New Trier football has cracked the top 15 in the state heading into its biggest game in more than a decade.
The Trevians jumped four spots to No. 14 in Michael O'Brien's Super 25 high school football rankings for Week 13, published Nov. 8 in the Chicago Sun-Times. Their IHSA Class 8A quarterfinal opponent, Huntley, rose three spots to No. 17. Both teams were ranked lower the previous week: New Trier at No. 18, Huntley at No. 20.
That makes the quarterfinal a top-20-vs.-top-20 clash, one of the marquee matchups left in the entire 8A bracket.
It is the Trevians' first quarterfinal appearance since 2014. The program's only semifinal under the IHSA came in 1982, when New Trier finished second in Class 6A under coach Eugene "Chick" Cichowski.
Huntley (11-0), the No. 2 seed, rolled past Lane Tech 42-0 in the second round. The Red Raiders have been dominant all season. Entering that Lane Tech game, quarterback Malik Carter had thrown for 2,010 yards and 26 touchdowns with no interceptions, and running back Chase Hojnacki had rushed for 1,335 yards and 26 touchdowns, according to Shaw Local's playoff preview. The team averaged 47.9 points per game and allowed 8.2 through 10 games.
New Trier visits Huntley at 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13. The winner advances to the 8A semifinals, with state championship games set for Nov. 27-28 at Hancock Stadium in Normal.
