Tightening the leadership reins

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Without strong leadership, any season can get out of hand quickly.

Following some offseason disciplinary issues, coach Ron Muhitch named himself the captain of the Wheaton Warrenville South football team when practice began Aug. 14. Muhitch said he felt with five new coaches on staff and having to discipline players for violating the school athletic code, that it would benefit the Tigers if he was the face of the team.

"At this point, what these kids need is strong leadership," Muhitch said. "If you can't do it yourself and get your acts turned around, then I'm going to be the bad guy and I'm going to be the guy who calls you out as a captain."

Senior linebacker Pat Dansdill said he understands why Muhitch arrived at that decision.

"I don't think he has enough trust in us right now," Dansdill said. "It doesn't really bother me. We still know who the leaders are on this team."

The defensive line was supposed to be the strength for WW South as it tries to win its fourth straight DuPage Valley Conference championship, which has never been done before, but some offseason disciplinary issues have left the group with more questions than answers.

Mike Riss is back and Matt Ives, Dre Gonzalez and Brian Hennings also will see time along the defensive front.

"It will hurt not to have our regular players, but we have replaced them," Muhitch said. "What is one guy's loss is another's opportunity. We have trust that will work and hope the next guy in the position does the job."

Muhitch's busy offseason began a few months after WW South's 7-3 loss to Lake Zurich in the Class 7A state championship game last season when defensive coordinator Joe Wardynski left to become Wheaton North's coach.

Mark Jackson, who served as Muhitch's special teams coach, replaces Wardynski as the defensive coordinator.

Also joining the staff this season are several former Tigers in defensive line coach Devon Finn, receivers coach Jon Schweighardt and quarterbacks coach Matt Alley.

Defensive backs coach Garrett Granberg and offensive line coach Pat Watson are also new to the staff.

Muhitch and the new coaches have turned their attention to the product on the field where the Tigers will try to break in a number of new players - including at the quarterback position where senior Joe Furco will start, but junior Mack Tracy also will see time.

"They both need to be on the field," Muhitch said. "Right now, I'm not sure how we'll use them, but I see a lot of potential trick plays out of them."

Junior running back Peter Jarrett returns as does senior fullback Mike Olp while junior running back Julian Banuelos also will see time in the backfield.

Seniors Lucas Smedinghoff and Orlando Ross and juniors Greg McAndrew and Steve Kmiotek are all vying for time at receiver.

On defense, only Dansdill is back as a starter at linebacker, but Luke Urbik and James Eschleman, a senior transfer from Sterling High School, are expected to step in at the other linebacker positions.

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