Illinois
Illinois High School Football Top 25 State Rankings – Sept. 23, 2025
East St. Louis and Brother Rice have moved up, this week, into the top four of the Illinois High School Football Top 25 State Rankings. Lincoln-Way West is the lone newcomer, entering the rankings at No. 25.
Previous ranking: 1
Last week: Def. St. Ignatius 41-14
Up next: at Benet, Sept. 26
Quentin Burrell caught two touchdown passes from Emmett Dowling, who had four total TDs. Tavares Harrington ran a fumble back 99 yards for a score.
Previous ranking: 2
Last week: Def. Lockport 49-14
Up next: at Naperville Central, Sept. 26
USC-bound Jonas Williams continued to move closer to the IHSA career records for passing yards and passing TDs, going 30-of-35 for 354 yards and five touchdowns.
Previous ranking: 4
Last week: Def. Alton 60-6
Up next: vs. Belleville West, Sept. 26
Myson Johnson-Cook ran for 88 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Flyers.
Previous ranking: 5
Last week: Def. Loyola 28-6
Up next: vs. St. Patrick, Sept. 26
Army commit CJ Gray had TD runs of 5 and 71 yards, and also threw a 47-yard touchdown pass.
Previous ranking: 3
Last week: Lost to Brother Rice 28-6
Up next: vs. DePaul Prep, Sept. 26
Sophomore quarterback Matthew Lee passed for 149 yards for the Ramblers. whose 13-game winning streak was snapped.
Previous ranking: 6
Last week: Def. New Trier 35-16
Up next: at Conant, Sept. 26
Jayden Faulkner ran for 134 yards and Northwestern commit Johnny O’Brien threw for 197 yards and three TDs.
Previous ranking: 8
Last week: Def. Downers Grove North 35-21
Up next: vs. Lyons, Sept. 27
The Hilltoppers led 28-0 after one quarter and coasted to the win. Quarterback AJ Rayford returned from an injury to pass for 167 yards and a TD.
Previous ranking: 9
Last week: Def. Barrington 41-21
Up next: vs. Evanston, Sept. 26
Indiana-bound Jameson Purcell threw for 238 yards and three TDs, and also ran for 65 yards.
Previous ranking: 7
Last week: Def. IC Catholic 24-21
Up next: at Joliet Catholic, Sept. 26
Billy Harding kicked a game-winning 39-yard field goal with seven seconds left and Trenton Walker had six catches for 140 yards.
Previous ranking: 12
Last week: Def. Lake Park 41-21
Up next: at St. Charles North, Sept. 26
Henry Hahn ran for 120 yards and three touchdowns, while the Bulldogs’ defense had seven tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.
Previous ranking: 10
Last week: Lost to Glenbard West 35-21
Up next: vs. Proviso West, Sept. 26
Still playing without Minnesota-bound quarterback Owen Lansu, the Trojans had a 71-yard TD pass from Kevin Jay to Illinois commit Will Vala.
Previous ranking: 11
Last week: Def. Burlington Central 28-7
Up next: vs. McHenry, Sept. 26
Fullback Jake Wagler ran 25 times for 155 yards and two touchdowns as the Wolves won the battle of unbeatens.
Previous ranking: 13
Lost week: Def. Waukegan 51-0
Up next: at Zion-Benton, Sept. 26.
Illinois-bound Aaron Stewart rushed for 204 yards and five touchdowns, boosting his season totals to 990 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Previous ranking: 14
Last week: Def. St. Rita 17-10
Up next: at Providence, Sept. 26
The Spartans opened a 17-0 third-quarter lead and held on for the road win.
Previous ranking: 15
Last week: Lost to Maine South 41-21
Up next: vs. Palatine, Sept. 27
Luke Tepas threw for 295 yards, including a 61-yarder to Vince Cook, to lead the Broncos.
Previous ranking: 16
Last week: Def. Palatine 28-7
Up next: at Glenbrook North, Sept. 26
Andrew Bonvechio threw a pair of touchdown passes for the Titans.
Previous ranking: 17
Last week: Def. Leyden 56-0
Up next: vs. Oak Park-River Forest, Sept. 26
Dom Alfano was a perfect 9-of-9 passing for 186 yards and three touchdowns .
Preseason ranking: 20
Last week: Def. Fenwick 31-29
Up next: at Marmion, Sept. 26
Israel Abrams was 15-of-19 passing for 163 yards and two touchdowns as the Broncos held on for the win.
Previous ranking: 19
Last week: Lost to Montini 31-29
Up next: at De La Salle, Sept. 26
Jamen Williams threw for 328 yards and three touchdowns for the Friars.
Previous ranking: 22
Last week: Def. Plainfield South 33-7
Up next: vs. Yorkville, Sept. 26
Mariano Velasco had a pick-six and a receiving touchdown for the Panthers.
Previous ranking: 23
Last week: Def. Wheaton North 34-12
Up next: vs. Batavia, Sept. 26
JT Padron threw for 326 yards and three touchdowns for the North Stars.
Previous ranking: 25
Last week: Def. Lyons 29-26
Up next: at Downers Grove South, Sept. 26
Two-way standout Riley Contreras passed for 209 yards and two TDs, and also ran for 43 yards and a touchdown for the Red Devils.
Previous ranking: 24
Last week: Lost to Hinsdale Central 29-26
Up next: at Glenbard West, Sept. 26
EJ Kuhlman ran for 156 yards and two TDs for the Lions, while Jack Slightom threw for 254 yards and a score.
Previous ranking: 21
Last week: Lost to St. Francis 17-10
Up next: at Notre Dame, Sept. 26
Quarterback Stephen Armbruster returned and passed for 93 yards, while Jack Schapendonk had 10 tackles, including three for loss, for the Mustangs.
Previous ranking: Not ranked
Last week: Def. Lincoln-Way Central 17-12
Up next: at Waubonsie Valley, Sept. 26
Zach Hermanson kicked a program-record 52-yard field goal for the Warriors.
Illinois
Advocates, opponents seek to sway Gov. JB Pritzker on medical aid in dying legislation passed by Illinois General Assembly
Illinois could soon join a growing list of states where terminally ill patients would be allowed to take life-ending medication prescribed by a doctor.
The Illinois Senate narrowly approved the “medical aid in dying” legislation in October, after the Illinois House passed it in May, and the legislation is now sitting on Gov. JB Pritzker’s desk.
Pritzker has not said if he’ll sign it, and the controversial legislation has people on both sides trying to bend the governor’s ear.
Medical aid in dying, also called assisted suicide or dying with dignity, is legal in 12 states, with eight others considering similar legislation.
If Pritzker allows the “End-of-Life Options for Terminally Ill Patients Act” passed by the Illinois General Assembly to become law, Illinois could be the first state in the Midwest to allow medical aid in dying.
Suzy Flack, whose son Andrew died of cancer, is among the advocates urging the governor to sign the bill.
Diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2017 in his home state of Illinois, three years later Andrew moved to California, where medical aid in dying is legal, and chose to end his life in 2022.
“He died on his own terms, peacefully. We were all there to see it and embrace him at that moment, and it was really a beautiful thing,” Suzy said. “His last words were, ‘I’m happy. Please sign this. Allow people in Illinois this option.’”
Illinois is on the brink of joining a growing number of states that allow doctors to prescribe a mixture of lethal medication for terminally ill patients.
Outside the governor’s Chicago office on Thursday, many disability advocates, religious leaders, lawmakers, and doctors have called on Pritzker to veto the bill that would legalize what they call state-sanctioned suicide
“The question becomes where do you draw the line in the medical ethics dilemmas?” one physician who identified himself as Dr. Pete said. “We don’t need to go to this crossing of a red line of actually providing a means to directly end life.”
Republican Illinois state Sen. Chris Balkema said he “would really appreciate it if the governor would veto this bill.”
“My plea is that we veto this; come back with language that is constructive on both sides,” he said.
Pritzker has he is reviewing the legislation and is listening to advocates on both sides before deciding whether to sign it.
“It’s a hard issue, and I don’t want anybody to think making up your mind about this is very easy. It’s not. There’s a lot to consider, but most of all it’s about compassion,” he said. “There’s evidence and information on both sides that leads me to think seriously about what direction to go.”
The Illinois legislation would require two doctors to determine that a patient has a terminal disease and will die within six months. The medication provided to terminally ill patients would need to be requested both orally and in written form, and would have to be self-administered.
The bill was sent to Pritzker on Nov. 25, and he has 60 days from then to either sign it, amend it and send it back to lawmakers, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.
Snow is making a comeback in Central Illinois.
IPM meteorologist Andrew Pritchard said A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for Champaign County and surrounding portions of east-central Illinois beginning Thursday at 3:00 p.m. to Friday at 6:00 a.m.
Snow will spread into Champaign-Urbana between 3-6 PM late this afternoon into the evening with periods of moderate to heavy snowfall continuing overnight. Snow should taper off around sunrise on Friday morning, with around 2-4″ of new snow accumulation expected across Champaign County.
Winds will blow out of the east around 5-10 mph, with minimal impacts from blowing & drifting snow. Still, snow accumulation on roadways could lead to hazardous travel conditions overnight into the Friday morning commute.
On Saturday, the National Weather Service in Central Illinois forecasted for snow to return on Saturday afternoon. The chance of precipitation is 80%. New snow accumulation of 2 to 4 inches possible. Temperatures will drop below zero across much of central Illinois both Saturday night and Sunday night with resulting wind chill values as cold as 15 to 30 below zero.
RIVERWOODS, Ill. (WLS) — A woman is facing charges five years after the discovery of a dead newborn in the north suburbs.
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Riverwoods, Illinois police say Natalie Schram gave birth to the baby in May 2020 and then dumped the baby’s body in a wooded area in the 1800 block of Robinwood Lane.
Schram was arrested earlier this month in Washington State and has now bee charged in connection to the crime, police said.
SEE ALSO | 2 charged after infant’s remains found buried at Wilmington home, Will County sheriff says
The suspect is expected to appear in a Lake County, Illinois courtroom on Thursday.
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