Wheaton Academy coach Wilson hopes to show Warriors the way
Last week Wheaton Academy won its first IHSA playoff football game in school history.
It was a Class 5A overtime thriller over No. 1 seed Hillcrest that moves the Warriors, along with Bishop McNamara, as the only No. 16 seeds left in the eight classes.
"As a coach, it's the No. 1 game I've been part of," Warriors leader Ben Wilson said.
He has climbed higher mountains.
Wilson was a senior receiver and defensive back on Maine South's 1995 Class 5A state champion. A team co-captain, Wilson recalls catching his only touchdown pass of the season in that title game, won on a last-minute field goal to defeat Mt. Carmel 31-28.
"That's my No. 1 highlight but this is a close second," Wilson said of Wheaton Academy's win. "And hopefully more to come."
Strike the pose
Illinois' 20 finalists have been announced for the Wendy's High School Heisman, which since 1994 has celebrated the best in prep academics, athletics, community service and school leadership.
The finalists - 10 girls, 10 boys - include two of Kane County's finest, Tim Johnson of St. Charles East and Andrew Scott of Aurora Central Catholic.
Other selections from near these parts include Hinsdale Central basketball star Toni Kokenis and Will Cronin, the quarterback who led Immaculate Conception to the 2008 Class 2A state championship. Scott and Cronin are friends, having traveled the football camp circuit over the past several years. The IC quarterback and the Chargers' fullback and linebacker reacquainted themselves, along with their parents, after the IC-ACC football game at Elmhurst College.
Johnson, a four-year cross country runner at St. Charles East and team captain this year, typifies the Wendy's Heisman field with his involvement in numerous club affiliations, National Honor Society membership, advanced-placement classes and the like.
He realizes how even advancing as a state finalist can benefit his continuing education.
"It's pretty exciting, because it looks real good on college applications," said Johnson, whose brother Matt is a linebacker at DePauw University, with 26 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
"I want to go to a pretty good college, and it helps a lot with that," Tim said. "It just inspires me to go above and beyond what I've been doing lately."
On Nov. 7 the winning boy and girl for each state will be posted on wendysheisman.com. National finalists will be named from Nov. 10-26 with the overall male and female anointed at a banquet in New York City on Dec. 11.
Johnson admitted the process has been a little nerve-racking, particularly as the final state selections near.
"I've been thinking about it, just lying in bed at night thinking about it, because if I got this it would be awesome," he said. "I've worked very hard in my academics and athletics throughout my high school career, and it's a thrill and an honor to be recognized for my achievement."
'It was a tough decision'
Angela Chokran is an outstanding swimmer, so good it put her in a bind.
A senior at St. Charles North, "Angie" had a conflicting schedule: the St. Charles East sectional on Nov. 14, or the 2009 National Youth Team FINA World Cup from Nov. 7-16.
"These kids, in the future, hope to represent the United States in higher competition such as world championships and, ultimately, the Olympics. So it is a big steppingstone toward that elite status," said Tim Lewarchick, head senior coach and aquatics director of the St. Charles Swim Team and Norris Recreation Center. Chokran has swum with that program since she was 8 years old.
When you put it like that, Olympics and all, the difficulty factor gets reduced.
As Lewarchick said, however, Chokran is disappointed not to be there for her St. Charles North teammates and coach Rob Rooney. In 2008 Chokran helped the North Stars to a 12th-place state finish, swimming on a seventh-place 200-yard medley relay and placing fourth in the 200 individual medley and second in the 100 breast stroke. She was fourth in the 100 breast as a sophomore.
At the World Cup, which takes Chokran to Berlin - she qualified after thriving at the World Cup Trials in Indianapolis and the U.S. Open National Championships and Junior Nationals both in Seattle - she'll be swimming the 100 and 200 breast stroke, the 100 butterfly, 100 and 200 individual medley, and 50 fly and 50 breast stroke. All in a two-day span.
"She's looking forward to going over there and swimming different event she hasn't swum in awhile," Lewarchick said.
The coach mentioned that "a lot of positive things are going on" in Chokran's life. She recently accepted a scholarship to Michigan, he said, and she was recently named by Illinois Swimming as its "Female Breakthrough Swimmer of the Year." (The club's Jon Cabel was named age group coach of the year.)
The best tangible evidence of her ascension came last week when her USA Swimming apparel arrived.
"When she got that she was on cloud 9," Lewarchick said. "Like anyone, when you get that opportunity to represent your country it's a huge honor, and she's very excited."
doberhelman@dailyherald.com