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Sports

Patch's Football Rankings - Week 9

Glenbrook South got a big win against Niles West to set up a conference title match against Maine South.

Patch sports reporter Ross Jacobson ranks the North Shore’s best football teams.

Not much change in our rankings leading into the final week, but still lots of drama to come. Our top seven teams took care of business with victories last weekend while the bottom five were on the losing end. North Shore moved up a spot with its impressive win over Longwood while Loyola struggled to put away Brother Rice. Five of our teams will be playing for conference championships next weekend while Deerfield, New Trier, Highland Park and Evanston still have not clinched a playoff berth.

is in parentheses.

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WEEK 9 RANKINGS

1.  (1) – The Hawks made it look easy in a 49-0 win over Waukegan. The starters only played in the first half, but they were nearly perfect, scoring seven touchdowns and holding the Bulldogs scoreless. A showdown for the conference title looms with Glenbrook South next week.

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2. (3) – Playing under the lights didn’t affect North Shore as the Raiders took down Longwood Academy with a 26-6 win. They head into next week at 8-0 and face undefeated Mooseheart for the conference crown. Athletic director Pat McHugh says it might be the most significant football game for North Shore in 25 years.

3. Loyola Academy (2) – Loyola didn’t play its best game of the season against Brother Rice. QB Malcolm Weaver was knocked out of the game early in the third quarter with a head injury so we’ll have to see how he bounces back against St. Rita in next week’s regular-season finale.  

4.  (4) – The Titans took care of business against Niles West 42-0, using their big offensive line to move the ball on the ground consistently. The seniors say next week’s game against Maine South will be the biggest game of their careers and a conference championship will be on the line.

5.  (5) – Another week, another victory for Deerfield, which beat Niles North 39-7 to move to 5-3 on the year. They’ve overcome an 0-3 start to put themselves in position to make the playoffs. A win over Highland Park would give them a berth in the postseason and a conference title.

6. (6) – New Trier’s defense stepped up, forcing four turnovers against Evanston to propel the Trevians to a 24-7 victory. The win puts New Trier at 5-3, making them playoff-eligible. New Trier would likely get in the postseason based on playoff points, but a win over Waukegan next week would give them six wins and clinch a spot for sure.

7.  (7) – Andrew Sledd was an absolute workhorse, running for more than 200 yards in Highland Park’s 14-7 win over Glenbrook North. They have a chance to secure a playoff spot and a conference championship with a win over Deerfield in the regular-season finale.    

8.  (8) – The Wildkits now face a do-or-die situation in Week 9 after falling to New Trier in their annual rivalry game. Evanston should take care of business, but it can’t take anything for granted after losing three of its last four games.  

9.  (9) – Glenbrook North’s loss to Highland Park eliminated the Spartans from playoff contention. Inevitably, the loss of RB Grant Rushing was too big to overcome for a team that dug itself an early-season hole by losing four of its first five games.

10. (10) – The Vikings had to go to their third-string QB and couldn’t move the ball effectively in the loss to Deerfield. We’ll see if freshman Tyler Granado returns for Niles North’s last game against Maine West or if Mychael Henley will continue with the quarterbacking duties.

11. (11) – The Warriors fell to Maine East 27-7 on Friday night. Sean Burke was the lone bright spot for Maine West, running for a 40-yard touchdown to give Maine West its only score on the day. Maine West has one more shot for a victory when they host Niles North to end the season.

12.  (12) – The Wolves continued to make mistakes in big situations and couldn’t capitalize on a couple of drives in their 42-0 loss to Glenbrook South. But the future looks bright with QB Mike McGivern and WRs Jake Glotzer and Jeremiah Jordan all returning next year.   

 (Covering the Patch communities of Skokie, Evanston, Wilmette, Winnetka, Niles, Highland Park, Glenview, Deerfield, Morton Grove, Des Plaines and Northbrook.)

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