Christian will be fascinating to watch in 2025.
The Knights will field essentially a brand new team under second-year coach CJ Cesario, although junior linebacker Isaac Workman and senior two-way lineman Heath Sisk are returning starters.
8. Bouncing back?
H-F, Providence and Lockport were among area teams that finished 4-5 last season and just missed the playoffs.
All three have the potential to return to the postseason this year, although all will navigate tough schedules.
Reavis, Eisenhower and Rich Township are also looking to take the leap after falling one win short of playoff qualification last year.
9. Momentum building?
Lincoln-Way Central was less than a minute away from playing in the Class 7A state championship game last year, losing 25-21 to powerhouse Batavia in a semifinal.
The Knights, crosstown rival Lincoln-Way West, St. Rita and Richards have all come close to playing for a title in recent seasons and could break through this year.
10. Title time?
The Southland has had at least one state champion in seven straight seasons. Don’t expect that to change this fall.
While Mount Carmel and Lincoln-Way East are again the prime contenders, could this be the year Brother Rice breaks through in Class 7A?
How about a surprise champion? After Chicago Christian in 2024, anything seems possible.
