Scouting the Class 7A football championship
Wheaton Warrenville South (10-3) vs. Rockford Boylan (13-0)
4 p.m. Saturday in Champaign, Comcast SportsNet
Road to the final: WW South beat Providence 23-16; Lincoln-Way East 7-0; East St. Louis 10-7; and St. Rita 21-14. Rockford Boylan beat Libertyville 40-0; Wheaton North 37-20; Crystal Lake South 30-13; and Lake Zurich 16-10.
Playoff history: Two-time defending 7A champion WW South, a playoff qualifier for the 23rd time and for the ninth straight year, seeks its eighth state title in its 11th final appearance. The Tigers, winners of 14 straight playoff games, are the only program to win titles in four classes. Rockford Boylan, last year's 6A champ, is making its 27th playoff appearance. The Titans have won 36 of 37 games.
Coaches: WW South's Ron Muhitch, in his 10th season as the Tigers' head coach, has a career record of 106-20. Rockford Boylan's Dan Appino is in his 10th year at the helm and holds a record of 96-19.
Probable starting offenses:
WW South Rockford Boylan
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.
Thaddeus Armstrong 6-6 215 Sr. QB Lamont Toney 6-1 156 Sr.
Dan Vitale 6-2 210 Sr. TB Tyreis Thomas 5-10 191 Sr.
Tyler Cook 6-3 190 Sr. FB/HB DeMarcus Vines 5-8 152 Jr.
Sam Prete 6-1 170 Sr. WR/HB Marquez Beeks 5-7 166 Sr.
Brady Banda 5-11 175 Sr. WR Jaxson Meister 6-1 168 Sr.
Zach Zlabis 6-4 190 Sr. WR Chris Mower 6-1 171 Sr.
Kyle Joyce 6-5 238 Jr. LT Nick Verstraete 5-11 214 Jr.
Hollis Henry 6-2 220 Jr. LG Joe Fehrle 6-2 221 So.
Rich Metzger 6-1 270 Jr. C Nick Wood 5-10 261 Sr.
Ryan McCarthy 6-2 215 Jr. RG Matt Carter 6-4 287 Sr.
Frank Garcia 6-4 260 Jr. RT Mat Cannella 5-11 211 Sr.
Tyler Cook 6-3 190 Sr. K Sean Slattery 6-0 182 Jr.
Probable starting defenses:
WW South Rockford Boylan
Name Ht. Wt. Yr. Pos. Name Ht. Wt. Yr.
Evan Welsh 5-11 205 Sr. NT Theo Parthenios 6-1 303 Sr.
P. Wiedow-Hagene 5-11 225 Sr. DT Dean Lowry 6-6 230 Sr.
Colin Schwerin 6-2 200 Sr. DE/DT Tyler Holmquist 5-8 213 Sr.
Mark Rooney 6-1 193 Sr. DE Luke Riggs 6-1 173 Sr.
Adam Dansdill 6-0 205 Sr. LB Austin Smith 5-6 161 Sr.
Brandon Peterson 6-2 210 Sr. LB D.J. Zimmerman 6-1 191 Sr.
Dan Roadman 6-0 195 Sr. LB Tyler Sharp 6-1 184 Jr.
Zach Kyllonen 5-11 170 Sr. CB Adonis Brown 6-0 173 Sr.
Grant Meyer 6-0 166 Sr. CB Joey Kubera 5-10 148 Sr.
Mike Shelton 6-0 175 Sr. S Ty Zimmerman 5-10 173 Sr.
Gibson Danekas 6-0 165 Sr. S Peter Cimino 5-11 184 Jr.
Nick Campos 6-2 165 Sr. P Sean Slattery 6-0 182 Sr.
WW South's offense (244.8 yards per game, 20.2 points per game) vs. Rockford Boylan's defense (7.8 points per game allowed): The Tigers have done a great job taking advantage of their few opportunities. Much of the reason is Vitale, a Northwestern-bound back who's rushed for 1,219 yards. Last week he had 33 carries. Considering their quarterback issues, Vitale will be a workhorse again. Armstrong, suffering from concussion-like symptoms, was scheduled to take a series of tests this week to be cleared to play. Sophomore Ryan Graham is out with a knee injury. If Armstrong can't go, Jordan Davis, the sophomore team quarterback, will start. He finished last week's game. Regardless, WW South must present a passing threat to take pressure off Vitale. The Tigers' offensive improvement throughout the season can be traced to the development of an all-junior line. Half of Boylan's defense returns from last season led by lineman Dean Lowry, a Northwestern recruit. The linebackers cause havoc with various blitz schemes. Can the Tigers run on Parthenios, a 303-pound nose tackle?
Rockford Boylan's offense (346.9 yards per game, 40.8 points per game) vs. WW South's defense (226.5 yards allowed per game, 10.3 points allowed per game): Few defenses have played better than WW South's. Even without injured lineman Jack Lipinsky, out for this game, the Tigers have controlled the line of scrimmage with Welsh in the middle. All three WW South linebackers were named to the all-DuPage Valley Conference team. Muhitch believes Dansdill, Peterson and Roadman "have to be perfect" to contain Boylan's explosive offense. Boylan presents a new challenge in Thomas, the Titans' all-time leading rusher who has 1,471 yards. While his numbers may not seem that impressive, don't be fooled. Thomas has gotten more work as the season's progressed. The Titans like to run Thomas inside behind their big guards. The Tigers can't afford to focus all their attention on Thomas. Toney has thrown for 1,408 yards. WW South cornerback Zach Kyllonen, in addition to being a lockdown coverage guy, has powered the defense's collection of turnovers in the postseason.
Intangibles: While the Tigers' defensive line has held up without Lipinsky, it'll be tough if Davis has to make his first varsity start in a title game. Special teams field position, specifically has been huge for WW South, but Slattery is a good kicker. Expect the Tigers' return game to be slowed by touchbacks. WW South played Glenbard West and Maine South, survived the DVC to claim a share of the title, and beat Lincoln-Way East, East St. Louis and St. Rita on the road to reach the final. Given that schedule, it's hard to bet against the Tigers.
Kevin Schmit