Class 7A championship WW South vs. Glenbard West
WW South (12-1) vs.
Glenbard West (13-0)
When 4 p.m. Saturday
Where Memorial Stadium, University of Illinois, Champaign.
TV WPWR-Channel 50
Playoff history WW South is making its ninth title game appearance and seeks a sixth championship. The Tigers claimed the crown in 1992, 1995, 1996, 1998 and 2006. This is only the second time these regional rivals have met in the postseason. Wheaton Central beat Glenbard West 7-3 in the second round of the 1990 Class 5A playoffs. The Hilltoppers earned their third title game appearance after finishing second in 1976 and claiming the 1983 Class 5A crown.
Road to Champaign WW South, a No. 2 seed, beat No. 7 St. Laurence, 61-6; No. 3 Geneva, 30-16; No. 4 St. Rita, 23-15; and No. 2 East St. Louis, 34-15. Glenbard West, top-seeded in its bracket, beat No. 16 Rockford Guilford, 28-0; No. 9 Rockton Hononegah, 27-14; No. 12 St. Charles North, 45-12; and No. 11 Lake Zurich, 21-17.
Coaches WW South's Ron Muhitch has coached in every Tigers title game. With an 81-16 record in eight seasons at the helm, Muhitch led the Tigers to the 2006 Class 8A crown and a runner-up 7A finish in 2007. Glenbard West's Chad Hetlet is in his third year as head coach and holds a 31-6 record. His teams have made the playoffs in all three seasons, including last year's 7A semifinal berth. In a six-year head coaching career that includes stints at Johnsburg and McHenry, Hetlet's teams have never had a losing record.
WW South's offense (37.2 points; 329.2 yards per game) vs. Glenbard West's defense (9.8 points; 155.4 yards allowed per game) The Tigers have been front-running all season, outscoring opponents 275-67 in the first half. The offense really ramped up when Reilly O'Toole took over exclusively at quarterback, allowing Mack Tracey to focus on being a go-to guy in the receiving game. O'Toole's completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,990 yards and 23 touchdowns against only 1 interception. Spreading the wealth while being protected by a pair of all-DuPage Valley Conference linemen in Nick Immekus and co-DVC lineman of the year Rocco Ammons, seven players boast double-digit receptions led by Greg McAndrew's 31 with 6 touchdowns. Although the Tigers lost tight end Dan Hohenstein to a season-ending knee injury, they got a key receiver back in Steve Kmiotek, who returned from a torn ACL. Running back Matt Rogers filled in admirably for Julian Banuelos when he missed some time with a knee injury, and now the Tigers have a two-headed rushing monster that's combined for 1,230 yards and 23 touchdowns. Glenbard West's defense is linebacker-driven in a 3-5-3 set, but there's strength everywhere starting with sophomore Tommy Schutt up front. The Hilltoppers suffered a big loss when linebacker Beau Warden went down with a broken fibula, but the linebacking corps has immense depth anchored by Connor Loftus, who leads the team with 71 solo tackles and 16 tackles for loss, and Tim Hollowed, who's added 12 TFLs. Hollowed's also led the way for a group that's forced 38 turnovers, causing 5 fumbles and snaring 6 interceptions. Jack Marston's nabbed 7 picks and has scored twice on fumble returns.
Glenbard West's offense (35.6 points; 393.2 yards per game) vs. WW South's defense (10.2 points; 237.6 yards allowed per game) Behind a dominant line with Division I prospect Jordan Walsh and sophomore Johnny Caspers powering the right side, no one's been able to slow Glenbard West's running game that's piled up 3,400 yards with a handful of quality backs. Adam Bruere paces the group with 913 yards and 16 touchdowns while Pierre Washington-Steel, Steve Jones and Nick Burrello each boast at least 450 rushing yards with quick hit misdirection plays and sweeps. The unsung talent of the group is quarterback Tyler Warden, who has gradually emerged throughout the season. Glenbard West is now a balanced offense, with Warden accounting for 1,702 passing yards and 16 touchdowns at a 74 percent completion rate. His receivers are extremely dangerous led by Burrello, who has 37 catches for 580 yards, and J.T. Mesch, who's averaged nearly 20 yards a catch. Also keep an eye on talented tight end Will Caspers and Mark Hiben, a junior varsity player much of the season who caught the game-winning pass against Lake Zurich. WW South's defense again will be out-sized but it'll be tough to out-quick them. The Tigers have simply sped around bigger teams all season, especially in the playoffs against St. Rita and East St. Louis. Defensive end Matt Ives is a terror on the edge, accounting for 10 sacks. Mike Heaton, Tom LaBelle and Jack Eshelman are virtual clones at linebacker. They carry a good deal of the load as the team's three leading tacklers. The secondary's filled with ballhawks. Shane Dierking, a punishing hitter, has 4 interceptions. The turnover ratio is a stunning 24-4 edge for the Tigers, including 13-1 in the playoffs.
Intangibles If it comes down to special teams, it's hard to bet against the Tigers' Nick Immekus who's made 9 field goals, including a 47-yarder, and blasted 66 touchbacks. It's also tough to top WW South's wicked playoff road that included 2008 7A champion East St. Louis. The Hilltoppers faced a second-half deficit for the first time last week and showed their mettle in rallying to victory. In the 65th and most-important meeting between the storied DuPage County programs, these rivals appear ready to thrive on the pressure.