Going unbeaten hasn't been easy for Downers S.

For the fourth time in 15 years, Downers Grove South enters the football playoffs with an unbeaten record.

The journey, though, was anything but a repeat.

Overcoming key injuries and personnel changes, Downers South earned its first West Suburban Gold title since 2003 and claimed the top seed in the lower bracket of Class 8A.

The Mustangs play No. 16 Homewood-Flossmoor (5-4) tonight in Downers Grove in what will be the first playoff meeting between the programs that have combined for 42 appearances.

"It's amazing to me that we went 9-0 without two of our best kids most of the year," said Mustangs coach John Belskis.

The Mustangs played five games without cornerback-wide receiver Tyler West, a three-year starter, and running back Scottie Williams, an 800-yard rusher last year.

Both sat out the regular-season finale against Leyden, but Belskis is hopeful they'll return against a Vikings team that nearly missed the playoffs after losing three of their last four games.

"They're big, they're fast, they're athletic," Belskis said. "I'm wondering how they lost four games."

Injuries also have hampered the Vikings. Quarterback Dorian Reese missed the early part of the season and wide receiver-cornerback Supo Sanni got dinged up in last week's loss to Andrew.

Sanni is one of the state's top recruits along with fellow receiver-cornerback Russell Ellington, who has committed to Iowa.

Downers South's first-string defense, led by linebacker Jared Culver, appears up to the task after allowing only one touchdown the last five games.

The offense, meanwhile, received a huge boost in the off-season when sophomore quarterback Chandler Whitmer moved in from Georgia. He's thrown for 1,150 yards and 18 touchdowns against only 1 interception.

The emergence of running back Nick Brown, who has 450 rushing yards, helped off-set the loss of Williams.