Which is the best WW South team?
CHAMPAIGN -- Let the debate begin.
Actually, the 2010 edition of Wheaton Warrenville South's football team began the debate just as the final seconds ran off the clock in a 28-17 victory over Lake Zurich in Saturday's Class 7A title game at Memorial Stadium.
With their seventh state championship officially in the books, is this the best team in program history?
While respecting the teams of the past, this year's group believes they deserve consideration when compared to the great teams that inspired them to achieve their tremendous accomplishments.
“I definitely think there should be some discussion that we're one of the best teams ever to come through Wheaton Warrenville South, which is saying a lot,” said senior safety Caleb Bednarz. “We definitely have the players and the record to show that we belong in that discussion.”
The Tigers meet the criteria in several ways, beginning with their matching of the 1995 and 1996 teams that won back-to-back titles. Those teams, though, lost three combined games and didn't dominate the way the Tigers have the last two seasons while winning 26 straight.
The 2006 Class 8A champions went 14-0 with running back Dan Dierking, now at Purdue, who rushed for 2,330 yards. But this year's unbeaten team has quarterback Reilly O'Toole, who threw for 3,187 yards and 42 touchdowns.
The 1998 Class 6A champions are considered by some to be the best overall team in state history, which makes for the most interesting comparison to this year's team.
Led by the high-powered spread offense of record-setting quarterback Jon Beutjer and receivers Jon Schweighardt and Eric McGoey all three played in the Big Ten in addition to 1,000-yard rusher Corrice Burns, the 1998 Tigers pounded everyone except for a pair of 14-point wins over Naperville Central.
In addition to the experienced talent on the other side of the ball, among the five non-senior defensive starters were Nick Duffy, who played at Northern Illinois, and Brett Bell, who played at Wisconsin.
Despite that incredible talent, Tigers coach Ron Muhitch the program's defensive coordinator in 1998 still believes this year's team is the best.
“Here's why,” Muhitch said. “Not only is this group a great run team, which no one thought we'd be, we knew Reilly was a great quarterback and I had five to six outstanding receivers all year. Then you look at the defense and it's a bunch of no-names, just guys flying to the ball.”
The 1998 team has the 2010 group beat in terms of Division I college talent, with O'Toole heading to Illinois and offensive lineman Luke Luhrsen committed to Kansas.
O'Toole, however, may be the best player on either team. The Tigers also have running back Matt Rogers, who rushed for 1,269 yards, with a group that outscored opponents by an average margin of 42-8.
Is any evidence definitive? Of course not, and a conversation like this is just part of the reward for 20 years of incredible success. A giant shout out, by the way, needs to go to the 1992 title team that started it all.
This year's team, humble as always, is simply honored to become official members of the debate.
“I'm just proud of my guys,” said senior defensive lineman Sparty Chino. “I feel like we're the best, but that's something for the coaches to decide.”