For Benedictine, Wheaton familiarity breeds respect
With the NCAA Division III football playoffs beginning this week, Benedictine University will have to travel less than most high school football teams when it heads to Wheaton College for a first-round matchup.
The two teams, separated by roughly 7 miles, will take the field noon on Saturday. For the coaches it will be another chapter in their long history.
"I know (Benedictine coach) Jon Cooper quite a bit," Wheaton coach Mike Swider said. "I competed against him when he was at Aurora going back to 1990. I've known him for quite a while. He's a good man, a solid football coach."
A few weeks in to the season, few could have predicted this playoff pairing. While Wheaton (10-0) was handling its early schedule with relative ease, the Eagles (6-4) stumbled out of the blocks to a 1-4 start. After losing on the road to Wisconsin Lutheran, Cooper said the team came together over a meal and refocused on its coming schedule.
Whatever the change was, it appeared to have worked for Benedictine. After that Wisconsin Lutheran loss, the Eagles won their final five games and earned the NACC automatic playoff bid.
In its final regular-season game, Benedictine got exactly what it needed. Because of tiebreaker rules, the team had to beat Lakeland by at least 16 points, a fact Cooper said may have played in to some of his in-game decisions.
The Eagles won 16-0.
Although things weren't quite as tense for Wheaton, the team didn't secure its playoff spot until the second to last game of the year. After capping off its first perfect season and outright conference championship since 2003, the team will make its first trip to the playoffs in four years. No one on this year's team was a part of the 2010 playoff appearance.
Neither coach let on much about their game plan, instead complimenting the talent on the other side. Swider said his team needs to focus on playing its game and staying balanced on offense. Cooper said his defense needs to stay patient and not panic if Wheaton has a big play.
With the short distance between schools, both teams can treat the week leading up as a home game. Cooper said the Eagles will stay at home as opposed to getting a hotel on Friday night, and he has something special planned for the team. Swider said he isn't concerned with his opponent's proximity but will enjoy its home field.
One thing is for sure, both coaches will leave the game with plenty of respect for their counterpart.
"There is a real familiarity," Cooper said. "It's a mutual respect, it's kind of neat. You hope that your opponent is someone you have a good relationship with and respect, unfortunately that isn't always the case. We could tell you some funny, funny stories."