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Darren Sunkett led his team, the East St. Louis Flyers, to a decisive 34-7 victory in their home season opener, defeating the two-time defending 8A state champion Loyola Academy Ramblers from Wilmette.

Head Coach Chuck Spagnoli led the Lake Forest Scouts to a 24-14 upset win in a home non-conference game against the Carmel Corsairs from Mundelein.

Head Coach Mark Farrell led the Fenton Bison to a 54-36 victory in an away conference matchup against the Elmwood Park Tigers. The win keeps the Bison undefeated with a perfect 3-0 start to the season, their best since 2014.

Head Coach Tim Heyse led the Hoffman Estates Hawks to a commanding 56-21 victory in an away matchup against the Vernon Hills Cougars from Vernon Hills. This win keeps the Hawks undefeated with a perfect 4-0 start to the season, their best since 2018.

Head Coach Nathan Eimer led the West Aurora Blackhawks to a commanding 62-7 victory in an away matchup against the Bartlett Hawks of Bartlett. This victory keeps the Blackhawks undefeated with a 5-0 overall record and 3-0 in UpState 8 conference. Over the season's five games, they've dominated their opponents with an outstanding 266-34-point differential, including two shutouts.

On Oct. 4, Head Coach Lou Sponsel led the Fremd Vikings to a historic 56-35 upset victory over the previously unbeaten Barrington Broncos, ranked second overall in IHSA Class 8A. After two difficult seasons with a 1-8 record, Sponsel has revitalized the program, guiding them to their first playoff appearance since 2019. Under Sponsel's leadership, Fremd is averaging 44 points per game while allowing only 13, demonstrating the effectiveness of his coaching strategies on both sides of the field. A Fremd graduate and former all-state linebacker, Sponsel played on the school's first state playoff team in 1995 under then-coach Mike Donatucci. Sponsel later replaced Donatucci in 2012 as head coach after his 19-year tenure, bringing a deep understanding of Fremd's football tradition.

On Oct. 11, Head Coach Thomas (Tom) Hart led the Joliet Central Steelmen to a historic 37-17 win over the Plainfield Central Wildcats. This victory snaps the Steelmen's 36-game losing streak and marks Coach Hart's first win during his tenure as head coach. After struggling to find their offensive rhythm this season, Coach Hart's team came out electrified, scoring 37 points— their highest output since 2016. The elation surrounding this win, the team's first in nearly five years, was deserved; not a single player on the Joliet Central team had experienced a Varsity win for the program before this night.

This past week, Coach Carlton Rosemond led the Evanston Wildkits to an extraordinary playoff run, securing their spot in the state quarterfinals with a series of upset victories. After losing to Maine South High School and Glenbrook South High School twice during the regular season, the 8th-seeded Wildkits regrouped and came back stronger, avenging those losses with a 20-8 victory over Maine South and a 14-0 shutout against Glenbrook South. They went on to defeat the number one seed, Taft High School, 14-12, securing their spot in the state quarterfinals. These wins propelled the Wildkits to their first-ever IHSA Sectional Championship.

On Friday night, Oct. 25, Head Coach Daniel Finger led the Whitney Young Dolphins to a decisive 28-7 victory over the Taft Eagles, clinching the 2024 CPL Regular Season title with an undefeated record. This win also placed the Dolphins at the top of the competitive Chicago Public Red Conference and earned them the top seed in the IHSA Class 7A state playoffs. Throughout the game, Finger strategically guided standout players quarterback Von Konrad and team captain, running back Luke Yolich. Konrad threw two passing touchdowns, while Yolich, who is also a recipient of this year's Chicago Bears High School Latino Youth Leadership Award, added two rushing touchdowns to seal the victory.

Junior running back Aaron Stewart led the Warren Township Blue Devils to a hard-fought 55-26 non-conference victory over the Hersey Huskies from Arlington Heights. Stewart rushed for 361 yards on 30 carries and scored five touchdowns, including an 83-yard touchdown run.

Junior free safety and tight end Aidan McClure played a key role in leading the St. Charles North Stars to an impressive 50-26 non-conference victory over the Crete-Monee Warriors from Crete. McClure had an exceptional defensive performance, returning an interception for a 45-yard touchdown, recovering two fumbles and blocking a punt. In addition to his individual stats, he contributed to a team defensive effort that forced six turnovers and limited the Warriors to just 116 yards of total offense and eight first downs.

Senior running back Kaedon Phillips played a key role in leading the Sterling Golden Warriors to a narrow 27-26 home conference victory over the East Moline United Panthers from East Moline. The win propelled the Golden Warriors to first place in the Western Big 6 Conference. Throughout the game, the Golden Warriors struggled to take the lead until Phillips stepped up with game-changing plays.

Senior quarterback Bradyn Little delivered a standout performance, leading the Quincy Blue Devils to a dominant 43-21 road victory over the Moline Maroons from Moline. The victory keeps the Blue Devils undefeated and in first place in the Western Big 6 Conference.

Senior quarterback Quinn Schambow delivered a standout performance, leading the Libertyville Wildcats to a commanding 42-0 victory over the Mundelein Mustangs of Mundelein. Schambow was near-perfect, completing 23 of 24 passes for 322 yards and five touchdowns in just two and a half quarters. With this win, the Wildcats remain undefeated at 5-0 and hold first place in the North Suburban Conference. Schambow's season totals now stand at 1,632 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and just one interception, demonstrating his accuracy and consistency with an impressive 76% completion rate.

On Friday, Oct. 4, junior quarterback Johnny O'Brien played an important role in leading the Fremd Vikings to a victory over the Barrington Broncos, while shattering Fremd High School's passing record with 395 yards. O'Brien's standout performance included five touchdown passes, surpassing the previous record of 377 yards set by current Chicago Cubs outfielder Mike Tauchman in 2008. With this win, the Vikings remain undefeated at 6-0, marking their best start since 2009 and securing a top spot in the Mid-Suburban League.

On Friday, Oct. 11, Myles Mitchell, senior running back for Richards High School, led his team to their fifth straight win, securing a 21-10 victory over Lemont High School. The Richards Bulldogs now stand at 6-1 on the season and remain in first place in the South Suburban Conference with a perfect 4-0 record. This season's success is largely due to Mitchell's impressive run game. In the game against Lemont, the three-year starter and two-year Varsity captain ran for an astounding 233 yards on 25 carries, including a game-changing 91-yard touchdown run. Mitchell's athleticism shines through as he showcases his versatility on both sides of the ball, taking defensive snaps as a linebacker and contributing as a receiver in various offensive sets.

This past Friday night, Oct. 18, senior quarterback Jacob Bell delivered an impressive performance, leading the Naperville North Huskies to a 63-62 double-overtime road victory against the HomewoodFlossmoor Vikings. Trailing by 15 points with under two minutes left in regulation, Bell orchestrated a dramatic comeback that pushed the game into overtime and ultimately secured the win. His outstanding efforts helped the Huskies achieve their sixth victory of the season, making them playoff eligible with a 6-2 record in the highly competitive Southwest Valley Conference. During the game, Bell completed 27 of 39 passes for 330 yards and accounted for nine total touchdowns — seven through the air and two on the ground.

On Friday night, Oct. 25, senior quarterback Frankie Hosty delivered an unforgettable and emotional performance, leading the Fenwick Friars to a 36-12 victory over the Carmel Corsairs. With this win, the Friars clinched the Chicago Catholic League/East Suburban Catholic Conference White Division title and secured a spot in the IHSA Class 7A state playoffs. At the beginning of the season, the Fenwick football team faced questions after narrowly missing the playoffs last year with a 4-5 record. This fall, however, the Friars rallied, driven by the leadership and strong performances of quarterbacks Frankie Hosty and Jamen Williams.

Senior quarterback Oqiria Butler led the Solorio Sun Warriors to a strong start of their season with two victories. They first defeated Hillcrest High School from Country Club Hills 34-14, with Butler rushing for 150 yards, scoring three rushing touchdowns and adding a passing touchdown. In their second game, a 48-20 win over Mansueto High School from Chicago, Butler threw for 203 yards and four passing touchdowns. In total, she combined for five passing and three rushing touchdowns, making her a dynamic dual-threat quarterback.

Junior running back Lily Sarli led the Taft Lady War Eagles to a perfect five-win streak, maintaining their undefeated season. Over the first week of IHSA competition, Sarli totaled 647 rushing yards, seven rushing touchdowns and two receiving touchdowns. She now leads the state in rushing yards, total points and touchdowns, and is the national leader with 749 rushing yards through six games.

Senior running back and defensive back Layah Glover led the Round Lake Panthers to an undefeated 5-0 week, extending their overall season record to an impressive 11-3. As both a key player on offense and defense, and the captain of the Panthers, Glover led the team with 10 touchdowns, 14 flag pulls and four interceptions throughout the week.

Junior quarterback Aribella Spandiary led the Maine South Hawks to a 4-0 record, extending their perfect season to 13-0 overall and 8-0 in conference play. The team is currently ranked first in Illinois and 10th in the country. Over her last four games, Spandiary has thrown for over 900 yards and 12 touchdowns, adding to her season totals of over 3,000 passing yards and 33 touchdowns

Junior running back Myonnia Johnson delivered standout performances for the Prosser Falcons, solidifying her status as a key player. Her contributions led to three straight victories for the Falcons. On Sept. 25, she helped secure a 14-0 shutout against Ogden International High School. Three days later, on Sept. 28, she played a crucial role in back-to-back wins, defeating Comer High School 36-16 and dominating Lincoln Park High School 32-2. In those games, Johnson racked up 110 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just five carries, while adding 90 receiving yards and another touchdown.

Senior quarterback Emily Ovaska led the Lakes Eagles to a perfect 4-0 record, boosting their overall season to an impressive 19-3 and 13-1 in conference, all in the program's inaugural season. On Saturday, Sept. 28, the Eagles defeated Grant Community High School 28-6, with Ovaska throwing for 212 yards and four touchdowns. On Oct. 1, she led the Eagles to an 18-12 victory over Stevenson High School, completing 11 of 15 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown, maintaining a 73% completion rate. The following day, on Oct. 2, the Eagles dominated McHenry High School 28-6, with Ovaska completing 19 of 27 passes for 191 yards and throwing three touchdowns.

This past week marked the first week of the IHSA state playoffs, and senior linebacker Florencia Fabian has led her Lane Tech Champions on an exciting post-season run. As an original member of the 2022 team, Fabian has contributed to the Lane Tech Champions' growth and success. This season, with an impressive 18-4 record, the team has held opponents to under 10 points in all but five games. Fabian's defensive dominance has been pivotal. On the season, she has recorded 68 tackles, 12 sacks, and four interceptions—none bigger than her go-ahead pick-six in the Regional Championship game on October 10.

This past week, junior defensive back Zariah Burnett help lead the Rockford Guilford Vikings to securing their spot in the state quarterfinals. In the sectional semifinals on Oct. 15 against Jacobs High School, Burnett opened the game with a bang, returning an interception for a touchdown on just the second play, ultimately winning 36-6. She went on to record four total interceptions in the game, with three of them returned for touchdowns. The very next day on Oct. 16 against Lakes Community High School, in the sectional final, Burnett delivered another electrifying performance, returning an interception 105 yards for a touchdown, helping the Vikings win the sectional title with a 37-12 score and advance to the state quarterfinals.

On Oct. 19, rusher MacKenzie Drake played a pivotal role in leading the Fremd Vikings to their first girls' flag football state title in IHSA history, securing victory over Guilford High School. During the state championship, MacKenzie delivered an impressive performance, recording three crucial sacks and relentlessly pressuring the opposing quarterback. Her determined defensive efforts were key in limiting Guilford's offensive opportunities, ultimately ending their nearly perfect, undefeated season with their first loss.