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Greatest Team of the Last 10 Years…

R

redhawks_2015

Redshirt
Nov 17, 2025
14
8
3
Let’s have some fun. Rank these teams from best to worst. Feel free to talk about programs in other classes as well, but keep it post 2015.

8A State Champions (Not Ranked)
2025 Mount Carmel
2024 Loyola Academy
2023 Loyola Academy
2022 Loyola Academy
2021 Lockport Township
2019 Lincoln-Way East
2018 Loyola Academy
2017 Lincoln-Way East
2016 Maine South
2015 Loyola Academy
 
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M

MOJOJACKSON

Redshirt
Sep 1, 2003
30
30
13
redhawks_2015 said:
Let’s have some fun. Rank these teams from best to worst. Feel free to talk about programs in other classes as well, but keep it post 2015.

8A
2025 Mount Carmel
2024 Loyola Academy
2023 Loyola Academy
2022 Loyola Academy
2021 Lockport Township
2019 Lincoln-Way East
2018 Loyola Academy
2017 Lincoln-Way East
2016 Maine South
2015 Loyola Academy
Click to expand...
Great list !
 
Carmine Evergreen

Carmine Evergreen

Junior
Jul 9, 2025
210
253
63
The 2023 Byron Tigers (14-0) Class 3A State Champions
  • Record-Setting Performance:The team broke six Illinois High School Association (IHSA) state records during their championship run:
    • Most points scored in a Class 3A state game (69).
    • Largest point differential in any state championship game (62).
    • Most points scored in a season (823).
    • Most total touchdowns in a season (123).
    • Most rushing touchdowns in a season (109).
    • Largest point differential in a season (823-94).
 
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A

Alexander33

All-Conference
Oct 24, 2016
801
1,071
93
redhawks_2015 said:
Let’s have some fun. Rank these teams from best to worst. Feel free to talk about programs in other classes as well, but keep it post 2015.

8A State Champions (Not Ranked)
2025 Mount Carmel
2024 Loyola Academy
2023 Loyola Academy
2022 Loyola Academy
2021 Lockport Township
2019 Lincoln-Way East
2018 Loyola Academy
2017 Lincoln-Way East
2016 Maine South
2015 Loyola Academy
Click to expand...


1. 2024 East St. Louis (Ran through the playoffs with wins of 67, 48, 44, 48 and 20 points. The last one was against DuKane champion.)
2. 2023 Loyola (Unbeaten CCL/ESCC-Blue champion; they gave Mt. Carmel and Lincoln-Way E. their only losses for the season.)
3. 2022 Mt. Carmel (Unbeaten CCL/ESCC-Blue champion, with all five playoff wins by double digits.)
4. 2025 Mt. Carmel (Unbeaten team makes it four straight state championships in two different class levels.)
5. 2021 Cary-Grove (Did the seemingly impossible by defeating the Luther Burden led Flyers in the state championship game.)
6. 2019 Lincoln-Way East (No team came closer than ten points all year. Shut out Warren in the championship game with stifling defense.)
7. 2017 Lincoln-Way East (The unbeaten Griffins were not totally dominant, but they were the best in 8A this year.)
8. 2015 Loyola (After a dominant regular season, the unbeaten Ramblers had a couple of narrow escapes in the playoffs.)
9. 2018 Nazareth (Nazareth finished second in the ESCC and had a controversial scare against Simeon, but they were the 7A champs.)
10. 2016 Prairie Ridge (This was seemingly the better of back-to-back unbeaten 6A champs as they won every game by double digits.)
 
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B

bocjr34

Senior
Oct 9, 2022
579
900
93
Lion4Life said:
2022 MC beat Loyola, otherwise I'm probably aligned with this list.

The 2025 MC team is the best IL football team I've ever seen in my life.
Click to expand...
Been watching since 1986, and while it pains me to say this as a Rita guy, 2025 MC is the best high school team I have ever seen in Illinois.
 
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crusader_of_90

crusader_of_90

All-American
Nov 1, 2003
11,179
9,118
113
jha618 said:
2020 ESL - Greatest team that never was.
Click to expand...
Macon, Keontez Lewis, Dom Lovett ... the trio of D1 linemen, Witherspoon, Antonio Johnson ...

Two in the NFL, let's see on Lewis next spring and time will tell of the linemen.
 
crusader_of_90

crusader_of_90

All-American
Nov 1, 2003
11,179
9,118
113
ODERTY1 said:
And burden
Click to expand...
That was only the spring, unless he was coming in the fall before IL halted football and MO played.

The was the season they started the airplane games ... that they played in the spring after Macon, Lewis and Johnson left for D1 spring ball.
 
J

jha618

All-Conference
Jan 1, 2018
3,339
3,928
113
crusader_of_90 said:
That was only the spring, unless he was coming in the fall before IL halted football and MO played.

The was the season they started the airplane games ... that they played in the spring after Macon, Lewis and Johnson left for D1 spring ball.
Click to expand...
Yea Burden wouldnt have been on that Fall 2020 team. He played fall '20 season at Ritter. Then played spring '21 season at ESL.
 
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R

rink231111

Freshman
Aug 28, 2025
165
72
28
The 2008 ESL team featured another D-I receiver in Craig Appleton. Has to be among the best WR combos in state history. Appleton also was a state champion hurdler. Went to Wisconsin, don't think he lasted a semester. I think he is prison for murder.
 
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R

rink231111

Freshman
Aug 28, 2025
165
72
28
Arterbridge sounds familiar. They used to have their roster and statistics for the 2008 season on the IHSA web site. But when I click on it I get an error message.
 
J

jha618

All-Conference
Jan 1, 2018
3,339
3,928
113
rink231111 said:
Arterbridge sounds familiar. They used to have their roster and statistics for the 2008 season on the IHSA web site. But when I click on it I get an error message.
Click to expand...
Vincent i believe was his first name. He was the backup rb to Molton on the 08 state team. Played a game or two the next season at esl then transferred to althoff.
 
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M

McCaravan

All-American
Feb 1, 2016
4,548
7,221
113
If the 2023 MC team when Dupree was a senior didn't drop that game vs Loyola I would say them as they opened up beating ESL and the put on a display the rest of the way....except for the LA game.....the 2021 ESL team with Luther Burden was amazing....until they played CG....the 2018 LWE was unstoppable....until they met LA.....the 2018 BR team couldn't be stopped.....until LA stopped them.....so I would have to say

2022 MC- undefeated, very complete team, W @LA was one of the best games I've seem

2015 LA- Beat an amazing HF team in the quarters in a excellent game.

2015- Glenbard West- Hitters were tough and undefeated. What happened to Sam Broadner?

2022 ESL- Mamouth Line. The Captains picture before the game that went viral is classic. True Davey and Goliath pic....but Goliath won

2019 LWE- AJ Henning was a special player.
 
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A

Anon1753850091

Freshman
Jul 29, 2025
59
83
18
McCaravan said:
If the 2023 MC team when Dupree was a senior didn't drop that game vs Loyola I would say them as they opened up beating ESL and the put on a display the rest of the way....except for the LA game.....the 2021 ESL team with Luther Burden was amazing....until they played CG....the 2018 LWE was unstoppable....until they met LA.....the 2018 BR team couldn't be stopped.....until LA stopped them.....so I would have to say

2022 MC- undefeated, very complete team, W @LA was one of the best games I've seem

2015 LA- Beat an amazing HF team in the quarters in a excellent game.

2015- Glenbard West- Hitters were tough and undefeated. What happened to Sam Broadner?

2022 ESL- Mamouth Line. The Captains picture before the game that went viral is classic. True Davey and Goliath pic....but Goliath won

2019 LWE- AJ Henning was a special player.
Click to expand...
Undefeated 2021 Joliet Catholic was pretty dominant. Lines, QB play, stout defense, and massive and fast backs. Jordan Anderson ran all over a really good SHG team in the title game.
 
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M

McCaravan

All-American
Feb 1, 2016
4,548
7,221
113
Anon1753850091 said:
Undefeated 2021 Joliet Catholic was pretty dominant. Lines, QB play, stout defense, and massive and fast backs. Jordan Anderson ran all over a really good SHG team in the title game.
Click to expand...
That was a great team. Beat a very good BR team that year too. They took a lot of heat for staying in 4A but they could have beat almost anyone that year. Did Anderson get hurt at Illinois?
 
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Anon1753850091

Freshman
Jul 29, 2025
59
83
18
McCaravan said:
That was a great team. Beat a very good BR team that year too. They took a lot of heat for staying in 4A but they could have beat almost anyone that year. Did Anderson get hurt at Illinois?
Click to expand...
No Anderson and Malachi Hood from that 2021 team have both been key contributors at Illinois over the last 3-4 years.

Both got hurt in preseason of frosh year and redshirted in 2022. Hood played some in 2023 and has been getting good snaps in 24 and 25 at linebacker. He played safety for the Hillmen.

Anderson redshirted in 2022. Played tailback in 23 and 24. Had a big first down run in the Citrus Bowl win against South Carolina last year. This offseason he switched to "tight end" which has really been more like an H back/super back/tight end hybrid position.

Scored a rushing TD against Washington a few weeks ago. But yes, he seems to have found himself squeezed out of a crowded backfield by massive back Feagin and quick guys Ca'lil Valentine and Aiden Laughery.

So partially from it being a crowded backfield and partially from him being like 6-3 245 pounds and realizing the next level may see him as more of a TE/blocking back type, he made the switch.

But he has been a solid contributor over the last few years.

I believe both have eligibility left in 26 as well, so hopefully both are back for good 5th years.
 
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G

godfthr53

All-Conference
Sep 8, 2008
4,956
2,771
113
jha618 said:
2020 ESL - Greatest team that never was.
Click to expand...
The 2020 Naz team would've been pretty special.
Would've featured 10 D1 kids, 3 NFL Players, JJ, 3 D1 receivers.
8 returning starters from an offense that made it to the title game averaging 40 pts a game.
 
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D

dweise

Junior
Nov 3, 2006
465
397
63
McCaravan said:
That was a great team. Beat a very good BR team that year too. They took a lot of heat for staying in 4A but they could have beat almost anyone that year. Did Anderson get hurt at Illinois?
Click to expand...
They indeed could've beat anyone that year. They beat BR at Rice in a game that had over 100 combined points in a "whoever gets the ball last wins" kind of game. That BR team could've won 7A but Jack Lausch hurt his leg in the quarters against MC. They went on to lose to Wheaton North with Lausch pretty much unable to leave the pocket. And Wheaton North went on to beat Rita in the 7A title game. JCA was outstanding that year and could've beat Lockport or Maine South in that year's 8A game (IMO).
 
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J

JFelice

Senior
Sep 8, 2014
3,152
554
113
godfthr53 said:
The 2020 Naz team would've been pretty special.
Would've featured 10 D1 kids, 2 NFL Players, JJ, 3 D1 receivers.
8 returning starters from an offense that made it to the title game averaging 40 pts a game.
Click to expand...
Would have been 6 kids that played WR that went d1. Landon, Tanner, Tyler, Peter, Trell and Justin!
 
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T

ThunderPapa

Freshman
Oct 3, 2018
110
63
28
Alexander33 said:
1. 2024 East St. Louis (Ran through the playoffs with wins of 67, 48, 44, 48 and 20 points. The last one was against DuKane champion.)
2. 2023 Loyola (Unbeaten CCL/ESCC-Blue champion; they gave Mt. Carmel and Lincoln-Way E. their only losses for the season.)
3. 2022 Mt. Carmel
4. 2025 East St. Louis
5. 2021 Cary-Grove
6. 2019 Lincoln-Way East
7. 2017 Lincoln-Way East
8. 2015 Loyola
9. 2018 Nazareth
10. 2016 Prairie Ridge
Click to expand...
I would make a case for 2017 Prairie Ridge over 2016. Went 28-0 over 2 years and had the Gatorade player of the year in Samson Evans. Amazing last second touchdown against Cary Grove in the playoffs. Never seen another player like him.
 
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S

Still Missing34

All-Conference
Jul 12, 2005
2,429
2,007
113
godfthr53 said:
The 2020 Naz team would've been pretty special.
Would've featured 10 D1 kids, 3 NFL Players, JJ, 3 D1 receivers.
8 returning starters from an offense that made it to the title game averaging 40 pts a game.
Click to expand...
If I recall, it was noted many times that JJ was going to IMG regardless of Covid.
 
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