East St. Louis, Joliet Catholic share top spot in Class 5A state football poll
Two of the most successful high school football programs in state history, the East St. Louis Flyers and Joliet Catholic Hilltoppers are together once again.
The defending Class 5A state champions, Joliet Catholic, and the Flyers are tied for the top spot in the Associated Press Class 5A preseason state football poll. Rankings were released in all eight classes late Wednesday.
East St. Louis, which has competed in Class 7A the past three years, winning the state championship in 2016, collected 11 first place votes in voting done by a panel of state sportswriters. Joliet Catholic, which defeated Lombard Montini 35-27 to win its 14th state championship a year ago, collected three first place votes. Both teams have 114 points.
East St. Louis, which has won eight state championships and, like Joliet Catholic, has made 40 playoff appearances, last competed in the Class 5A playoffs in 1998, when it was still the second largest class in the IHSA.
The IHSA expanded to an eight-class system in the 2000-2001 season. East St. Louis’ IHSA classification enrollment for the 2019 season is listed at 1,262 students.
The Flyers, who finished 9-3 and reached the Class 7A quarterfinals a year ago, open their season on Saturday at Batavia.
Two other metro-east area teams, Edwardsville and Columbia, also are listed in the top 10 in their respective classes.
Edwardsville, which reached the Class 8A quarterfinals and finished 8-4, are ranked eighth in Class 8A. Columbia, which finished 8-3 a year ago and returns 19 starters, is ranked seventh in Class 4A.
Other local teams receiving votes but not enough to crack the top 10 include Cahokia (5A), Highland (5A), Mascoutah (5A), Central (4A), Nashville (3A), Mater Dei (3A), Althoff (2A) and Madison (1A).
Class 8A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Loyola (10) | 127 |
| 2. | Lincoln-Way East (3) | 119 |
| 3. | Maine South | 93 |
| 4. | Naperville Central | 85 |
| 5. | Homewood-Flossmoor | 73 |
| 6. | Marist | 44 |
| 7. | Warren | 42 |
| 8. | Edwardsville | 33 |
| 9. | Minooka | 27 |
| 10. | Barrington | 21 |
Others receiving votes: Oswego 18, Stevenson 8, Bolingbrook 7, Hinsdale Central 6, Oak Park-River Forest 4, Neuqua Valley 3, Niles Notre Dame 3, Huntley 2.
Class 7A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Nazareth (11) | 123 |
| 2. | Batavia (1) | 113 |
| 3. | Mount Carmel | 92 |
| 4. | St. Charles North | 89 |
| 5. | Brother Rice (1) | 80 |
| 6. | Glenbard West | 48 |
| 7. | Wheaton Warrenville South | 35 |
| 8. | Willowbrook | 34 |
| 9. | Lake Zurich | 31 |
| 10. | Harlem | 15 |
Others receiving votes: Moline 10, Rolling Meadows 9, DeKalb 8, Hersey 7, Glenbard East 5, Hononegah 4, Normal Community 4, Benet 3, Maine West 2, Plainfield North 2, Lincoln-Way West 1.
Class 6A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Richards (3) | 112 |
| 2. | Cary-Grove (7) | 107 |
| 3. | Phillips | 93 |
| 4. | Simeon (3) | 90 |
| 5. | Crete-Monee | 81 |
| 6. | Prairie Ridge (1) | 67 |
| 7. | Antioch | 52 |
| 8. | Washington | 45 |
| 9. | Providence | 36 |
| 10. | Normal West | 29 |
Others receiving votes: Glenwood 26, Lemont 9, Springfield 7, Peoria Central 6, Kaneland 4, Lake Forest 4, Rock Island 1, Yorkville 1.
Class 5A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Joliet Catholic (3) | 114 |
| 1. | East St. Louis (11) | 114 |
| 3. | Montini | 107 |
| 4. | Sacred Heart-Griffin | 77 |
| 5. | Hillcrest | 66 |
| 6. | Sycamore | 44 |
| 7. | Sterling | 43 |
| 8. | Boylan Catholic | 42 |
| 9. | St. Rita | 38 |
| 10. | Metamora | 26 |
Others receiving votes: Cahokia 25, Highland 23, Mascoutah 14, MacArthur 12, Payton 5, St. Laurence 4, Solorio 3, Marion 3, Evergreen Park 3, Morris 3, Kankakee 2, Champaign Central 1, Springfield Southeast 1.
Class 4A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | IC Catholic (10) | 122 |
| 2. | Bishop McNamara (2) | 111 |
| 3. | Rochester (1) | 110 |
| 4. | Coal City (1) | 102 |
| 5. | Richmond-Burton | 62 |
| 6. | Marengo | 40 |
| 7. | Columbia | 31 |
| 8. | Taylorville | 30 |
| T-9. | Effingham | 23 |
| T-9. | Genoa-Kingston | 23 |
Others receiving votes: Johnsburg 22, Murphysboro 22, Stillman Valley 20, Pontiac 13, Herscher 9, Geneseo 7, Marian Central Catholic 7, Dixon 4, Fairbury Prairie Central 3, St. Francis 3, Paris 2, Mt. Zion 2, Tolono Unity 1, Breese Central 1.
Class 3A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Byron (8) | 125 |
| 2. | Monticello (2) | 104 |
| 3. | Eureka (2) | 81 |
| 4. | Williamsville | 76 |
| 5. | Carlinville | 54 |
| 6. | Wilmington (1) | 53 |
| 7. | Princeton | 47 |
| 8. | Fairfield | 33 |
| 9. | Lisle | 26 |
| 10. | Beardstown | 21 |
Others receiving votes: Farmington 20, Nashville 14, Pana 10, Monmouth-Roseville 10, Greenville 10, Peotone 8, Quincy Notre Dame 7, Alleman Catholic 7, Breese Mater Dei 4, Anna-Jonesboro 2, Pleasant Plains 2, Vandalia 1.
Class 2A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Gibson City-Melvin-Sibley (6) | 108 |
| 2. | Maroa-Forsyth (4) | 96 |
| 3. | Clifton Central (1) | 82 |
| 4. | Decatur St. Teresa | 65 |
| 5. | Newman Central Catholic | 54 |
| 6. | Eastland-Pearl City (1) | 52 |
| 7. | Bismarck-Henning | 48 |
| 8. | Orion | 45 |
| 9. | Downs Tri-Valley | 40 |
| 10. | Fieldcrest | 26 |
Others receiving votes: Illini West 15, Rockridge 9, Althoff Catholic 8, Mercer County 4, Orr 3, West Hancock 2, Auburn 2, Eldorado 1.
Class 1A
| No. | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Forreston (4) | 98 |
| T-2. | Lena-Winslow (5) | 84 |
| T-2. | Tuscola (1) | 84 |
| 4. | Moweaqua Central A&M (1) | 51 |
| 5. | Camp Point Central | 49 |
| 6. | Argenta-Oreana | 44 |
| 7. | Aurora Christian | 40 |
| 8. | Dakota | 37 |
| 9. | Athens | 33 |
| 10. | Annawan-Wethersfield | 24 |
Others receiving votes: Hope Academy 23, Arcola 19, Ottawa Marquette 17, Carrollton 14, Triopia 12, Brown County 8, Fisher 7, Fulton 6, Princeville 5, Milledgeville 2, Madison 2, Morrison 1.