Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football…

Michael O’Brien’s Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 2

Loyola’s Pan Mihalopoulos (72) celebrates after the Ramblers score a touchdown against St. Xavier. (Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times)

The opening week is in the books and there was only really one difficult decision to make. Should Loyola be No. 1?

I had the rankings all set to go when I headed to Wilmette this morning to see the Ramblers against Cincinnati St. Xavier.

Loyola dominated. The Ramblers were rock solid and imposing on defense and their passing attack was incredibly precise for the first game of the season. And then the running game produced some highlight breakaways. It was something.

Loyola looked better than Mount Carmel. But it is only one game and I’m not sold on that Cincinnati team. So for now the Caravan sticks in the top spot. The Ramblers were bumped up to No. 2.

St. Ignatius, Willowbrook and Hinsdale Central all drop out after losing. The Wolfpack lost 19-14 to St. Patrick. That’s a really great first win for Luke Mertens, the Shamrocks new coach. It sets up an incredibly fun Week 2 matchup against rival Notre Dame, which blanked Willowbrook 28-0.

The Dons are a team that I seriously considered ranking in the preseason. I saw them late in the season last year and knew they would be worth keeping an eye on this season. The same with Nazareth, which joins the Super 25 after beating Kankakee 2-0 in LaGrange Park.

There still isn’t a Public League team in the Super 25 but two teams are very close.

Simeon was impressive against Wheaton-Warrenville South on Saturday at Gately and easily could have slid in to one of the bottom slots. Morgan Park beat Richards 30-2.

Week 2’s Super 25
With record and last week’s ranking

1. Mount Carmel (1-0) 1
Saturday vs. Phillips at Gately

2. Loyola (1-0) 3
Saturday vs. United

3. Lincoln-Way East (1-0) 2
Friday vs. No. 4 Batavia

4. Batavia (1-0) 4
Friday at No. 3 Lincoln-Way East

5. Bolingbrook (1-0) 5
Saturday vs. Simeon at Gately

6. Glenbard West (1-0) 7
Friday vs. Downers Grove South

7. Warren (1-0) 9
Friday at No. 9 Maine South

8. Neuqua Valley (1-0) 11
Friday vs. Wheaton-Warrenville South

9. Maine South (1-0) 13
Friday vs. No. 7 Warren

10. Prairie Ridge (1-0) 8
Friday at Burlington Central

11. Marist (0-1) 12
Friday at Richards