Once again, Mustangs are pick of the Gold

The road to the West Suburban Gold title traditionally runs through Downers Grove South.

That road, however, has become littered with speed bumps.

It's been four years since the Mustangs last won the Gold football title, an eye-popping stat considering they were champions in 18 of the previous 20 seasons. It's a span of dominance interrupted twice by Addison Trail, including last season, and once by Hinsdale South.

"People were talking about us the last three years and we've gotten second place," said Downers South coach John Belskis. "I'm sure we'll be in a battle again this year."

With 11 returning starters and a key transfer entering the picture, the Mustangs are back in a familiar spot. They're the team everyone's looking at to return to the top of the Gold standings.

"It's kind of like Downers South and everyone else," said first-year Hinsdale South coach Alex Bitto. "A lot of the other teams are pretty evenly matched, but they're strong everywhere."

A core of third-year starters -- wide receiver and cornerback Tyler West, defensive tackle Ben Apland and linebacker Jared Culver -- anchors the team. Sophomore quarterback Chandler Whitmer, a transfer from Georgia, and returning running back Scottie Williams, who rushed for 800 yards as a sophomore, add to what should be a dynamite offense.

Challenges could come from anywhere, although nearly every other team in the conference suffered big graduation losses.

Defending champion Addison Trail graduated all but one of its defensive starters. The one returner, though, is defensive back Vince Beachem -- one of the league's top players.

"When you graduate 10 of your 11 defensive players, it's tough," said Blazers coach Paul Parpet. "It's something you have to work through."

Despite graduating Colin Madison, the Gold's offensive lineman of the year last season, Willowbrook has high hopes. Six-foot-five receiver Milton Colbert, who had 23 catches for 410 yards, is a game-breaker. The defense returns seven starters.

Hinsdale South looks to regain the form of its 2005 conference championship team behind 1,000-yard rusher Dan Hopp and a new coach in Bitto, who was the program's sophomore coach the last two years.

Tim O'Connell is one of six offensive starters returning for Leyden. Morton looks to improve in Tom Gullickson's second year at the helm. Proviso East needs to recover from the graduation of four players who received Division I college scholarships.

"I say this every year, but I think the conference is underrated," said Willowbrook coach Mark Olson. "You need to put Downers at the top, but after that it's a toss-up."