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Wheaton teams in a tough spot

Did you feel that? That was the sense of urgency kicking in.

We head into Week 5 with a slightly better view of how the football season's rounding into shape. For some the shape ain't pretty.

This latest edition of Eyes on Five again peppers the field with a little bit of everything.

1. Must wins:

Hard to believe, but Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North both must win four of their last five games to reach five victories and a near-guaranteed playoff berth. The loser of Friday's cross-town game will have to win out.

It's a stunning situation for programs traditionally cemented in the postseason. Wheaton North has made seven straight appearances, while the Tigers have qualified 24 of the last 26 years.

"We're definitely in playoff mode," said WW South coach Ron Muhitch.

WW South is coming off a 10-7 loss to to Naperville Central that saw the Redhawks drive in the final minutes from inside their 1-yard line to the Tigers' 12 for a last-second game-winning field goal. What stood out most on the drive in Muhitch's mind were two penalties - two of nine for the game.

The Tigers, in fact, are averaging nine penalties a game. It's become a huge source of frustration with Muhitch, who recognizes how slim the margin for error has become for his team.

Muhitch spoke with his captains, and the veteran coach decided there would be consequences for every penalty and mistake made during Monday's practice. At the end of the practice, normally a light day, the team needed to complete 17 wind sprints.

It's a clear message that the Tigers can't afford to make the margin any smaller.

"We're beating ourselves more than other teams are beating us," Muhitch said. "We've got to make it stop."

2. Watch this:

Here's a list of five players to make a point of seeing in person. As a twist, though, it's a list of defensive players.

• Josh King, Hinsdale South: You name the college, and they've probably offered the 6-foot-7, 230-pound lineman considered to be the state's top-rated junior recruit. He's also terrorizing defenses as a receiver for the unbeaten Hornets.

• Bobby McMillen, Naperville Central: If there's a big play for the Redhawks, McMillen's likely at the heart of it. Whether it's a blocked punt or a sack, the 6-2, 225-pound Iowa State-bound linebacker is always around the ball.

• E.J. Phillips, Downers Grove North: Good luck slowing this 6-foot, 300-pound lineman. Part run-stuffer and part quarterback terror, all he does is dominate opposing offensive linemen.

• Antonio Shenault, Lake Park: The 5-11, 185-pound defensive back is one of the state's top uncommitted seniors. He's been brilliant blowing up offensive schemes, and his leaping touchdown grab on Friday showed how brilliant he can be in all phases.

• Tom Vitale, WW South: Committed to join his older brother at Northwestern, he's at the core of one of DuPage County's elite defenses. If the Tigers do recover to make the playoffs, Vitale will be a major reason why.

3. Striking out:

As teachers and the Hinsdale Township High School District 86 school board continue to negotiate a new teaching contract, the two affected football teams continue to go about their business.

To recap, for months the two sides have been negotiating a contract to replace the one that expired at the end of June. Two weeks ago the teachers union filed a 28-day notice to strike, which puts the football seasons for Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South on mighty nervous ground.

Technically, the teachers could strike the week of the cross-town game slated for Oct. 11 at Hinsdale Central, but John Bowman, president of the teachers association, said teachers are "committed to preserving homecoming for the students." If that's the case, a strike wouldn't occur until football season's Week 8 at the earliest.

Out of curiosity, I contacted the IHSA to find out what would happen if Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South teachers did strike the week of the cross-town game. Usually a striking school is forced to forfeit, but what happens when both competing schools are on strike?

According to the IHSA, the game wouldn't count. It'd mean an eight-game regular season for the Hinsdales, and subsequent games affected by a strike would be forfeit losses unless certified coaches crossed the picket line.

If the strike were settled over the weekend, the IHSA likely would permit the teams to play on Sunday, if necessary.

As mentioned before, hopefully it doesn't come down to that. Hinsdale South enters the weekend at 4-0, while Hinsdale Central stands at 3-1.

It'd be a shame to put either season in jeopardy.

4. Speaking of...:

Speaking of which, the Illinois General Assembly Education Committee tentatively scheduled a second hearing on the IHSA for Oct. 3 at South Shore College Prep in Chicago.

The first hearing took place in the spring with the purpose of investigating the inner workings of the IHSA and discovering how the organization goes about its financial business. It's basically a fact-finding mission, spearheaded by Aurora representative Linda Chapa LaVia, to see if the state should step in and take over the IHSA's responsibilities.

The second hearing is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. on the first Friday in October.

Why is the time and day significant? Because that's Week 6 in the football season, and statewide athletic directors and school administrators will be feverishly preparing for games that afternoon and night.

Those would be the same athletic directors and administrators who packed the last hearing in support of the IHSA, so much so that the hearing had to be moved to a bigger conference room to accommodate the masses.

Now, a cynical person might suggest the state purposely scheduled the October hearing for late afternoon on a Friday to make sure the IHSA wouldn't be able to tangibly display the support it has from schools throughout the state.

Good thing we're not cynical...

5. Stat time:

Benet's allowed only 33 points this season. No other team in the East Suburban Catholic Conference has allowed fewer than the 63 by Marian Central Catholic.

The Redwings' opponents are averaging about 8 points per game compared to the average of 21 points surrendered by the rest of the ESCC. Despite graduating the bulk of its stellar defense from a year ago, Benet's stout unit hit the ground running this season.

It's been a critical aspect of the unbeaten Redwings' success as they continue their push toward matching - and hopefully exceeding - last year's 6-0 start. As always, though, it won't be easy.

As one of six ESCC teams to qualify for the playoffs in 2013, Benet's leading another big batch of conference teams poised to qualify this year. With showdowns looming against Nazareth, Joliet Catholic and others, Benet's defense will keep getting tested.

Follow Kevin on Twitter @kevin_schmit

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