Six unbeaten teams remain with two weeks left in the regular season. Sports Editor Matt Daniels unveils our latest area Top 10 before another jam-packed slate kicks off Week 8 on Friday night:
1. St. Joseph-Ogden
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 1
A 59-8 homecoming win against Pontiac this past Friday night at Dick Duval Field has SJ-O feeling good. If the Spartans win at Rantoul this Friday night and top Paxton-Buckley-Loda on Oct. 25, coach Shawn Skinner's program will cap its first undefeated regular season since 2015.
2. ALAH
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 2
Arthur-Lovington-Atwood-Hammond extended its Lincoln Prairie Conference win streak to 21 after a 62-7 home win against Cerro Gordo/Bement. Coach Ryan Jefferson's Knights will vie for the Golden Horseshoe Trophy when they host nearby rival Arcola this Friday.
3. GCMS
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 4
A 43-12 victory at Fieldcrest has coach Chad Augspurger's team in prime position for a Heart of Central Illinois Conference Small showdown at LeRoy this Friday night. GCMS will try to slow down the Panthers' offense as the Falcons play their third straight road game.
4. LeRoy
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 5
Two themes have emerged this season for coach BJ Zeleznik's program. The Panthers will score at least 40 points in a game and limit teams to two touchdowns or fewer. LeRoy is averaging 45.1 points and only allowing an average of seven points before hosting unbeaten GCMS.
5. BHRA
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 6
Since beating Westville 21-20 in Week 2, coach Mark Dodd's program has elevated its game. Bismarck-Henning/Rossville-Alvin has outscored its opponents 255-66 during its last five games before Friday night's home game against Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman.
6. Monticello
➜ Record: 6-1
➜ Previous ranking: No. 7
The Sages didn't let a poor first half amid a 40-28 loss to St. Joseph-Ogden in the season opener derail their season. Far from it. Coach Cully Welter's program has won six straight since, with this past Friday night's 33-0 win against Paxton-Buckley-Loda its most dominant.
7. Sullivan/Okaw Valley
➜ Record: 7-0
➜ Previous ranking: No. 10
The Redskins pulled out a solid 33-20 win at Nokomis this past Friday night to keep up its Lincoln Prairie Conference title hopes. A Week 9 showdown with ALAH is looming, but coach John Bertetto's team must take care of business this Friday night with a road game against Tri-County.
8. Mahomet-Seymour
➜ Record: 5-2
➜ Previous ranking: No. 8
Another year, another Apollo Conference title for the Bulldogs. Coach Jon Adkins' program has now won four straight and will attempt to clinch its fourth consecutive playoff berth when, after three straight road games, M-S returns to host Mattoon this Friday night at Frank Dutton Field.
9. Paxton-Buckley-Loda
➜ Record: 6-1
➜ Previous ranking: No. 3
The Panthers will have to figure out its quarterback situation after injuries to starter Conner Vaughn and backup Christian Lopez in this past Friday night's 33-0 loss at Monticello. Making sure Robert Boyd-Meents is healthy is critical, too, with Unity heading to Ford County this Friday night.
10. Salt Fork
➜ Record: 5-2
➜ Previous ranking: NR
A third straight home game features a tough foe for coach Joe Hageman's program. Nearby rival Oakwood (4-3) pays a visit to Byerly/Hageman Field in Catlin this Friday night. A 48-0 win against Georgetown-Ridge Farm/Chrisman on Saturday ended a two-game skid for the Storm.