Hetlett, DiMatteo follow parallel paths
The ability to give and take the occasional bit of sarcasm is a good gauge of a friendship's strength.
Hinsdale Central football coach Mike DiMatteo was reflecting on his friendship with Chad Hetlet, now coach of West Suburban Silver rival Glenbard West, when he recalled the 2004 Fox Valley Conference game between his Lake Zurich team and Hetlet's McHenry squad.
"By the way," DiMatteo said of a 36-20 decision, "we won that game in convincing fashion."
Over the course of a decade-long friendship, the two 30-something coaches have been on the opposite sides of the field, spent a brief season together and now find themselves heading different programs united by the same goal - to play for a state championship.
As the saying goes, they do things "the right way."
"I just think he has a good blueprint for success as a football coach," said Hetlet, who was introduced to DiMatteo by a mutual friend and then slowly became friends on the football clinic circuit over the years.
"I definitely got some ideas from him," Hetlet said, "like that he's about building character in young men. He truly cares about the kids and his coaches. He's truly a thoughtful guy."
DiMatteo thought enough about Hetlet that after DiMatteo was hired to be Hinsdale Central's football coach in 2006 after reaching the playoffs the last four years of a six-year stint at Lake Zurich, he brought Hetlet aboard a defensive coordinator.
After nine years as Johnsburg's defensive coordinator, Hetlet went 3-for-3 in playoff appearances as a head coach, in 2003 with Johnsburg and 2004-05 at McHenry.
"Prior to (coming to Hinsdale Central), we were actually archenemies," said Hetlet. "That's on the football field. Off it the two men speak weekly and socialize in the offseason, along with wives Kathy Hetlet and Melinda DiMatteo.
"After that (2006) season, much to my chagrin he applied for the Glenbard West position," DiMatteo said.
Hetlet installed the 3-5 defense at Glenbard West just as he had at Hinsdale Central. Now the two units, each fielding an all-state defensive lineman in Glenbard West's Theo Odom and Hinsdale Central's Pat Clegg, must try to contain two of Illinois' marquee programs.
Glenbard West (12-0), in its first semifinal appearance since its 1983 championship season, hosts second-seeded East St. Louis in its Class 7A semifinal. The top-seeded Hilltoppers face speedy receivers Kraig Appleton and Terry Hawthorne of East St. Louis (11-1). Appleton follows only Glenbard West offensive linemen Chris Watt in Illinois college recruiting rankings.
"If we can pressure the quarterback, perhaps that'll take the ball from the receiver's hands," said Hetlet, who hopes to keep East St. Louis' offense sidelined with ball control in the ground game.
East St. Louis knocked off the top seed in the southern bracket, St. Rita out of the Chicago Catholic Blue. In 8A No. 9 seed Hinsdale Central (10-2) beat another Catholic League Blue entry, Brother Rice, 17-14 on David Lutz's 25-yard field goal with 17.5 seconds left.
Tonight the Red Devils can oust another Catholic Blue team in No. 6 Mt. Carmel (10-2).
"They'll hit, they're aggressive, a typical Catholic League school," DiMatteo said. "Most importantly, they play as a team and really believe in each other."
Like Hetlet and DiMatteo.
"We're all about our student athletes," DiMatteo said. "It's not just football, live or die."