Player of the Week: Rashaan Palmer powers Simeon to shootout win over Lincoln-Way West

Simeon coach Dante Culbreath said he hopes opposing teams keep sleeping on receiver Rashaan Palmer this postseason, but based on the way he’s playing, that won’t be easy. The 6-foot-4 wideout delivered several huge plays for the Wolverines in a 48-35 win over Lincoln-Way West last Saturday in the Class 7A playoffs to earn Player of the Week honors.

Phillips’ Jahleel Billingsley, Nazareth’s Michael Love and Naperville Central’s Payton Thorne finish as the runner-ups this week.

Palmer, a playmaker who’s garnered college interest from Southeastern Missouri, Northern Iowa and Western Illinois, went off against Lincoln-Way West for 142 receiving yards and three touchdowns. His biggest play of the game was a 70-yard score, but a leaping catch from six yards out in the first quarter may have been more impressive.

“He has been doing this all year,” Culbreath said after the game. “He’s so underrated it is unbelievable. I haven’t seen anything like it in the state of Illinois. I want people to keep sleeping. Well, I don’t want the colleges to keep sleeping but the other teams can.”

Next up for Simeon, the No. 1 seed in the Class 7A, is a tough quarterfinal matchup against Nazareth at Gately Stadium. The winner of that game will face the winner of Batavia-Willowbrook in the semifinals.

More Sun-Times High School Sports stories:

• PLAYOFF BRACKETS, SCORES: all eight classes
• Simeon beats Lincoln-Way West in high scoring battle
• Powerful ground game leads Marist past Naperville Central
• Jahleel Billingsley uses size to his advantage to help Phillips beat Prairie Ridge