September 20, 2024
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Friday Night Drive Week 4 Power Rankings: York cracks our Top 5, while East St. Louis falls to No. 7

Downers Grove North, Lincoln-Way Central break into the poll

By Steve Soucie
Wheaton North’s Walker Owens reaches the ball over the endzone for a touchdown during a game against St. Charles North in Wheaton on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023.

Wheaton North’s Walker Owens reaches the ball over the end zone for a touchdown during a game against St. Charles North. The Falcons made a strong move up the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings with a win over the North Stars. (Sandy Bressner)

The Friday Night Drive Power Rankings didn’t see a whole lot of movement after Week 3.

Previously ranked teams went 20-5 over the weekend and three of those losses came at the hands of other teams in the Top 25. A fourth came at the hands of a nationally-ranked team from out of state.

As such, there was limited justification for huge moves in the poll.

The top 3 remained untouched as Mount Carmel (No. 1), Loyola (No. 2) and Lincoln-Way East (No. 3) stay in the same order they have for the last two weeks.

York moved up one notch in the top 5 to No. 4 while Barrington moved up into the group into the No. 5 slot.

East St. Louis ended its three-game tour against nationally-ranked teams with a loss to Atascocita from Texas. As such the 1-2 Flyers slide down to No. 7 in the poll.

The biggest upward move was made by Wheaton North, which responded to a Week 2 loss to now 11th-ranked Lockport by toppling St. Charles North, ranked eighth in last week’s poll. St. Charles North slides down to No. 18.

There were two newcomers to the power rankings. They were Downers Grove North at No. 23 and Lincoln-Way Central at No. 25.

Here are the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings: