In the second installment of this year’s Friday Night Drive Power Rankings, Mount Carmel moved into the top spot in the rankings and were quickly flanked by Loyola in the No. 2 spot.

Seven weeks later we find ourselves in exactly the same spot as the two long-time rivals prepare to close the regular season this coming Saturday in Wilmette in a game that almost seems fitting to be one of the last final scores recorded in the 2023 regular season.

Other than protecting the season’s second No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown of the year (Week 1′s East St. Louis vs. Mount Carmel matchup was the first) there wasn’t a lot of movement in this week’s rankings. East St. Louis moved up one spot in the top five to No. 4 after toppling previously undefeated Edwardsville in Week 8.

Barrington also moved up one spot to No. 6 after breaking away from previously ranked Palatine in the second half, but most of the rest of the poll remained very close to where they resided the week previous.

The lone new team in the top 25 this week was Lincoln-Way Central. The 7-1 Knights are in the process of completing one of the state’s biggest positive turnarounds after going 3-6 a year ago.

Here are the complete Friday Night Drive Power Rankings: