Restarting the roar: ‘Rejuvenated’ Lisle makes bold move to improve its football prospects

It’s obviously not the situation Lisle High School would prefer.

However, there’s a game plan.

A football program dating to the school’s 1957 opening, the Lions will not be fielding a varsity team this fall. A member of the Illinois Central Eight conference, Lisle will play a junior varsity schedule.

“You never want to see it happen, but I think this is the best decision for our school district, I really do,” said Lisle’s seventh-year athletic director, Tom Marcum.

“I think the kids will have the opportunity to get the proper development they need while not having to worry about the outcome of a varsity schedule,” he said.

It came down to numbers, age, size and experience. Marcum and Lions third-year head coach Cory Dillard said they saw it coming.

“We had five juniors and seniors interested in playing. That’s not enough for a varsity team,” Marcum said.

Going 0-9 last year, Lisle’s third winless season in program history and first since 1971 for the 26-time playoff qualifier, injuries had freshmen offensive linemen facing the likes of Wilmington and Coal City.

Can freshmen compete against Wilmington and Coal City?

“No,” said Dillard, a 2005 graduate of the school and a former Lions running back and linebacker.

When it was decided not to play a varsity schedule, Marcum said the move attracted some newcomers and others on the fence about returning, seeing a more level playing field.

Without a feeder program, lost when Lisle Junior High School officially dropped football after the 2017 season, most Lions players don’t play the sport until they reach high school.

“We’re asking kids — it’s the first time they’ve ever played — to go out and either go toe-to-toe with varsity kids or hold the bag for the entire year in practice, without playing,” said Dillard, offensive coordinator for 2021 Class 8A champion Lockport.

It’s hard to build or maintain a program like that. Or to have much fun.

Lisle considered soldiering on with an almost exclusively underclass roster, or joining another school in a co-op.

The former was deemed unsustainable. The latter risked loss of identity and opportunity.

“This option gives our younger players the chance to play regularly, build confidence, and prepare for future varsity success,” Marcum said.

On a squad of 26, Dillard said, he has two upperclassmen, both juniors — returning starting tight end and linebacker Zach Webb and lineman Nick Schuette, new to football in 2024.

“My goal is to just try to help bond our team together,” the 6-foot, 265-pound Webb said after Tuesday’s practice.

“I want us to grow all as one,” he said. “We have a lot of new recruits this year and I want to help them learn their positions, get comfortable with the team, and help them get up to that leadership role ... . And, hopefully, keep them in our program to help grow it bigger.”

Dillard approaches that goal from a different angle.

“At our first meeting I told the coaches, we’ve got to win the kids, that’s our goal,” he said. “As a coaching staff that’s our theme this year, is win the kids. We need to retain kids for four years.”

Maybe it helped moving practice indoors Tuesday because of lightning, but the Lions’ execution of their Power-T offense looked crisp, quick, efficient.

“Practice, it’s gone a lot harder, because I feel like we’ve really set the expectation now,” said sophomore quarterback Nathan Garcia. A converted receiver and safety, he said he was among five freshman starters in 2024.

“We’re very optimistic about the season,” said sophomore offensive tackle and linebacker Ephrem Winterburn.

Marcum is excited and so is Dillard, inspired by his players and encouraged by elementary school enrollments. If it’s in the cards, Dillard said, Lisle might return to a varsity schedule as soon as next season.

“Now I’m starting to see where these kids are kind of believing in themselves, where they can compete,” he said.

“They feel like they’re going out there and playing on an even playing field. And they’re excited about that, I can tell. There’s a difference in their mentality. This is exciting, I feel rejuvenated,” Dillard said.

A greater chance for success can do that.

“We do have a chip on our shoulder,” Garcia said. “I mean, we’re all ready to come out there and we really want to win these games.”

doberhelman@dailyherald.com