A group of 290-pound teenagers walks into an all-you-can eat buffet.
It’s not a joke because there is no punch line, but it’s funny because it’s true.
“You should see the look on the faces of the people who own the place,” Paul Wisniewski said. “It’s like, ‘Oh no, not again.’ “
A senior and one of four returning starters from 2009, Wisniewski has been instrumental to No. 6 Glenbard North’s success on and off the field this season.
A 6-foot-4, 290-pound tackle who recently received his first scholarship offer from Wyoming, Wisniewski’s leadership of an otherwise green offensive line has been invaluable to an offense that has averaged about 240 yards a game on the ground.
Glenbard North rushed for better than 800 yards the past three weeks heading into Friday night’s DuPage Valley Conference-deciding showdown with No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South.
“What our coaches have been begging us to do, we didn’t do well in the first four or five games, and that is communicate,” Wisniewski said. “We have been talking a lot more — not just on the field, even if it is just what are we having for dinner. It’s important for us to have camaraderie and a feeling of being together as a group.”
In a way, Wisniewski, a strong student who has received interest from Ivy League and Mid-American Conference schools, thinks Glenbard North is better off with so many first-year starters heading into this game.
After all, last year’s group was 7-0 and had allowed 12 points in its six games before a 35-7 whooping by Wheaton South.
“We have a whole different group of guys,” Wisniewski said. “All the guys are psyched for the game. There is no sense of what happened last year because so few of us were on the field to experience it.
“We’ve had a great week of practice so far. We understand Wheaton Warrenville South is a great team and it’s going to be a battle. We feel we have a chance. It’s gonna be a dogfight.”
No. 6 Glenbard North at No. 1 Wheaton Warrenville South
When:
7:30 p.m. Friday.
Where:
1993 Tiger Trail, Wheaton.
Last meeting:
2009, Wheaton South won 35-7.
Records:
Glenbard North 7-0, 5-0 DuPage Valley; Wheaton South 7-0, 5-0.
Players to watch:
Glenbard North — Phil Jackson, jr., RB/LB, 5-11, 200 (98 carries, 678 yards, 8 TDs); Evin Natick, sr., 5-8, 190, RB/LB (105 carries, 582 yards, 11 TDs); Alex Wynn, sr., DL, 6-4, 290. Wheaton South — Reilly O’Toole, sr., QB, 6-3, 215 (79-for-107, 1,713 yards, 23 TDs, 1 INT); Titus Davis, sr., WR, 6-2, 175 (27 catches, 644 yards, 10 TDs); Matt Rogers, sr., RB, 5-11, 185 (90 carries, 597 yards, 11 TDs).
X and O factor:
Perhaps the most impressive thing about O’Toole’s off-the-charts success this season has been the number of formations and personnel packages he has run with precision. He is equally comfortable under center and in the shotgun as Wheaton South has been effective with spread, power and pro formations.
FYI:
Wheaton South has won 42 of its last 43 DuPage Valley games, and 12 in a row. The Tigers’ last conference loss was to Naperville North, 7-6, in 2008.
He said it:
We don’t talk about that (last year’s 35-7 loss to Wheaton South) at all. We just focus on us as much as possible. We look at what they do and what we do and where we can have success. Obviously we know how successful their program is. No one does not know that.” — Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens.
