The top-level Catholic League teams have firmly established dominance this season. St. Rita is now ranked No. 3 in the new Super 25, and the top six teams are all Catholic League squads. Loyola is back. That’s based on the Catholic League dominance and the Ramblers’ giving Mount Carmel its closest local challenge.

If anything, Saturday showed how the 'Cats have a long way to go before they can sit atop the conference. But, Saturday proved they have a pathway to get there under David Braun.

Players across Illinois had some of the best performances from the semifinals of the IHSA high school football playoffs.

Surprisingly, the Chicago Bears now have the highest-ranked offensive line in the NFC North. The Detroit Lions dropped another spot to No. 10, while the Vikings moved up two spots from No. 14 to No. 12. The Green Bay Packers moved up one spot as well, from No. 17 to No. 16.

Cats quarterback Preston Stone arrived. In a game that required an offensive outburst to win, Stone put forth a legacy game that delivered Northwestern to bowl eligibility and needed validation.

Aptly named linebacker Battle Gideons, the man in the middle of the defense, is leading the charge for the University of Chicago Maroons as they are poised to play in the postseason for the first time in program history.

It took a walk-off field goal from Michigan kicker Dominic Zvada to get the Wolverines past the Wildcats, 24-22, last Saturday. Wrigley Field, located just 8.4 miles from its usual home stadium at Ryan Field, has been the home for Northwestern game six times before.

It was New Year’s Day in 2018 against South Carolina when the Wolverines last coughed up the football five times, in a sleepy Outback Bowl performance against South Carolina. “And we lost,” Moore said, referencing a 26-19 result in Tampa, Fla., a game in which Michigan totaled just 277 yards of offense.