The News Sports Prep
There is a morning and afternoon session. Morning ticket sales will begin at 8:00 a.m. Admission is $6, or $10 for both sessions, free for children age four and under. Spectators must enter through the gymnasium entrance #27. Concessions will be offered all day.
Tigers Victorious in Classic Contest
Despite several critical turnovers and some questionable officiating, Saturday’s Class 7A state championship game between Wheaton Warrenville South and Glenbard West was just what it should have been—two evenly-matched teams going down to the wire for the top spot in the state.
“I’m really proud of our kids,” said Tiger coach Ron Muhitch, whose team came away with a 31-24 win in double overtime. “But I’m proud of Glenbard West as well. It’s great to see two teams, just a stone’s throw away from each other, represent DuPage County so well.”
Wheaton Warrenville South reigns as Class 7A state champs, after defeating Glenbard West 31-24 in double overtime this afternoon at Memorial Stadium in Champaign.
For the Tigers, it marked the sixth time that they have captured the state title, their last one also coming under the tutelage of Coach Ron Muhitch back in 2006. Only four of the 760 Illinois high school football teams can lay claim to more than six state football championships.
Saturday, Nov. 21 . . . Running back Julian Banuelos and quarterback Riley O'Toole each scored a pair of touchdowns and Nick Immekus added two field goals as Wheaton Warrenville South handily defeated East St. Louis 34-15 when the two teams met this afternoon in a Class 7A semifinal matchup at Red Grange Field in Wheaton.
With the win, the Tigers advance to the state championship game at Memorial Stadium in Champaign next Saturday, Nov. 28 at 4:00 p.m., where they will face Glenbard West who defeated Lake Zurich 21-17 in the other Class 7A semifinal contest played today.
The championship game will be televised live on Channel 50.
In its toughest contest since losing to Maine South in week 2, Wheaton Warrenville South (11-1) advanced to the Class 7A semifinals Friday night, defeating powerhouse St. Rita 23-14 in a quarterfinal matchup in Chicago.
Held to just 45 yards rushing by a tough St. Rita defense, Tiger quarterback Riley O’Toole took to the air, completing 19 of 35 passes for 231 yards, including a 47-yard first-quarter grab by Greg McAndrew and a 3-yard TD toss to Mack Tracey in the final quarter.
Wheaton Warrenville South's explosive offense went into high gear early on against No. 3 seed Geneva last Friday when the two teams squared off at Red Grange Field in Wheaton in their second-round Class 7A playoff battle.
The 2nd-seeded Tigers converted on three fourth-down situations, including a fake punt, on their way to a 23-0 half time advantage.
Quarterback Reilly O'Toole connected with Steve Kmiotek and Greg McAndrew for two of the first-half scores, and Matt Rogers' 21-yard run accounted for a third.
A 25-yard Nick Immekus field goal capped off the Tigers' first-half scoring onslaught.
Anxious to prove it can play with the big boys, Geneva fought back in the second stanza, closing the gap to 23-16 with eight minutes remaining to play, but a pick by Joe Krob, followed by Rogers' second scoring run, sealed the deal for the Tigers.
WW South (10-1) advances to the quarterfinals, traveling to St. Rita next weekend.
Wanted: A football team that can score more than 48 points in the first half and more than 61 points a game.
That's what it may take to thwart Wheaton Warrenville South (9-1) in its quest for yet another Class 7A state football title. After taking a 48-0 lead over Aurora West on their way to a 61-0 shutout two weeks ago, the Tigers came up with an encore performance Friday night in the first round of postseason play, annihilating St. Laurence 61-6, and again triggering a running clock early on with a 48-point first-half barrage.
Tigers Begin Postseason Play Friday, Oct. 30.
Written by Staff Writer
No. 2 seed Wheaton Warrenville South (8-1) will face No. 7 seed Burbank-St. Laurence (6-3) in the first round of the IHSA Class 7A football state playoffs.
Kickoff is Friday, Oct. 30 at 7:00 p.m. at Red Grange Field in Wheaton.
The wind and drizzle at Red Grange Field had little effect on Wheaton Warrenville South Friday night, as the Tigers redefined the term "offensive juggernaut" by pummeling Aurora West 61-0 on their way to yet another DuPage Valley Conference title.
Running back Matt Rogers' three first-half touchdowns sparked the way to a 48-0 half time advantage, giving coach Ron Muhitch the luxury of freely playing every senior on the squad in the final game of the regular season.
WW South showed its depth in the second half, adding 13 more points while shutting out the Blackhawks. Third-string quarterback Ryan Crowe hit Travis Kern with a TD pass and Andrew Horten added another score with a six-yard run.
The Tigers open postseason play at home next weekend. The time and date of their first-round matchup should be announced Monday or Tuesday.
Everyone expected it to be a close game. It wasn't.
Friday night's 35-7 drubbing of Glenbard North (7-1, 5-1 in DVC) in Carol Stream assured Wheaton Warrenville South (7-1, 6-0) of a share of the DuPage Valley Conference title, and a win over West Aurora next Friday would give the Tigers the conference crown outright.
That is virtually a foregone conclusion and means that, come this time next week, WW South will have notched a dozen conference titles unblemished by a conference defeat.
