Week 5 Illinois Small-School Football Digest
Week 5 Digest: IHSA Small-School Football
The 2026-27 season is in its fifth week, with rankings and scores posted by the IHSA on September 17, 2026. This digest covers the current standings and recent results for Classes 1A, 2A, and 3A.
Class 1A
Mt. Sterling (Brown County) holds the top spot in the 1A rankings, having secured 11 first-place votes in the Illinois Media poll. The team is 5-0 on the season, most recently defeating Concord (Triopia) 66-10. Hardin (Calhoun) sits at No. 2 with a 5-0 record, following a 56-6 victory over Winchester (West Central).
Lena (L.-Winslow) remains at No. 3 despite a 3-2 record, earning three first-place votes after a 46-7 win at Morrison. Camp Point (Central) and Heyworth are tied for the next spots at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, both holding 5-0 records. Stockton (Stockton) climbed from No. 7 to No. 6 with a 44-14 win at Fulton, while Tuscola (Tuscola) jumped from No. 9 to No. 7 after a 48-0 shutout of Deer Creek-Mackinaw.
New to the top 10 are Dwight (Dwight) at No. 9 and Forreston (Forreston) at No. 10. Dwight is 4-1 after a 28-18 win over Seneca, and Forreston is also 4-1 following a 40-20 victory at Eastland-Pearl City.
Class 2A
Wilmington (Wilmington) leads the 2A rankings with 14 first-place votes, maintaining a 5-0 record after a 30-13 win at Manteno. El Paso (Gridley) is No. 2 with one first-place vote and a 5-0 record, having beaten Tri-Valley 28-7. Maroa (M.-Forsyth) holds the No. 3 spot with one first-place vote and a 5-0 record, following a 63-14 win at PORTA.
Downs (Tri-Valley) remains at No. 4 but is now 4-1 after a 7-28 loss to El Paso-Gridley. Aurora (Christian) is No. 5 (4-1) and Taylor Ridge (Rockridge) is No. 6 (4-1), both suffering losses this week. Port Byron (Riverdale) is No. 7 with a 5-0 record, having defeated Rockridge 26-7. Johnston City (Johnston City) moved up from No. 10 to No. 8 with a 5-0 record, while Decatur (St. Teresa) is No. 9 (3-2) and Erie (Erie) is No. 10 (5-0).
Class 3A
Byron (Byron) and Elmhurst (IC Catholic) are tied for the No. 1 spot in the 3A rankings, both holding 5-0 records and 123 points. Byron received six first-place votes and Elmhurst received seven. Byron’s last result was a 48-0 win over Stillman Valley, while Elmhurst defeated Leo 40-0.
St. Joseph (Ogden) is No. 3 (5-0) after a 68-8 win over Rantoul, and Richmond (R.-Burton) is No. 4 (5-0) following a 49-7 victory over Plano. Monticello (Monticello) is No. 5 (4-1) after a 20-33 loss at Bloomington Central Catholic. Williamsville (Williamsville) is No. 6 (5-0), Pecatonica (Pecatonica) is No. 7 (5-0), and Kankakee (McNamara) is No. 8 (4-1). Benton (Benton) and Hillsboro (Hillsboro) round out the top 10 at No. 9 and No. 10, both with 5-0 records.
Storylines to Watch
- 1A Top of the Table: Mt. Sterling and Hardin are both 5-0 and separated by only 14 points in the rankings. A potential matchup between these two could be a defining moment for the 1A title race.
- 2A Upset Alert: Downs (Tri-Valley), ranked No. 4, lost to No. 2 El Paso (Gridley) 7-28. This result may impact the stability of the top of the 2A standings.
- 3A Tie at the Top: Byron and Elmhurst are tied for first place in 3A. Byron has more first-place votes (6 vs. 7 for Elmhurst, though the poll lists Byron with 6 and Elmhurst with 7, making Elmhurst the slight favorite in head-to-head voting despite the tie in points). Both teams are 5-0 and will be looking to break the tie in upcoming weeks.