Glenbard South ready for challengers
After last season's unbeaten romp it's safe to say Glenbard South is the favorite to win another Metro Suburban West football championship.
Beyond that it's anybody's guess.
The five other MSC West teams all finished with between four and six victories as Riverside-Brookfield and Aurora Central Catholic also qualified for the playoffs. With postseason hopes hanging in the balance every week, expect another conference season filled with parity.
“It's good for the conference to see so many teams so close to one another,” said IC Catholic Prep coach Bill Krefft. “Glenbard South is definitely at the top, but you also have to look at Riverside-Brookfield. They were kind of under the radar last year. I think everyone else is right there.”
Confidence in Glenbard South begins with an offense returning potent talent. Quarterback Kyle Carli threw for 1,227 yards and rushed for 274, and running back Sean Cooke rushed for 600 yards. Six-foot-six tight end Billy Bair holds scholarship offers from Illinois State and others.
Defensively, the Raiders also bring back key returners, including linebackers Dillon Valdez and Ryan Willis, defensive back Jimmy Ebbole and lineman Joharri Weatherspoon.
It's a lineup more than capable of defending the MSC West title under first-year coach Ryan Crissey, who takes the helm from Jeremy Cordell after he left the Raiders for Lincoln-Way Central.
“Every single week we have a target on our back, but that's OK,” said Crissey, a Glenbard South assistant for nine years. “The expectation is that we're going to win the conference title. That's the standard every year.”
Riverside-Brookfield again figures to be among Glenbard South's stiffest competition with the return of quarterback Ryan Swift and linebacker David Pribyl-Pierdinock, both all-MSC picks last year. Aurora Central gets a huge boost to its program with first-year coach John Belskis, a hall-of-famer who guided Downers Grove South to the 2001 Class 8A title.
Three MSC West teams — Wheaton Academy, Fenton and IC Catholic Prep — just missed out on a playoff berth. The Warriors fell short on a tiebreaker despite being 5-4, and Fenton and ICCP finished at 4-5.
All three programs aim to make the playoffs this year, but each recognizes the challenge ahead.
“The conference is going to be the telling factor for us,” said Wheaton Academy coach Brad Thornton. “I see it looking very similar to last year with everyone being competitive again.”
The Warriors return all-MSC quarterback David Thrasher, who piled up an impressive 1,535 passing yards and 17 touchdowns. For all the talent in the MSC West, IC Catholic Prep may have the league's best player in junior running back Jordan Rowell, who last season rushed for 1,522 yards and holds a scholarship offer from Iowa.
Fenton graduated nearly its entire starting lineup, but they do return talented linebacker-running back Eric Lonergan, who rushed for 376 yards and led last year's team with 49 tackles.
They'll all be chasing Glenbard South while keeping a close eye on each other.
“The conference is getting really good, especially compared with what it was a few years ago,” said Fenton coach Mark Kos. “It's going to be another tough season.”
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