Lisle in for a fight
For Lisle's conference-title hopes it doesn't matter a whole bunch that the Lions moved to the Interstate Eight Small division from the Large.
What it amounts to is switching from larger schools to a group dominated by two of the top small-school programs in the state - two-time defending Class 3A champ Plano and Wilmington, who beat Lisle by a combined score of 60-7 in 2007 crossover games.
"It's going to be a war either way," said Lisle coach Dan Sanko, who saw a six-year playoff streak snapped. "We're just going to beat the heck out of each other."
Figure Lisle to be ahead of Dwight, the other team that went Large to Small. Low numbers have Westmont at odds and similar problems have plagued Seneca since its last playoff appearance in 2001.
Lisle is hardly flush with players. But the Lions return strength on the offensive and defensive lines, in the defensive secondary and at receiver.
Better still, quarterback John Surber returns a year smarter and stronger, along with 1,000-yard running back Ricardo Lee.
Yet Sanko has few illusions about "loaded" Wilmington and particularly Plano.
"Someone's got to beat them. I pick them to be up there," he said of the Reapers.
Plano, which moves to 4A this season, eked out a 13-8 win over Wilmington last season in a IEC-Small group won by current Large member Coal City.
Coach Jeff Reents' Wilmington Wildcats return all-conference defensive back John Van Duyne, junior quarterback Colin Webb, running back Kyle Scheel and returning back Kyle Scheel. On the sophomore level, they lost only to Plano's sophomores.
Plano's underclassmen allowed 40 points all season, secured running-clock victories in six of nine games, and lost only to Coal City's sophs.
Now juniors, they'll bolster Plano returning backs Kevin Day, Adam Iverson and J.J. Cannon, who gained more than 700 yards in the playoffs as a sophomore call-up. New quarterback, junior Johnny Mendez, provides more of a passing threat.
Reapers coach Jim Green sounded as if there's a hole, it's rebuilding the offensive and defensive lines.
Expectations of excellence should make it a quick fix.
"After last year I wouldn't put it past any of these kids to do it again," Green said. "But it'll be a little tougher because this is going to be a junior-dominated group."
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