CSM Power Rankings, Oct. 12, 2026: Stout trios hold firm heading into Week 9
Trying to make sense of how good high school football teams are early in the season isn’t an easy task.
Over a month ago, and even before the season started, it appeared that Normal Community, Normal West, Morton, El Paso-Gridley, Tri-Valley and Heyworth had the makings of a team that could win a conference title and/or go deep in the playoffs. After eight weeks of games, those teams have lived up to their expectations and proved week by week why they’re the best in the Peoria and Bloomington/Normal area.
Each of those teams held firm in their top few spots in Clutch Sports Media’s weekly football power rankings while subtle shifts occurred in the No. 4 and No. 5 spots in the large school and small school rankings.
Check out how the top football teams in the area stack up and takeaways for all of them in this week’s CSM Power Rankings below. Teams in the Mid-Illini and Big 12 are part of the large school rankings while area schools in any other conference are part of the small school rankings.
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