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Week 7 · October 3, 2026

Week 7 Illinois Small-School Football Digest

Week 7 Digest: IHSA Small-School Football (2026-27)

This Week 7 digest reflects the IHSA rankings poll published on October 2, 2026, along with posted scores and scheduled games through the weekend of October 2-3. The data below covers the 1A, 2A, and 3A classes, highlighting current standings, recent results, and upcoming matchups.

Class 1A

Rankings (per IHSA rankings poll)

  • 1. Mt. Sterling (Brown County) (7-0): Maintained the top spot with 130 points and 13 first-place votes.
  • 2. Hardin (Calhoun) (6-0): Holds second with 114 points.
  • 3. Lena (L.-Winslow) (4-3): Remains third with 94 points despite a recent loss.
  • 4. Heyworth (7-0): Moved up from fifth to fourth with 84 points.
  • 5. Stockton (6-1): Dropped from sixth to fifth with 75 points.
  • 6. Camp Point (Central) (5-1): Slid from fourth to sixth with 72 points.
  • 7. Arthur (A.-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond) (6-1): Rose from eighth to seventh with 65 points.
  • 8. Forreston (6-1): Climbed from ninth to eighth with 37 points.
  • 9. Dwight (5-2): Holds ninth with 10 points.
  • 10. Tuscola (5-1): Dropped from seventh to tenth with 9 points.

Results Highlights

  • Mt. Sterling extended their winning streak with a 67-0 victory over Beardstown.
  • Heyworth defeated Dwight 41-14, while Stockton beat Lena 28-14.
  • Forreston won 34-14 against Fulton, whereas Camp Point lost 27-30 to Brown County.
  • Arthur fell 16-31 to Oakwood, and Tuscola lost 19-48 to Tri-Valley.

Class 2A

Rankings (per IHSA rankings poll)

  • 1. Wilmington (7-0): Leads the class with 126 points and 9 first-place votes.
  • 2. El Paso (Gridley) (7-0): Second with 116 points and 3 first-place votes.
  • 3. Maroa (M.-Forsyth) (6-0): Third with 106 points and 1 first-place vote.
  • 4. Port Byron (Riverdale) (6-0): Holds fourth with 88 points.
  • 5. Downs (Tri-Valley) (6-1): Remains fifth with 75 points.
  • 6. Johnston City (7-0): Holds sixth with 63 points.
  • 7. Aurora (Christian) (5-1): Seventh with 39 points.
  • 8. West Frankfort (Frankfort) (6-1): Rose from ninth to eighth with 38 points.
  • 9. Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) (6-1): Dropped from tenth to ninth with 37 points.
  • 10. Westville (5-2): Enters the poll at number 10 with 15 points.

Results Highlights

  • Wilmington won 49-6 at Streator, while El Paso defeated Central A & M 42-7.
  • Maroa crushed Riverton 65-6, and Port Byron beat Mercer County 40-7.
  • Downs won 41-0 against Ridgeview-Lexington, and Johnston City defeated Hamilton County 38-12.
  • West Frankfort lost 28-36 to Benton, while Taylor Ridge won 34-0 at Orion.

Class 3A

Rankings (per IHSA rankings poll)

  • 1. Elmhurst (IC Catholic) (7-0): Leads with 123 points and 7 first-place votes.
  • 2. Byron (6-0): Second with 122 points and 6 first-place votes.
  • 3. St. Joseph (Ogden) (7-0): Third with 104 points.
  • 4. Richmond (R.-Burton) (7-0): Holds fourth with 93 points.
  • 5. Pecatonica (6-0): Rose from sixth to fifth with 66 points.
  • 6. Kankakee (McNamara) (6-1): Dropped from seventh to sixth with 60 points.
  • 7. Stanford (Olympia) (6-1): Enters the poll at number 7 with 50 points.
  • 8. Hillsboro (7-0): Climbed from tenth to eighth with 32 points.
  • 9. Mt. Carmel (7-0): Enters the poll at number 9 with 23 points.
  • 10. Monticello (5-2): Dropped from eighth to tenth with 20 points.

Results Highlights

  • Elmhurst won 42-13 at Benet, and Byron defeated Winnebago 68-8.
  • St. Joseph beat Bloomington Central Catholic 54-42, while Richmond won 55-6 at Harvard.
  • Pecatonica won 53-0 at Rockford Lutheran, and Kankakee defeated Wheaton Academy 34-28.
  • Stanford won 56-0 against New Berlin, and Hillsboro beat Lincoln 49-7.

Storylines to Watch

  • 1A Title Race: Mt. Sterling (7-0) and Hardin (6-0) are separated by just 16 points in the rankings. Heyworth (7-0) is also undefeated and has moved up to fourth, signaling a competitive top tier in the class.
  • 2A Unbeaten Contenders: Wilmington, El Paso, Maroa, and Johnston City are all undefeated. Wilmington leads the poll, but El Paso and Maroa are close behind, with Johnston City holding a perfect record despite sitting at number six.
  • 3A Close Race at the Top: Elmhurst and Byron are nearly tied in points (123 vs. 122) and first-place votes (7 vs. 6). St. Joseph (7-0) and Richmond (7-0) round out the top four, all with strong recent performances.
  • Upcoming Matchups:
    • 1A: Carrollton plays Hardin on Oct 3; Fisher plays Nokomis on Oct 3.
    • 2A: Toledo plays Niantic on Oct 3; Sterling plays Port Byron on Oct 3.
    • 3A: Several top-ranked teams have games scheduled for Oct 3, including Toledo at Niantic (2A) and Sterling at Port Byron (2A), though specific 3A games for Oct 3 are not fully detailed in the provided scores list beyond the scheduled entries.

Past Digests