Every single Nazareth opponent this season has been ranked in the Super 25 at some point. There are highly-regarded football teams in the area that haven’t faced five ranked teams in the last two seasons combined.
Strength of schedule is wildly overlooked in many high school football polls and rankings, where remaining undefeated appears more important than playing high-quality teams.
The Roadrunners have lost to No. 7 IC Catholic, No. 2 Mount Carmel and No. 9 Montini. They have defeated No. 22 Providence and York, which started the season in the Super 25 but is now unranked.
Providence’s head-coaching drama received much of the spotlight on Friday, but Nazareth’s 17-10 win was a hard-nosed showcase victory for the team that should be considered the favorite to win Class 6A.
A large part of the Roadrunners’ early-season struggles came from injuries. A few of those highly-recruited, college-bound players are still out. But their replacements are improving.
“We are really young,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. “Losing three, initially four, key players to start the season will rattle a team. You have to play a lot of guys that wouldn’t play as much. Those guys are growing up now. You get the most growth through difficulty. And we have certainly gone through a lot of difficulty the last three weeks.”
Racki’s Roadrunners started the season 0-4 in 2023 and went on to win the Class 5A state championship. In 2022, Nazareth was 2-4 after six weeks and went on to win 5A.
“Coach tells us that story about coming back from 0-4,” Roadrunners running back Chris Calhoun said. “And we have all been through this before. We just try to get better every game.”
East St. Louis to Class 7A
One reason Nazareth is now the favorite to win Class 6A is that East St. Louis is no longer in the way.
Earlier this week, the Illinois High School Association approved East St. Louis’s petition to move up to Class 7A. Based on enrollment, the Flyers would be in 5A.
East St. Louis will be in 7A for the next two seasons.
Super 25 updates
St. Ignatius and Lincoln-Way Central debut in the Super 25 this week.
The Wolfpack is in at No. 17 after thrashing St. Rita 42-16. St. Ignatius also has a nice win against a very good Fenwick team in Week 4 and was competitive in a 22-15 loss to No. 7 IC Catholic.
Lincoln-Way Central joins at No. 12. The Knights beat Homewood-Flossmoor 38-27 in Week 5 and have also knocked off Barrington and Lockport. They were in consideration for the preseason Super 25, but a Week 1 loss in Springfield at Sacred Heart-Griffin has slowed their climb into the rankings.
The next two weeks will be very tough for Lincoln-Way Central, which faces No. 19 Sandburg and No. 3 Lincoln-Way East.
Lyons and St. Rita drop out this week. The Lions lost to Glenbard West.
Trae Taylor in St. Louis
Former Carmel quarterback Trae Taylor, who transferred to Millard South, Nebraska after last season, played in St. Louis on Friday.
Once again, the Nebraska recruit lived up to his billing as one of the country’s best players. Taylor threw for 350 yards and five touchdowns and rushed for 3 TDs and 143 yards to lead his team in a 55-40 win against Cardinal Ritter.
Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 6
With record and last week’s ranking
1. Loyola (5-0) 1
Won 42-10 at Benet.
Next: Friday at Marist.
2. Mount Carmel (4-1) 2
Won 55-7 at St. Patrick.
Next: Friday at No. 4 Brother Rice.
3. Lincoln-Way East (5-0) 3
Won 38-17 at Sandburg.
Next: Friday vs. Andrew.
4. Brother Rice (3-2) 4
Won 63-28 at Notre Dame.
Next: Friday vs. No. 2 Mount Carmel.
5. Hersey (5-0) 6
Won 49-14 vs. Buffalo Grove.
Next: Friday at Wheeling.
6. Batavia (4-1) 7
Won 55-35 vs. St. Charles North.
Next: Friday vs. No. 16 Geneva.
7. IC Catholic (5-0) 8
Won 40-0 vs. Leo.
Next: Friday at St. Laurence.
8. Maine South (4-1) 10
Won 56-27 at Deerfield.
Next: Friday vs. Niles West.
9. Montini (4-1) 13
Won 42-35 vs. Carmel.
Next: Friday vs. St. Rita.
10. Downers Grove North (5-0) 17
Won 51-0 vs. Proviso West.
Next: Friday vs. Oak Park.
11. Prospect (5-0) 18
Won 54-7 vs. Elk Grove.
Next: Friday vs. Rolling Meadows.
12. Lincoln-Way Central (4-1) NR
Won 38-27 vs. Homewood-Flossmoor.
Next: Friday at No. 19 Sandburg.
13. Homewood-Flossmoor (3-2) 11
Lost 38-27 at Lincoln-Way Central.
Next: Friday vs. Lincoln-Way West.
14. Bolingbrook (4-1) 14
Won 62-0 vs. Plainfield Central.
Next: Friday at Oswego East.
15. Oswego (4-1) 15
Won 35-6 vs. Plainfield South.
Next: Friday at Yorkville.
16. Geneva (4-1) 19
Won 41-15 at Lake Park.
Next: Friday at No. 6 Batavia.
17. St. Ignatius (4-1) NR
Won 42-16 vs. St. Rita.
Next: Friday vs. Carmel.
18. Nazareth (2-3) 22
Won 17-7 vs. Providence.
Next: Friday at St. Francis.
19. Sandburg (3-2) 12
Lost 38-17 vs. Lincoln-Way East.
Next: Friday vs. No. 12 Lincoln-Way Central
20. Kankakee (4-1) 20
Won 28-14 at Lincoln-Way West.
Next: Friday vs. Thornwood.
21. Glenbard West (3-2) 21
Won 37-16 at Lyons.
Next: Friday at Hinsdale South.
22. Providence (4-1) 5
Lost 17-7 at Nazareth.
Next: Friday at Fenwick.
23. Wheaton North (5-0) 23
Won 16-12 vs. St. Charles East.
Next: Friday at Wheaton-Warrenville South.
24. New Trier (4-1) 24
Won 56-0 at Niles West.
Next: Friday vs. Deerfield.
25. Morris (5-0) 25
Won 44-13 at Rochelle.
Next: Friday vs. Ottawa.