Wheaton College football coach Mike Swider is entering his 20th year as head boss of the Thunder.
In his first 19 seasons, he won 159 games and posted a .783 winning percentage, which is ninth in the nation among active Division III coaches. That percentage is also 12th in Division III history among any coach who logged 10 or more years. He also won eight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin titles, reached the NCAA playoffs seven times, helped produce 198 all-conference players and 31 All-America players.
What’s missing from that impressive resume is a national title.
Will this be the year for that?
The ingredients are there for a big season.
Lindy’s Magazine ranks Wheaton third in the nation behind perennial power Mt. Union and defending two-time Division III champ Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The veteran coach has the key to winning a national title. Getting the key to start the engine will be the tricky part.
“We need to work on consistency,” Swider said. “We need to play a consistent 60 minutes every week. If you look at championship teams, they are methodical and consistent in their play. This team has to do that, home or away, regardless of the opponent.”
The first opponent is Coe College at 1 p.m. Saturday in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Area fans will get to see the Thunder at home at McCully Stadium for the first time on Sept. 12 against Adrian College.
Other big games on the schedule include the Oct. 10 homecoming game against Augustana and an Oct. 24 game in Naperville against North Central College, a team which is also nationally ranked.
Fifteen players from the area are on the roster.
Senior linebacker Adam Dansdill is back after a season in which he was named second team All- America as he finished the season with 133 tackles.
Mikey Swider, a senior linebacker from Wheaton North, racked up more than 100 tackles in 2014.
Johnny Peltz, a senior from Wheaton North, is a quarterback candidate after throwing for more than 1,600 yards and running for 596 in 2014.
Luke Thorson, a senior wide receiver from Wheaton Academy, caught 66 passes for 888 yards in 2014
Christian Hollinger, a senior offensive lineman from Wheaton North, saw regular action on an offensive line that averaged over 418 yards per game.
Others on the squad from the Wheaton area are freshman defensive back Andrew Brady (Wheaton North), junior wide receiver Michael Robinson (St. Francis), junior defensive back Jared Strom (Wheaton North), sophomore defensive back Daniel Sveen (Wheaton Warrenville South), sophomore offensive lineman Jon Callaway (Wheaton Warrenville South), senior defensive lineman Jack Nussbaum (Wheaton North), freshman defensive lineman David Bauer (a Wheaton native who attended Chicago Hope Academy), freshman offensive lineman Nathaniel Schulz (Wheaton North), freshman wide receiver Michael Bloss (Wheaton North) and freshman wide receiver Dillon Oleson (Wheaton Academy).
Vorva is a freelance reporter.
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