Energized Wheaton Academy eager for homecoming

It'll be a memorable homecoming weekend at Wheaton Academy.

The Warriors are 4-0 heading into Saturday's football game against Riverside-Brookfield at Performance Trust Field in West Chicago. It's the program's West Division debut in the Metro Suburban Conference.

"It should be a great weekend," said Wheaton Academy coach Brad Thornton. "Everyone's excited when you're winning. It's great to be around."

Wheaton Academy's unbeaten through four games for the second time since the team was revived in 2007 after being discontinued in 1989. The Warriors were 4-0 to start the 2010 season but then lost four of their last five games and missed the playoffs.

A win over Riverside-Brookfield (2-2) not only would mark Wheaton Academy's best start since the program's revival, it'd put the Warriors a crucial step closer to a sixth win and a guaranteed playoff spot. The program's lone playoff appearance remains 2009 when the Warriors advanced to the second round in Class 5A.

"We really want to get off on the right foot in conference, especially on homecoming," Thornton said. "When we get to the back end of our schedule, we know it gets tougher and we'll face some adversity. We know we're going to have to play well to be successful."

Making strides:

In addition to the score, a positive in the game story of West Chicago's 32-12 Week 4 win over Elgin was the excitement of Wildcats quarterback Peyton Seidler.

"It's been amazing so far," Seidler told Daily Herald correspondent Jeff Smith, who also noted that West Chicago's 2-2 record is the first time since 2005 the Wildcats have been at .500 through four games.

Nothing instills confidence like a solid ground game. Last week's one-two punch of seniors Parrish Benton and Danny Lazzerini paced 280 yards rushing.

Playing winless Larkin this week, West Chicago has a shot at surpassing .500 after five games for the first time since 2003. Far from being in a position to nonchalant anything, this game is part of a process.

"I think with this group, they're upbeat, I think they're building some confidence," said Wildcats coach Ted Monken. "There's still a little bit of uncertainty because we're still in the very beginning stages of what we're trying to do in the program."

Classmates want in. Positive buzz by players already on the team has brought in newcomers.

"This is the first program I've been around that the numbers actually increased since the first practice," Monken said.

He appoints no captains. Monken expects all seniors to lead, and they take turns representing the team for the coin toss. Not all are as excitable as Seidler.

"Frank Ficarra, our right tackle, is the biggest guy out there and he doesn't say a word," Monken said. "He just works his butt off."

On the run:

After a year away from the sport, Doug Michalak returned to Wheaton North's football team for his senior season.

The Falcons welcomed him back with open arms.

"It's helped us a ton," said Falcons coach Joe Wardynski. "We definitely have a need for a player like him."

Wheaton North (1-3) started the season using the 5-foot-9, 195-pound senior on the defensive line at the nose. After two games, however, Wardynski and the Falcons' coaching staff decided they needed a more physical presence in the offensive backfield.

Michalak, who gained experience at running back on the lower levels, saw his first carries in Week 3 against Simeon and had 10 yards on 5 carries. In last week's 17-10 win over Lake Park, Michalak stepped up with 19 carries for 68 hard-fought yards.

For his effort in the Falcons' first win of the season, Michalak was named the program's offensive player of the week.

"We wanted to give him a try back there, and we were real happy with him," Wardynski said. "He just give us more of a punch in the run game."

New-look old-school

Glenbard East gets another crack at one of the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division heavies when it hosts unbeaten Waubonsie Valley. The teams enter with 7 total wins. After last week's 56-6 blitz of East Aurora, Glenbard East is 3-1, losing to Neuqua Valley, 20-6.

"I think we have some speed of our own, but they're going to present us with some speed we haven't seen yet this year - at running back and quarterback, on defense," said Rams coach John Walters.

Walters will have all hands on deck against Waubonsie tailback Tony Durns, but when asked said the best player he's seen on tape yet this season is Warriors quarterback Zach Bennema based on his command of the option offense.

Glenbard East will lean on running back Dominic Wilberton, who has run for 358 yards and 4 touchdowns; and the quarterback tandem of Phil Abruzino and starter Drake Pusateri, back from injury.

"It's two teams that run an open concept of an offense, two teams trying to figure out how to run the ball," Walters said. "It's an old-school football game even though it looks new-age."

Lemonade from lemons:

Crack open a dictionary, look up the word "downhearted" and the entry may include a picture of St. Francis running back and defensive back Steven Fassnacht as he appeared at about 9:30 p.m. Sept. 12. Getting rained on, inactive on the medical cart, broken right ankle, watching St. Francis lose its Week 3 game to Marmion.

Although his season was over after less than three games with 210 yards rushing and 13 tackles, as a senior co-captain his job's not finished.

"He's essentially an assistant coach now," Spartans coach Mike Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald told the 185-pounder he could still impact the team's success and Fassnacht has taken to it. Aside from doctor's appointments Fassnacht hasn't missed a practice or meeting.

"He is working with the running backs every day and helping prepare them each week," Fitzgerald said. "His younger brother (junior Peter) is also playing defensive back, so I know he is helping his brother along with the other guys to get ready each week.

"We talk all the time about responding to adversity and staying positive during tough times, and he is definitely exemplifying these characteristics over the last week."

Downside of tough scheduling:

Montini enters Week 5 at 2-2 after losses to Maine South and St. Rita and wins over East St. Louis and De La Salle. You pay the piper against teams like this, and Montini has.

Punter and receiver Stephen Dennis, defensive end Pat Howard, safety Alex Floeckher, right tackle Dominiak and receiver Connor Placey all are out for this week's home game against Leo.

One absence was unavoidable. Broncos coach Chris Andriano said Placey had an emergency appendectomy.

Another could have been avoided. Andriano said Dominiak, a 6-foot-3, 290-pound sophomore, tore an anterior cruciate ligament celebrating a touchdown. He jumped and landed wrong on an uneven patch on De La Salle's grass field.

These things happen, though. Players like lineman Joe Spivak, already a starter on defense, and receivers Justin Blake and Tommy Hyland are in line for more reps.

"It's opportunities for other kids to step up and improve our depth, and when we get these kids back hopefully we'll be better," Andriano said.

Brain, power

On Wednesday Indian Prairie District 204 released the names of its 31 students named as semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. They were among approximately 1.4 million students nationwide who took the 2013 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. Though 16,000 students are semifinalists, this still represents less than 1 percent of all high school seniors.

On the D204 list was Neuqua Valley senior Henry "Hank" Michalski, the Wildcats' two-year starting center.

"He is also one of the strongest kids we have," said Neuqua coach Bill Ellinghaus.