Previewing: West Chicago

West Chicago's primary goal is to win more football games.

Perhaps more important, though, is the goal of program stability.

In the spring Paul Reinke became the Wildcats' fourth head coach in as many years. A former assistant at Wheaton North, Lake Zurich and in the Arena League, Reinke anxiously accepted the challenge of turning around the team's fortunes while trying to bring excitement to the community.

"I really like the potential that West Chicago has," Reinke said. "I'm excited about what we can achieve."

Achieving in the rugged DuPage Valley Conference is tough for any team, let alone a team coming off a two-win season. Only a handful of starters return for the Wildcats, which fits in well with the theme of a new start.

Reinke has worked to overhaul the offensive and defensive schemes, but expect the Wildcats to keep emphasizing the run despite returning only Nick Carnot's 14 carries and 62 yards.

West Chicago would like to improve upon last year's average of 91 passing yards per game with first-year quarterback Jeff Robinson. Like the running game, though, little experience returns. Ken Levey is back to anchor the line.

"We want to run the ball and control the clock," Reinke said. "We're not going to feature one guy or another. We plan to spread it out."

Defensively, the Wildcats must improve to compete. After shutting out Evanston in last year's opener they allowed at least 22 points in the final eight games, including at least 40 points five times. Matt Matsen returns as a starter at nose guard.

With his six years of experience coaching in the DVC, Reinke knows how tough it'll be to instantly improve. It starts with stability, something he plans on providing.

"Everyone's working hard," he said. "They've jelled together into a cohesive unit, and that's a good place for us to start."