Sun-Times expands Super 25: Every high school in Illinois eligible for football, basketball rankings

The actual, physical newspaper was a vital part of my life for as long as I can remember. Chicago newspapers arrived in the morning, and the Joliet Herald-News arrived in the afternoon.

My mother read them every morning, and I followed suit as soon as I could. My first newspaper-related goal was to become the neighborhood paper boy. As with everything in the newspaper industry, getting that job was not straightforward. It required several years of buddying up to the older kid who held the gig. I filled in for him whenever he couldn’t work and helped on busy days with extra advertising flyers. When he finally turned 16 and moved on to a better-paying job, that canvas Herald-News bag was mine.

It took many more years (of similar politicking and underpaid work) to become the boys' basketball beat reporter at the Sun-Times and get the honor of selecting the Super 25 rankings. For me, it is an honor, not just a job. The Sun-Times has nearly 80 years of history covering high school sports. It’s fulfilling to know that your work matters to people, and my email inbox after the rankings are released proves that every week.

When I sit down on Sunday morning to begin work on the football or basketball Super 25, it’s extremely serious and important to me—every decision matters. High school sports fans can sniff out a fraud. For the past 25 years, I’ve spent my falls and winters driving all over the area to see as many teams as possible so my opinions are informed, not wild guesses.

For the entire history of the Sun-Times, the Super 25 rankings consisted of teams in the print newspaper coverage area. That means places where the physical paper can be delivered. These days, that roughly means west to Plano, south to Kankakee, and north to the state line.

But the print newspaper isn’t what matters anymore, and it hasn’t been for a while. The Super 25 reaches readers all over the state on the website. Nearly every week, a reader in East St. Louis, Peoria, or another Illinois city reaches out and asks why their high school isn’t included in the Super 25.

That’s been on my mind for several years. After talking with Chris De Luca, the Sun-Times Sports Editor, we’ve decided to open up the Super 25 to the entire state. All 802 high schools in Illinois are now eligible for the Sun-Times’ new statewide Super 25 rankings. That’s double the number of schools currently in the Sun-Times’ print coverage area.

The change will begin this basketball season. Respected industry veteran Mike Clark will handle our girls basketball rankings this season, and I’ll do the boys rankings once again.

Allen Cunningham/For the Sun-Times

Expect to see East St. Louis in the preseason boys basketball rankings. I’ll be traveling outside of the Chicago area to cover some games this season, but luckily most of the top basketball teams from around the state regularly play games in the Chicago area these days.

Please be patient as we work things out. This will be a learning experience.

I’ve been watching high school basketball in Chicago since I was 13 years old and understand the rivalries and traditions. I’ve covered central and southern Illinois teams at the state finals and the Pontiac Holiday Tournament for decades. Still, I don't have deep knowledge of the Big Twelve or the Southwestern Conference. But I’m excited to learn and look forward to new (to me) gyms and all the new coaches, fans, and players I'll meet across the state.

Coaches, please email me your team information. Fans, keep me updated and tell me what games I should cover. I appreciate all the feedback. And always reach out when I have a ranking dead wrong.

Thanks for reading.