Getting answers about the DVC and the rest of DuPage County football
1. DuPage Valley champions
Just when you thought the DuPage Valley Conference couldn't top itself in football, along came 2007.
An unprecedented season of success culminated in three DVC teams advancing to state championship games - a first for the league that's claimed 12 state titles. Conference champion Wheaton Warrenville South fell in the Class 7A final while Naperville North beat Glenbard North in the 8A title game.
"It was great for the conference," said Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens. "Especially with us going 5-4 and making it to the title game. The conference schedule definitely prepared us for the playoffs."
And for an encore in 2008?
It's tough to expect three DVC teams to again play for titles, although it'll likely depend on the playoff draws. Expect 8A power Mt. Carmel, upset by Glenbard North in last year's semifinals, and 7A threat East St. Louis, blanked by WW South in the 2007 semifinals, to be nationally ranked state favorites in 2008.
Mt. Carmel has three players committed to Division I colleges including quarterback Jordan Lynch (Northern Illinois), linebacker Dimitrius Carr (Indiana) and defensive lineman Anthony Battle (Northwestern). East St. Louis, which has 15 starters returning, boasts the Illinois-bound tandem of wide receiver Terry Hawthorne and defensive back Tommie Hopkins. Receiver Kraig Appleton is weighing offers from nine colleges.
Like last year, though, the DVC could very well be up to the challenge.
"With three teams in state championship games, that was pretty awesome," said Naperville North coach Larry McKeon. "I think we proved to everyone that we play in a pretty tough conference."
While Naperville North lost the bulk of last year's title team to graduation, including quarterback and All-Area Captain Jordan Tassio, the Huskies return two key offensive players in running back Nick Mlady and offensive lineman Jake Baratz, who committed to the University of Arizona last week. Mlady has an offer from Navy.
Among WW South's returners is running back Peter Jarrett, third-year fullback Mike Olp and linebacker Pat Dansdill. Glenbard North brings back 6-foot-6, 223-pound quarterback Evan Watkins, committed to Northwestern, and 1,700-yard rusher Tyler Doll.
If you're looking for a sleeper, try Naperville Central and do-it-all receiver Riley O'Toole. Wheaton North and first-year coach Joe Wardynski - WW South's defensive coordinator the last four years - is another team to watch. Among the Falcons' nine returning starters is Northwestern-bound running back Mike Trumpy and junior quarterback Taylor Graham.
"We're excited," Wardynski said. "It's going to be another great year in the conference. We hope to be a big factor in the race."
However it shakes out, the DVC aims to be among the state's elite leagues yet again.
"You have the DVC standing tall right now," said WW South coach Ron Muhitch.
2. Blue chips
The state-wide and local recruiting outlook for the Class of 2009 looks similar to the Class of 2008 according to Rivals.com recruiting analyst "Edgy" Tim O'Halloran.
It's not very deep in talent, but there are some standouts at the top.
"The top 10 to 15 in the state are as solid as they are every year," O'Halloran said. "But, like last year, there's a drop off."
The list in DuPage County no doubt begins with Glenbard West offensive lineman Chris Watt, the No. 1-rated recruit in the state by O'Halloran. After being offered 26 college scholarships the 6-foot-3, 280-pound guard chose Notre Dame last month.
"He's everything you look for in a prospect," O'Halloran said. "He's a cornerstone kind of kid."
Wheaton North's Trumpy, who rushed for 1,700 yards and 19 touchdowns as a junior, is headed to Northwestern as O'Halloran's top-ranked running back in the state. Glenbard North's Watkins, also a Wildcats recruit, is listed 11th overall in the state as the No. 3 quarterback.
At No. 27, Arizona-bound Baratz is the final DuPage County football player in the Rivals.com top 30. The overall top five includes No. 2 Appleton, Morgan Park defensive lineman Craig Drummond, Hawthorne and Providence offensive lineman Patrick Ward.
Six DuPage County players have committed to Division I colleges thus far. Waubonsie Valley kicker Mitch Ewald is headed to Indiana while Neuqua Valley wide receiver Joshua Schaffer committed this week to Western Michigan.
More commitments may follow in the coming weeks and months, but O'Halloran believes the early nature of college recruiting makes the outlook pretty clear.
"If you don't have a D-I offer by now, there's a good chance you will not get one," he said. "It's gotten so early, that's what it's come down to. Colleges are already working on the junior class at this point."
3. A New era
Three head coaches in five seasons? One might think that's a program mired in inconsistency.
Not at Driscoll, where the Highlanders' former two-year defensive coordinator Brandon New takes the reigns for the seven-time defending state champion, replacing three-year coach Mike "Buzz" Burzawa, now Evanston's head coach. Tim Racki left for Nazareth following Driscoll's fourth straight title in 2004.
"It's about the team, it's not about one person," said New, a 1994 Driscoll graduate - and all-Suburban Catholic Conference receiver - who served 10 years as a Highlanders assistant.
One reason for Driscoll's continued superiority, illustrated by New's ascent, is program-wide continuity. Though Driscoll lost Burzawa, offensive mind Bob O'Connor and line coach Pat Ryan, it retained stalwarts such as Joe Petro, Dan Cepek, Nick Cicero and Mike Liacone, promoted others from the sophomore level and brought in new faces with backgrounds in the program.
"Our No. 1 concern was replacing an entire offensive staff," New said. "I'm not patting myself on the back, but I think we've replaced some great coaches with some great new coaches. They've been players here, so it's always nice to bring back your own."
Each year Driscoll endures whispers that "the run is over," which provides each successive class with its own grudge.
Bringing depth at back and receiver, New said the 2008 squad offers more across-the-board talent than last year's club. Returning starters such as linemen Andrew O'Reilly and Mike Labadessa, receivers Joey Calabrese, Clay Cooper and Austin Baker and linebacker Tom Randich will be bolstered by new quarterback Steven Schwabe, transfer tailback Pierre Washington-Steel and back Nick Campanella.
Driscoll's annual expectations among players and coaches have proven to transcend change at the top.
"They always say the hardest thing to do is to teach kids how to win," New said.
Done.
4. Marquee matchups
Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski can ill afford to ease into his new position.
Among the area's several new marquee nonconference games, in Week 2 Wardynski's Falcons host Lake Zurich. Nothing against Wheaton North's second opponent in 2007, but the defending Class 7A state champs are a big step up from Plainfield North.
It's a good-news, bad-news scenario. Adding Lake Zurich means the Falcons battle all four teams that played for the 2007 Class 7A and 8A state championships - Lake Zurich, Glenbard North (Week 3), WW South (Week 7) and Naperville North (Week 8). Let the playoff push begin.
Then again, there's nothing like a challenge, particularly for the tactitian who last November wound up on the wrong end of a 7-3 score against Lake Zurich's double-wing offense.
"The first time I saw it (on the schedule), I guess there were some reservations about it," Wardynski said. "We played them in the finals and I didn't think we'd get the chance to play them again. Obviously it's a different group of kids and a different coaching staff, but personally, you get a chance to play Lake Zurich again."
A battle of titans is in store for Wheaton's south-side team as well. WW South has arranged a Week 2 match made in pigskin heaven - against Joliet Catholic on Sept. 5 at Joliet Memorial Stadium. These teams have combined for 18 state titles, Joliet Catholic owning a state-record 13 of them.
WW South has played and defeated the Hilltoppers three times in the playoffs: 1988, 1991 and 1992 - the latter a 40-34 double-overtime win for the Class 5A state championship, the Tigers' first title.
The buzz for this rematch began in late spring. When the deal was finalized, Tigers coach Ron Muhitch said that within minutes Joliet Catholic was publicizing the game on the front page of its Web site.
"I think it's a classic for high school football," Muhitch said. "It's definitely something to look forward to. Joliet Catholic has the most storied history in the state. It's just a great high school football matchup."
As is Driscoll's first-time meeting with three-time state champ Morris, Week 2 in Addison.
Nonconference foes are often hard to come by for the Highlanders - Spring Valley Hall opted out of its two-year contract following last year's 41-0 drubbing. The challenge should be met by Morris, which lost to Metamora 17-14 in the 2007 Class 5A state title 17-14. The trio of former Driscoll coach Mike Burzawa, new coach Brandon New and athletic director Bob Carlson played phone tag with teams in Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana and Illinois before landing its first two opponents: Wisconsin nasty Germantown and Morris, a 25-time playoff qualifier.
"Morris, to me, is probably one of the top five programs in the state, traditionally and historically," New said. "So to play Morris, I think, is a great measuring point for Driscoll. And they grow them big down there."
5. Friday night lights
Driscoll and St. Francis this season join the ranks of the Friday night football crowd.
Driscoll athletic director Bob Carlson at least hopes to see the lights go on in Addison, where earlier this week the standards had yet to be installed. The lights themselves have literally been on the sidelines since last season, well after the project gained village approval.
"Hopefully it gets done this week. But until I see it ... you know how that goes," Carlson said.
If it involves Highlanders football, it'll get done.
Coaching for years in Iowa, St. Francis coach Greg Purnell recalled playing only eight games in daylight. Last year was his first in the Wheaton heat: "I about melted in some games," he said.
Enter cooler temperatures and less competition with college football and weekend chores. The difference? Like night and day.
"I think it'll help our community enthusiasm," Purnell said. "It'll create a lot of opportunities that kids didn't have by playing on Saturdays, and it gives the kids a little bit better break on the weekend. In the long run I think it's going to be a win-win for everybody."
The lights at St. Francis, which debuted at a school function late last fall then were used for several girls soccer games in the spring, are winners in that they use 40 percent less electricity than normal outdoor football lights.
Special technology uses mirrors that harness nearly 100 percent of the light with less "spill" away from the field. Over the course of a 25-year warranty St. Francis stands to recoup nearly 50 percent of its investment when energy costs are considered.
"It was nice to see St. Francis spend the money to go green. They're going to use less electricity," said the man who helped install them, electrician Doug Lombardi, whose son Jason is a returning starting linemen for the Spartans.
"As a manager," St. Francis athletic director Paul Linden said, "they provide everything we needed in our environment. ... As an athlete, I think the kids are going to notice the difference. These are phenomenal, phenomenal lights."
This leaves only Montini, Immaculate Conception and Glenbard West as DuPage County preps without permanent lighting.
Montini coach Chris Andriano said there is a "strong possibility" of lights for the 2009 season, in tandem with a new turf field. Glenbard West's Duchon Field deals with a triple-threat of tradition, residential opposition and the challenge of re-engineering the floodplain bordering Lake Ellyn. There's no concrete plan in the works for IC, Knights coach Bill Schmidt said.