Lisle faces tough task in IEC

Let's go out on a limb and call Wilmington the favorite to win the Interstate Eight Conference Small Division title.

It's a pretty sturdy limb.

From an 11-1 season in which it qualified for the playoffs a 13th straight year, coach Jeff Reents returns five all-conference players from a group that went through the Small division unbeaten. The Wildcats won 42-13 over 4-1 Plano, the second-place team.

Reents wasn't accepting a coronation just yet.

"We're very fortunate to have a lot of experience back, now we've got to put it together in a tough conference," said Reents, whose sophomores went 9-0 last year. "Whoever's going to make the playoffs is going to be prepared."

Lisle coach Dan Sanko wasn't so shy.

"They're just going to be packed," said Sanko, who finished in third at 3-2 and 5-5 overall.

Wilmington, which had a somewhat fallow period - for them - after its previous Interstate Eight title in 2005, returns senior quarterback Colin Webb, junior running back Jeremy Bailey and three other all-conference juniors in back Curt Scheel, defensive lineman Robert Michelkamp and offensive lineman Kyle Adermann.

"I know it's going to be tough like it is every single year, but Wilmington's the team to beat," said Westmont coach Mark Orszula, who both played for and coached under Sanko at Lisle.

"They've got most of the starters returning from last year's team that made it pretty deep in the playoffs. They're a well-coached team, and with the tradition they have and based on everyone they have returning, it's hard to pick against them."

Plano can never be discounted. The 2006 and 2007 Class 3A champs return three all-conference picks themselves, two on the line, and lost only to Wilmington on the sophomore level in 2008.

After that it could be a battle for playoff qualification with Lisle and Westmont pushed by Dwight and Seneca, which found momentum by winning its last two games in 2008.

Youthful Lisle returns five starters on defense and two on offense, headed by two-way athlete Anthony Ventrella and all-conference running back-linebacker Jake Kretmen. The Lions took a big hit when two-year starting quarterback Jon Surber ditched football to concentrate on baseball.

Westmont returns three all-conference players itself and looks to improve from a 1-4 league mark, tied with Dwight and Seneca.

The Interstate Eight Large may see a repeat if Reed-Custer's all-conference skill players Ryan Garbin, Seven Davis and Garrett Sandefur can hold up under low numbers. If not, usual suspect Coal City and Herscher will be ready. Sandwich made the playoffs for the first time since 2002 and went 9-0 on the sophomore level.

"I think (Coal City coach Lenny Onsen) is going to have a decent team," Sanko said. "He just reloads."