Wheaton Warrenville South sets the table

Forget about the idea of a Tigers trap.

Wheaton Warrenville South - not looking ahead to next week's showdown with Naperville North - cleared a necessary hurdle on Friday night in Wheaton, shutting out Glenbard East 40-0.

Naperville North's win over Wheaton North sets up a Week 9 battle of unbeatens to decide the DuPage Valley Conference for the second year in a row. And an opportunity for WW South (8-0, 6-0) to win an unprecedented fourth straight DVC title.

"It was kind of a 'trap game' as we like to call it," Tigers senior linebacker Pat Dansdill said. "We know we have North next week, but we knew we had Glenbard East this week. We knew we had to take care of business. We're looking to make history next week."

Dansdill, fellow linebacker James Eshleman and the Tigers defense set the tone against Glenbard East (3-5, 1-5), which had only been shut out by Naperville North coming into Friday.

WW South only allowed Glenbard East to cross midfield twice. Rams quarterback Jack Merrithey, who had accounted for more than 1,200 yards of total offense in seven games, was held to 42 passing yards and sacked twice by a blitzing Tigers defense that posted its first shutout of the season.

"Pressure on Merrithey is what you need to get," WW South coach Ron Muhitch said, "and then you have to be able to defend the pass without giving up the big ball. He's dangerous, and I like him a lot. He's a great little player."

"They brought a lot of pressure," Glenbard East coach Dennis Lueck said, "and really took us out of the pass. They were very quick to the ball. We had a couple drives that we just didn't finish."

Big plays sprung WW South to a 25-0 halftime lead. Joe Furco's 43-yard pass to Orlando Ross set up a 2-yard Julian Banuelos touchdown run. Furco hit a wide-open Steve Kmiotek on play-action for a 76-yard touchdown on the first play of the Tigers' second drive for a 13-0 lead. Banuelos later juked a defender in the backfield and went 49 yards for a touchdown, and Furco hooked up with Kmiotek again for a 71-yard score.

Furco completed 8 of 14 passes for 260 yards and 3 touchdowns, including a 28-yarder to Ross in the fourth quarter. Banuelos ran for 109 yards on just 8 carries, and Mike Olp gained 83 yards on 10 carries with a score.

Let the hype begin for the WW South-Naperville North rematch in Naperville. Dansdill remembers well the three-overtime Tigers win last year.

"We know they want us, it's on their turf and they're going to come after us," Dansdill said. "We'll be ready."