WW South prepares for big event
Wheaton Warrenville South's Red Grange Field has been the site of so many big football games through the years.
It's seen nothing like this.
The defending Class 7A champions face Maine South, the defending 8A champs, at 4 p.m. Friday in a classic showdown just on its own merits. But with national television in the fold - the game is scheduled to be broadcast live on ESPNU - it's become an epic event.
"We've had a lot of important games here, especially in the playoffs," said WW South athletic director Mike Healy. "But with all the different components, it's bigger than anything I've ever dealt with. It's eye-opening what goes on with an event like this."
The planning began weeks ago, but the atmosphere truly became electric this week. Nike sponsored several events, including a scheduled Wednesday night youth game between teams from Wheaton and Park Ridge.
While Healy and others tried to shield the team from the distractions, many were unavoidable. School even lets out early Friday to clear the way for final preparations.
"We're trying to minimize all this stuff so we can keep our focus, and I think the kids can handle themselves," said Tigers coach Ron Muhitch. "Right now I'm just trying to get ready to coach a football game."
While the hassles seem many, the opportunity is obviously rare.
"It's just a lot of time trying to put pieces together and hope they work out," Healy said. "It's been a couple weeks of a whirlwind, but what a great opportunity for our kids."
Split decision: Andy Livingston is Lake Park's varsity football coach. His wife, Leland, is an American history teacher at Glenbard East.
Allegiances are somewhat divided for tonight's game between the Lancers and Rams at Glenbard East.
"(Glenbard East coach) Dennis Lueck tells me I have to support family," said Leland, who's been teaching there since 1993. She met Andy when she was in Germany working as a bartender and he was performing there in a band.
"I love the kids at Glenbard East," Leland said. "I know them, and it's the kids who are so special. I don't know the Lake Park kids, but I love the coach, and I love the coach to be happy."
She has a warm spot for students she's worked with such as Darryl Robbins. Incidentally, Robbins is on her husband's radar as a Rams running back.
The plot thickens. Livingston's brother, Jim, was an all-conference fullback at Glenbard East out of the Class of 1967. His sister, Pat, graduated from there in 1964, part of the school's first four-year graduating class.
He has to keep his feelings strictly to the gridiron.
"I have to keep it as just another football game," he said. "Otherwise there's an awful lot of family involved. But my family is my football team when it comes to Friday night."
Boys of fall: A year ago at this time, film crews spent a week in Naperville to document Naperville Central's game against Neuqua Valley as a contribution to a Kenny Chesney music video and accompanying documentary.
Chesney's video for "The Boys of Fall" began airing a few weeks ago, and the documentary debuted Sunday on ESPN. The Redhawks and their game against Neuqua Valley at North Central College are highlighted throughout Chesney's video, especially at the start when New Orleans Saints coach and former Naperville Central player Sean Payton delivers a pregame speech to the team.
"The documentary is stunning," said Redhawks coach Mike Stine. "It sends chills up your spine. It's a very humbling experience. A lot of it doesn't even seem real."
Because of the video, Stine wound up enjoying a very eventful summer.
At the start of June, Payton invited Stine and his coaching staff to attend the Saints' minicamp in New Orleans. In mid-June Stine was flown to Nashville to film additional interviews for "The Boys of Fall."
The topper, though, came in early August when Stine traveled to Minnesota for Chesney's concert at WE Fest in Detroit Lakes. Stine met Chesney before the concert and enjoyed the show only a few feet away from the stage.
"That was a great experience," Stine said. "I'm a big country music fan, so I really enjoyed it."
Nice debut: Wheaton Academy coach Ben Wilson predicted his quarterback, Tommy Decker, would make a statement stepping from under the shadow of three-year starter and 2010 grad Brian Pell.
Decker did. It took him a quarter to roll against Westminster (Mo.) Christian, but the 6-foot-2, 200-pound senior completed 23 of 37 passes for 283 yards and touchdown strikes of 33, 16, 25 and 15 yards in the Warriors' 28-6 opening night win.
"He looks good," Wilson said. "He's got a lot of poise in the pocket and throws a very catchable ball."
Wilson mentioned that a key for the strong-armed Decker's success is simply staying healthy. Westminster hassled him all night.
"As the game went on he made better and better decisions," Wilson said. "As long as he keeps doing that I don't think anyone's going to stop our passing. As long as we protect him. He was running for his life. They blitzed the house."
Dazzling debuts: Five games last week featured the debut of area head coaches, and a couple remain unbeaten. Benet's Pat New, whose team beat Oswego East 34-0, and Naperville North's Sean Drendel, whose team edged Neuqua Valley 29-28, each enjoyed season-opening victories.
"I was pretty nervous before the game, so it was good to start out with a win," New said. "It feels really good to get that first one. After a couple of weeks we finally got to hit someone else, and our guys were ready."
Addison Trail's Paul Parpet Jr., Fenton's Mark Kos and Glenbard South's Jeremy Cordell each hope to notch their first wins as head coaches this weekend.
Close call: When Montini senior quarterback Matt Westerkamp got slammed down in the second quarter of the Broncos' loss to Joliet Catholic, then left the game in the third quarter, the braintrust feared the worst.
"We were worried that it might have been a separation," Montini coach Chris Andriano said. "It's not that, that's the good news."
The bad news isn't all that bad - a sprained shoulder. Strength tests were being conducted all this week on the 6-foot-2, 190-pound team co-captain, with a possibility Westerkamp could still play Saturday against Loyola.
After Montini's first possession of the third quarter against Joliet Catholic, Westerkamp came to the sidelines and told the coaches he couldn't throw the football. Westerkamp completed 8 of 17 passes for 121 yards with a 21-yard touchdown pass to his cousin, Jordan Westerkamp.
The quarterback was replaced by junior Kurt Gitchell, who did a fine job, going 8-for-15 passing for 82 yards.
"That was a battle all summer long," Andriano said. "Gitchell, he was very close to winning the job, so we've actually got two quarterbacks. I just don't want to go with a two-quarterback system."
Neither of them could get much going on the ground against Joliet Catholic. Gitchell finished with a net minus-3 yards rushing on 6 carries, plus 3 sacks, while Matt Westerkamp was minus-7 on 4 carries with 2 sacks before coming out.
"He showed a lot of guts," Andriano said. "He's a tough kid. We've got the right guys. We've just got to get back to work."
D-V-C, D-V-C: With perpetually high expectations, DuPage Valley Conference football success is no surprise. Last weekend was particularly exceptional.
The DVC posted an 8-0 record against its nonconference competition, the first time the league's accomplished that feat since 2001.
"That was great," said Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski. "I told our kids that if a DVC team is playing someone outside the conference, we should be rooting for them."
Conference teams especially rooted for West Chicago to knock off Plainfield North. Posting a 7-6 double-overtime win, the Wildcats eased the sting of last year's winless season and provided second-year West Chicago coach Paul Reinke with his first career victory.
"Our guys rose to the occasion," Reinke said. "It felt like it was never going to happen, but it was a good week for us."
Lesson learned: Time and again coaches remind their teams to focus and execute for the full 48 minutes of a high school football game.
Metea Valley did for 47 minutes, 45 seconds in its varsity debut, at home in Aurora. The remainder cost the Mustangs the program's first win when Plainfield East, at the Mustangs' 33-yard-line with 14.5 seconds left, converted a fourth-and-13 situation into a touchdown pass to beat Metea 27-26.
"It's upsetting to finish that way, the way we played," said Mustangs coach Ted Monken.
He said there's no reason to "revamp everything," certainly not the passing attack.
Quarterback Jarrett House completed 22 of 38 passes for 307 yards and 4 touchdowns - 2 to Raysean Parker, one to tight end Zach Wood and the program's first varsity score, a 15-yard pass to sophomore Alex Hagemaster, who led the Mustangs with 10 catches for 164 yards.
Metea will have a long time to review assignments on the bus to Friday's game in Quincy.
"It's just going to be a long week of frustration because we're still trying to get over last week," Monken said. "And about the only cure is going down to Quincy and getting a win. That'll make the drive back that much easier."
Home sweet home: After a bit of a delay, Willowbrook will play its first game in its brand new stadium. Last week's game had to be moved to Glenbard East, so tonight's West Suburban Conference crossover against Downers Grove North will be the home opener.
"Everyone's pretty excited about it," said Warriors coach Mark Olson. "I know our kids can't wait to get on the field."
The artificial surface is only one element of the stadium improvements. New and much bigger home stands are in place. Future plans include new visitor stands and a resurfaced track that will be completed in the spring.
"When it's all done it's going to be incredible," Olson said. "They've really done a nice job on it."