Sign of the times as WW South thinks visually

Wheaton Warrenville South football coach Ron Muhitch called it a “gimmick,” a new way for the offense to send in plays from the sideline.

Last week the Tigers created signs for players and coaches to hold up during drives to indicate formations for the offense. In addition, a number was signaled in for the receivers to know the play being called.

The various signs were interesting. They had everything from a picture of the University of Alabama logo to a picture of a stealth bomber. Others simply had a word typed on it, like “VIPER.”

Some signs indicated actual play calls, while others were dummy signs.

WW South held on for Friday’s 14-7 win over Naperville Central to keep alive its hopes for a playoff berth and a shot at its third straight DuPage Valley Conference title.

“We needed a gimmick,” Muhitch said. “We had trouble getting plays called correctly, and we thought we could clean that up.”

In the past WW South’s quarterbacks came to the sideline to get the play from Muhitch. Not only was it a timely process but it also caused occasional lapses in communication.

The signs — something Muhitch never used before — aim to improve both potential problems.

“We had fun with it,” Muhitch said. “We needed something for the kids to believe in, and we needed a way to communicate better. This was a way to accomplish that.”