1. Mahomet-Seymour

Previous ranking: No. 1

The Bulldogs continue to play tough opponents and continue to show they belong in the conversation of teams hopeful to claim more than just a regional title. After shutting out Urbana and Mattoon, thanks to great play by Lainey Jacobs, Paislee Welge and Erika Johnson in the 13thannual Urbana Invitational, M-S fell 2-0 to Peoria Richwoods in the championship game.

2. Champaign Central

Previous ranking: No. 2

Not a big sample size to pull from last week for the Maroons, but they’ve still shown promise. Rylie Schulze, Chloe Sikora, Caroline Blount and Evie O’Brien led them to a 7-0 Big 12 Conference win against Danville before falling 2-1 to another conference foe in Normal West. Another test in Peoria Richwoods awaits on Tuesday.

3. Centennial

Previous ranking: No. 3

The Chargers’ challenging first half of the schedule continued last week with losses to perennial contenders Normal Community, Peoria Richwoods and Bradley-Bourbonnais. They were able to boost their confidence with an 11-0 win over Peoria before claiming a 5-1 win over Uni High in the Urbana Invitational, in which Payton Kaiser led them to finish in fourth place, and added a 2-0 win against St. Thomas More on Monday.

4. Monticello

Previous ranking: No. 4

Another week like that, and the Sages will almost undoubtedly find themselves higher on this list. Following back-to-back shutout losses to Mt. Zion and Centennial, they ratted off four straight wins, outscoring opponents 18-1. The latest came against Springfield Southeast, in which Elle Bodznick scored two goals and Allison Nebelsick tallied her ninth shutout of the year.

Thanks to an undefeated showing at the Charleston Red and Gold Tournament, which included their second win against St. Thomas More, it’s time to welcome the Vikings to the Top 5. Reese Rundle, Lili Dowers, Lindsey Porter and Esme Sparnicht have been instrumental in leading the Vikings to their seven wins, already one more than they recorded all of last season.

Zach Piatt covers high school sports at The News-Gazette. His email is .