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With the release of the IHSA 2025 statewide football schedule, here are the top games week by week to watch in the Suburban Life coverage area.
Week 1
Lyons at Joliet Catholic, 7:30 p.m., Aug. 29
Two teams that were looking for a Week 1 opponent deep into the offseason finally came together for a spicy new matchup between West Suburban Silver and CCL/ESCC heavyweights.
The Lions are coming off a 9-0 regular season and quarterfinal appearance in 2024. The Hilltoppers were Class 5A runners-up the last two seasons. This opening-night matchup provides a nice early gauge for where these programs are, and the quality of the upper crust of two of the best leagues in the state.
Week 2
Glenbard East at West Aurora, 7 p.m., Sept. 5
Last year’s champions of the Upstate Eight East and Upstate Eight West meet up in this inter-divisional matchup. West Aurora beat Glenbard East 45-20 in Week 2 last season, the Rams’ only regular season loss in a 9-2 season. West Aurora, meanwhile, posted a 9-0 regular season last year in its return to the Upstate Eight and, like Glenbard East, reached the second round of the playoffs.
Week 3
Mount Carmel at Nazareth, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 12
The CCL/ESCC slate opens in Week 3 with this showdown of the defending champions in Class 7A and Class 5A, respectively, who are both moving up a classification for this season’s playoffs. Mount Carmel won a 56-33 shootout over Nazareth in Week 3 last season, the Roadrunners’ only regular-season loss. In a quirk of the scheduling, this is Nazareth’s only home game in the first five weeks of the season.
Week 4
Fenwick at Montini, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 19
Two of the top teams in the CCL/ESCC White meet up. Montini is the defending Class 3A state champions that ended last season with 10 consecutive wins. The last team to beat the Broncos? Fenwick, 14-10 in Week 4 last year, on the Friars’ way to an 8-3 season.
Week 5
Nazareth at Joliet Catholic, 7:30 p.m., Sept. 26
These two are no strangers. Nazareth has beaten Joliet Catholic in the last two Class 5A state championship games, including a 29-27 thriller last season. The Roadrunners also beat the Hilltoppers 16-13 in Week 5 last season, so revenge would figure to be on the minds of the Hilltoppers.
Week 6
Wheaton North at Wheaton Warrenville South, 7 p.m., Oct. 3
Week 6 is rivalry week in the DuKane Conference, and the crosstown matchup in Wheaton is always one of the most anticipated ones. The Tigers won last year’s game 31-6, and have won the last two meetings with the Falcons.
Week 7
York at Downers Grove North, 7 p.m., Oct. 10
While Lyons won the West Suburban Silver title last season, the Trojans and Dukes were right behind in a dogfight of a league and should be right at the top again. Both have put themselves on the statewide map in recent seasons, Downers Grove North the Class 7A runner-up in 2023 and York the Class 8A runner-up last season in its first championship game appearance after reaching the semifinals the previous two seasons. Downers Grove North beat York 35-14 last year.
Week 8
Glenbard West at York, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 17
The Hilltoppers last season missed the playoffs at 4-5 for the first time since 2006, the year before Chad Hetlet’s arrival as head coach, so no doubt will be smarting to make that shortcoming an outlier. Glenbard West was the top dog in the West Suburban Silver for much of Hetlet’s time as coach, dominating league play, but York is one of the programs that has made the Silver much more of a dogfight the last few years. York beat Glenbard West 24-14 last season, and has won three of the last four meetings since the Hilltoppers won every matchup since 2007.
Week 9
St. Francis at Nazareth, 7:30 p.m., Oct. 24
These CCL/ESCC powerhouses met in Week 9 and in the semifinals each of the last two seasons, St. Francis taking the regular-season matchup both times with Nazareth getting the upper hand in the playoffs. Last year, St. Francis won the Week 9 game 39-36, Nazareth controlling the rematch 40-21 on its way to a repeat state title.
That history will not repeat itself here, with Nazareth being moved up to Class 6A for the postseason. That said, as difficult as these teams’ schedules are, this one could have huge playoff implications.
If anything else, it’s a fun matchup on the final football Friday of the regular season.