The two-time defending champions merited only a fifth-place nod in the Corn Belt Conference's preseason football coaches poll. That's no surprise to eighth-year Prairie Central High School coach Brian Hassett, who guided the Hawks to a 12-1 record and the Class 4A semifinals last season. | Glance | Team facts

"It is a dogfight every week in this league," Hassett said. "Everybody in our conference has a lot of talent. Some have more than others, but any given night anybody can win a game, especially this year. You got to bring it every week, baby."

Pontiac edged Mahomet-Seymour for the top spot, followed closely by Central Catholic, Rochester and Prairie Central in what is shaping up as one of the tightest races in Corn Belt history.

"I really believe the league will be as evenly competitive as I've seen it a long, long time," said first-year Pontiac coach and long-time former Indians assistant Dave Young. "I really can't picture any one team head and shoulders above the others."

The outlook is even cloudier for Mahomet-Seymour coach Tom Shallenberger.

"I think it's up for grabs," Shallenberger said. "To be honest with you, I don't think I could really pick who's going to win. There are several teams that have an opportunity."

Here is a closer look at the area's Corn Belt members, excluding Central Catholic and University High, in the order they were ranked by the coaches.

<;b>Pontiac<;/b>

Young will be under a microscope after replacing the retired Mick Peterson, who won 10 league titles and the 1993 Class 3A state title in his 17-year tenure. Young isn't your typical first-year coach, though.

Young worked 21 years as an assistant at Pontiac, including a stint as head coach in 2002 while Peterson was serving an Illinois High School Association suspension. The 2002 Indians posted a 12-2 record and finished as Class 5A state runner-up.

"I look at this as being the next challenge in my career," Young said. "I don't feel like I have anything to prove necessarily because I've been a part of the success we've had through the years."

That success should continue with the return of several key performers, led by all-Corn Belt senior running back Kendrique Coats, senior quarterback Patrick Miller, senior running back/linebacker Alex Smith, two-way senior lineman Nate Weber and senior wide receiver Sam Mackinson.

"We think we have a pretty good nucleus of leadership with some guys that have had two years of varsity experience already under their belt," Young said. "Our success will come as our offensive and defensive line play develops. We're playing pretty much one senior on the lines."

Miller is being pushed at quarterback by junior Michael Panno.

"It's a pretty good luxury to have your returning quarterback and another kid with some talent that provides a different facet to things," Young said. "We'll approach things a little different (on offense). We've just got into a little bit more of what a lot of teams are doing as far as spreading the ball out."

<;b>Mahomet-Seymour<;/b>

Shallenberger enters his 16th season with a wealth of returning skill players, including two-year starting quarterback Lyle Shallenberger (the coach's son), promising junior running back Andrew Brewer and senior wide receiver Cory Christensen.

"The key will be if we can solidify our offensive line, but we feel like we have a good nucleus," Coach Shallenberger said.

The defense will be anchored by senior all-Corn Belt linebacker Jonathan McComb, who is being recruited by several in-state Football Bowl Subdivision schools, junior lineman Zachary Ochs, senior middle linebacker Robert Schroeder and defensive back Christensen.

"Every year it comes down to people stepping up and taking the places of other people," Coach Shallenberger said. "If our kids make the adjustments to the varsity level we'll have some success."

The Bulldogs also have a special teams weapon in all-Corn Belt place-kicker Zach Roush.

"Anytime you can get somebody that can kick the ball into the end zone on kickoffs, that's a good thing," Coach Shallenberger said.

<;b>Prairie Central<;/b>

Despite suffering heavy graduation losses, Hassett is confident the Hawks can contend for a third straight league title.

"We've got some tough football players on this team and they're hard working, but we don't have a whole lot of experience." Hassett said. "Kids are going to have to step in and fill some holes right away."

The Hawks will again run their shotgun spread offense featuring the talented wide receiver corps of Tyler Popejoy, Mark Schmitt, Pete Kinate and Tyler Studebaker. Senior guard Lee Przybylski is the lone returnee on the line. Senior Mitch Carber and sophomore Mitch McDonald are competing for the starting quarterback job.

"They're both good athletes," Hassett said of his quarterbacks. "We just need to put them in the right place and they're going to have to make plays. We've got some athletic kids. We just need to get the ball in their hands on offense."

Prairie Central's fortunes could be decided early. The Hawks open the season against Mahomet-Seymour before facing Pontiac in Week Two.

"The biggest thing with starting with those two games is they are bigger schools and they have more one-way players than we do," Hassett said. "We're going to have to be in great shape and play fundamental ball."

<;b>Eureka<;/b>

Third-year coach Kurt Barth begins the third year of his rebuilding program at Eureka with 11 returning lettermen. The Hornets have a posted a 4-21 Corn Belt record since returning to the league three years ago.

"I knew coming in two years ago this wasn't going to be an ideal situation being a smaller school in the Corn Belt," said Barth, a former Eureka College standout wide receiver. "You do look at yearly progress and taking steps forward, and I feel that we have."

Senior running back Ray Wilcox, senior wide receiver Wes Schmidgall and senior linemen Stephen Brewer and Zach Wakid return on offense. Senior Brian Schrock and juniors Sam Durley and Darin Burns are locked in a three-way battle at quarterback.

"We'll be a little bit inexperienced, but that's not always a bad thing," Barth said. "It's one of those things where you have to have some kids grow up in a hurry and get ready for varsity play as juniors. It will be a matter of them getting out there that first Friday night and getting up to game speed right away.

"I like the mentality this group of kids has. I'm seeing more of that attitude of stepping out there knowing they can compete and wanting it and fighting like crazy."

<;b>Olympia<;/b>

Second-year Olympia coach Mark Koeppel, Barth's quarterback at Eureka College, is optimistic the Spartans can rebound from last year's 0-9 campaign with several starters returning on both sides of the line.

"Basically this is my first year as far as off-season conditioning, so we'll be a lot more stable this season," Koeppel said. "The biggest key is the system is the same. They haven't had to learn something. We just reinforced and added some things."

The Spartans will be led by senior two-way lineman and college prospect Colt Stroud. "He's taken control of the reins of the team," Koeppel said. "It's his last year and he's ready to win."

Other returning starters on offense include junior quarterback Aaron Frazier, junior running backs Travis McDannald and Payton McVey, senior tight end Adam Hendricks, senior lineman Luke Whitaker and junior lineman Chris Dubree.

"Everybody wants to know how many wins you're going to get," Koeppel said. "We're going to aim for win one and after that we'll aim for win two. Our goal is to be better each week and each day. We'll contend for some wins this year."