How SBLive Illinois' Power 25 teams fared in Week 8: DeKalb stuns No. 5 Neuqua Valley

By Max Baker

Here’s a look at the Week 8 results for the teams in the SBLive Illinois Power 25.

1. East St. Louis (6-2) defeated No. 17 Edwardsville (6-2) 26-7

East St. Louis beat Edwardsville 26-7 to win the Southwestern Conference championship outright. Edwardsville kept the game close, but East St. Louis pulled away late. Robert Battle found Rico Bond for a five yard TD late in the fourth quarter to go ahead by 19.

2. Lincoln-Way East (8-0) defeated No. 24 Lockport (5-3) 37-10

Running back James Kwiecinski ran for 287 yards and 4 TDs as Lincoln-Way East cruised past Lockport. The defense was just as spectacular on a night where Lockport struggled to get anything going offensively.

3. Loyola Academy (7-0) plays St. Patrick (4-3) on Saturday

4. Mount Carmel (8-0) defeated St. Viator (4-4) 70-0

Mount Carmel didn’t get caught looking ahead to its matchup with Loyola next week as the Caravan took care of St. Viator in dominating fashion. Junior running back Darion Dupree had four touchdowns in the win.

5. Neuqua Valley (6-2) lost to DeKalb (5-3) 14-0

Neuqua Valley was stunned for its second loss of the season. The loss was the first in conference play for the Wildcats while DeKalb became playoff eligible for the first time since 2019. DeKalb made life difficult for ​​Ryan Mohler at quarterback. He finished 8 of 29 for 100 yards and two interceptions. Two early scores for DeKalb were the difference as neither team scored in the second half. 

6. Wheaton North (7-1) defeated Geneva (5-3) 20-13

After stepping up with an interception last week, Matt Kuczaj of the Falcons made two key plays again in the win. The junior caught a 64-yard TD pass with 5:06 to go ahead by a touchdown. Later in the game, he had a pass breakup in the end zone to secure the win.

7. Lemont (8-0) defeated Hillcrest (4-4) 42-8

Lemont remained unbeaten with a big win over Hillcrest. They will likely move ahead of Neuqua Valley in the rankings.

8. Sacred Heart-Griffin (8-0) defeated Lanphier (1-7) 66-6

Sacred Heart Griffin clinched a share of the CS8 title with a 60-point win over Lanphier.

9. Simeon (7-0) plays Morgan Park (7-0) on Saturday

10. York (8-0) defeated Willowbrook (4-4) 50-0

York led 28-0 at the half and finished with a 50 point blowout win over Willowbrook.

11. Glenbard West (6-1) plays Lyons (6-1) Saturday

12. Hersey (8-0) defeated Elk Grove (6-2) 42-0

Hersey won a share of the Mid Suburban East title with a 42-0 win over Elk Grove. Senior Brett Kersemeier rushed for a career-high 178 yards and a touchdown.

13. Warren Township (7-1) defeated Lake Forest (2-6) 28-0

Warren pitched a shutout in its win over Lake Forest. Despite leading 7-0 at the half, the Blue Devils continued to play stout defense for the final 30 minutes.

14. Prospect (7-1) defeated Wheeling (3-5) 44-12

15. O’Fallon (7-1) defeated Alton (1-7) 52-0

Colt Michael tossed three touchdown passes and Christopher Caldwell ran for three scores as the Panthers rolled over the Redbirds for their third straight win. 

16. Prairie Ridge (7-1) defeated Crystal Lake South 48-41

Prairie Ridge QB Tyler Vasey threw for 301 yards and five touchdowns in the second half as Prairie Ridge escaped past Crystal Lake South.

17. Edwardsville (6-2) lost to No. 1 East St. Louis (6-2) 26-7

Edwardsville played East St. Louis tougher than any team in Illinois this year. Joey DeMare cut the Flyers lead to 12-7 midway through the third quarter with a TD.

18. Maine South (6-2) defeated Evanston (3-5) 28-7

19. Chicago Marist (4-3) defeated Carmel (5-2) 44-30

20. St. Rita (5-2) defeated Providence Catholic (4-3) 26-16

21. Crete-Monee (5-2) plays Bloom (2-4) Saturday

22. St. Charles North (6-1) defeated Glenbard North (3-4) 14-7

It wasn’t easy, but St. Charles North’s defense kept the North Stars in the ballgame. An Ethan Plumb 65-yard touchdown pass to Zachary Priami helped give St. Charles North the win.

23. South Elgin (8-0) defeated Bartlett (4-4) 53-7

24. Lockport (5-3) lost to No. 2 Lincoln-Way East (8-0) 37-10

Lockport struggled offensively in its 27-point loss to Lincoln-Way East. After defeating Bolingbrook last week, it’s hard to get a good gauge on the ceiling for Lockport.

25. Bolingbrook (5-3) defeated Lincoln-Way Central (3-5) 44-7

Bolingbrook bounced back from a heartbreaking loss to Lockport with a comfortable win. They now have qualified for the playoffs as well.