July 26, 2024
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Friday Night Drive Week 5 Power Rankings: Top teams stake claims

Two new teams enter the rankings

By Steve Soucie
Batavia quarterback Ryan Boe keeps the ball during a game at St. Charles North on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023.

Batavia quarterback Ryan Boe keeps the ball during a game at St. Charles North on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. (Sandy Bressner)

The Friday Night Drive Power Rankings had minimal movement out of Week 4′s results.

The top nine teams all won and the highest previously ranked team, St. Rita, was the first ranked team to have lost. The Mustangs fell to the No. 1 team, then and now, Mount Carmel.

In all, six ranked teams lost, several of those fell spots in the poll but didn’t drop out due to the quality of the opponent, usually also ranked, that they lost to.

The top five experienced a small change. Mount Carmel, Loyola, Lincoln-Way East and York held the top four spots for the second consecutive week. Batavia moved back into the top five after an impressive win over St. Charles North.

Barrington, the previous No. 5, slid down to No. 7 after surviving a close call against New Trier.

Newcomers to the poll are Normal Community at No. 18. The Ironmen are simply scoring far too many points against some pretty good football teams to be denied any longer.

The other newcomer is Cary-Grove at No. 24, just in time for its Week 5 matchup with the other Fox Valley Conference ranked team, Prairie Ridge (No. 15).

Here are the complete Friday Night Drive Power Rankings: