Here is the 2025 Suburban Life All-Area football team.

Montini junior quarterback Israel Abrams, who threw for over 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns in leading the Broncos to a 14-0 season and second straight state championship, is the Suburban Life Player of the Year.

Pat New, a Benet alum who won 92 games and made 10 IHSA playoff appearances as the school's head football coach, is retiring after 16 seasons. "It was difficult at first... but I knew that I made the right decision.”

Proposal 19 is on the ballot with a submission that proposes that the playoff field be expanded by 16 teams in each classification with a total of 384 teams qualifying for the postseason. Steve Soucie's uses 2025 data to project what the format could look like.

The CCL/ESCC announced its new alignment for the 2026 and 2027 seasons with many of the league's 24 teams finding themselves in different division than before.

Mount Carmel finished the same place it started the season in the No. 1 spot of the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings. Check out the final rankings here.

St. Francis senior Zach Washington, an All-CCL/ESCC honoree who helped the Spartans win their first IHSA state football championship since 2008, has signed to continue his career at Michigan State. "I think I can grab any 50-50 ball that I get my hands on."

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they recap the Illinois high school football state championship games for Class 8A-5A

The Oswego football team played Mount Carmel Saturday to decide the IHSA Class 8A state championship in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Kameron McGee recorded 4 TFLs and 2 sacks, Brayden Parks had 3.5 TFLs and Javeyon Lockett totaled 10 tackles as Brother Rice shut out St. Rita 16-0 to win the IHSA 7A state football championship at NIU on Wednesday. McGee: "I think we have the best defense in the country."

The Brother Rice and St. Rita football teams played Wednesday in the IHSA Class 7A State Championship game in Huskie Stadium at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Willowbrook senior Marli Smrz, who threw for over 3,600 yards and 72 touchdowns in leading the Warriors to a 22-1 record and third place in the state, is the Suburban Life girls flag football Player of the Year. Read more about her in this Q&A interview.

Fenwick defeated East St. Louis 38-28 on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

Fenwick took advantage of nearly every opportunity sent its way on Tuesday night and despite losing nearly every statistical category, they won the stat that mattered in a 38-28 win over East St. Louis in the Class 6A title game.

Wheaton St. Francis defeated Providence Catholic 39-35 to win the Class 5A State championship on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025 in Hancock Stadium at Illinois State University in Normal.

St. Francis senior quarterback Brock Phillip took in a 1-yard touchdown run on fourth and goal with 11 seconds left, as the Spartans rallied past Providence 39-35 in Tuesday's Class 5A championship game at Illinois State in the first-ever IHSA game played in December.

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Souce as they break down the Class 4A-1A Illinois high school football state title games, talk about the weather postponements, and preview the Class 8A-5A state title games

Ending yet another wrestling campaign by claiming plenty of silverware in both individual and team events, IC Catholic Prep and Montini are both well stocked in advance of what each club hopes to be a sensational 2025-2026 season.

Miss out on any of the high school football action in northern Illinois? Listen to the audio versions of our stories from the Class 4A-1A state title games of the 2025 IHSA playoffs

The Class 7A/8A state football title games have been rescheduled for Wednesday afternoon and evening at Northern Illinois University

Israel Abrams threw four touchdown passes, two on long ones to Luca Florio, and Montini beat Rochester 47-33 in the Class 4A state final for its second straight state title, eighth overall, and completed the program's second undefeated season with its 24th straight win.

Dario Milivojevic has not been afraid to do anything for St. Francis. And with one win separating the team from a state title, he's ready to do it one last time.

Montini's Angelo DeSensi grew up on the Chicago Bulls, and once had NBA dreams. Now the 6-foot-5, 280-pound senior left tackle and ace student is the anchor of the unbeaten Broncos' offensive line as they go for the program's eighth state title Friday night.

It's not surprise to see East St. Louis in the state title game and most expected a CCL/ESCC team to be battling them. There is one, but it probably isn't the team most though it would be. Steve Soucie previews Saturday's Class 6A title game.

The two remaining undefeated CCL/ESCC programs, Mount Carmel and Montini, will look to complete their perfect seasons during the IHSA state championship games this weekend. Montini will face Rochester in 4A on Friday night. Mount Carmel will battle Oswego in 8A on Saturday.

Join hosts Steve Soucie, Russ Hodges and Josh Welge as they preview the Illinois high school football state championship games

A rare regular season rematch in the state title game has emerged here as St. Francis will challenge Providence once again after the Spartans beat the Celtics in Week 5. Steve Soucie previews Saturday's Class 5A title game.

Join hosts Joel Boenitz and Josh Welge as they preview the Illinois high school football state title games for the west suburban schools

Having faced off in the regular season, St. Rita and Brother Rice are set to battle in a rematch for the IHSA 7A state championship. Providence and St. Francis, who played each other in the regular season, are also set for a rematch in the 5A state championship.

The top three teams in the Friday Night Drive Power Rankings held strong in the semifinal round, but that's where the stability ended. Check out the new rankings here.

Join hosts Matt Rodewald and Steve Soucie as they break down what we saw in the Illinois high school football playoff semifinals, talk about Mt. Carmel coach Jordan Lynch's recent comments, and look ahead to the state title games

Getting a strong sense of deja vu when looking at the lineup of state championships? That's understandable considering the group has collectively made 115 title game appearances previously. Steve Soucie takes a look at what we learned in Week 13.

Miss out on any of the high school football action in northern Illinois? Listen to the audio versions of our stories from the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA playoffs here

Brother Rice QB C.J. Gray ran for four of the Crusaders six rushing touchdowns in a 45-17 win over Downers Grove North in a Class 7A semifinal Saturday.

Here are the championship game pairings for the 2025 IHSA playoffs.

Luca Florio had a 93-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 53-yard TD reception to help lead Montini to the Class 4A state title game with a 47-27 win over Morris

Dario Milivojevic, Tanner Glock and St. Francis forced five Belvidere North turnovers to earn a spot in the Class 5A state championship game against Providence Catholic. The Spartans had lost in the semifinal round the last three years.

The Montini football team hosted Morris Saturday afternoon in an IHSA state football semifinal matchup.

The Batavia and St. Rita football teams met Saturday with a trip downstate on the line.

Nazareth hosted Fenwick Saturday for an IHSA state football semifinal matchup.

Loyola's 6-foot-8 offensive tackle Tommy Fraumann, a Michigan legacy, has committed to play football for the Wolverines next year. Fraumann, whose Michigan roots run back multiple generations, helped the Ramblers win an IHSA 8A state title last season.

Brother Rice is the only top seed remaining in the Class 7A field. Will the Crusaders keep rolling or can one of the upstarts pull the upset? Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 7A Playoffs.

Benet has hired former New England Patriots running back and three-time Super Bowl champion James White to be its next head football coach. White replaces Pat New, who's retiring after over a decade as head coach of the Redwings.

East St. Louis continues to power its way through the bracket. But three different CCL/ESCC teams hope to take them down. Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 6A Playoffs.

The Class 5A bracket certainly has some unexpected teams still alive in the draw. Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinals of the 2025 IHSA Class 5A Playoffs.

St. Rita took a high-scoring battle with Hersey, St. Laurence will meet East St. Louis in the 6A semifinals and St. Francis is semifinal-bound for the fourth straight year. IC Catholic Prep's season concluded with a 3A quarterfinal loss to unbeaten Byron.

Powerhouses remain prominent in Class 4A, with three of the four teams no stranger to deep playoff advancements. Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 4A Playoffs.

Here are previews and picks for semifinal games for teams in the Suburban Life coverage area.

Join hosts Steve Soucie and Josh Welge as they preview the semifinal round of the Illinois high school football playoffs

Two middle classification powers lock horns in one side of the bracket while two long time rivals battle on the other. Steve Soucie breaks down the semifinal round of the 2025 IHSA Class 3A Playoffs.