By Kevin Askeland
MaxPreps.com
This week’s marquee matchup between Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North will be missing a few of its headline players.
The Falcons and Tigers battle for bragging rights in the town where Red Grange once roamed the gridiron and the game is part of the MaxPreps 5 Days 2 Friday series.
However, several key players will miss the game, and likely the rest of the season. South standout running back Peter Jarrett was lost this week when he tore an ACL in practice.
“Peter was one of our captains, and he meant so much to us. He had close to 1,000 yards of total offense and 12 touchdowns. He is going to be missed.” South coach Ron Muhitch told the Chicago Tribune.
Meanwhile Wheaton North will be without junior quarterback Taylor Graham, who broke his ankle two weeks ago against Aurora West. Graham, the son of former NFL quarterback Kent Graham, engineered Wheaton North’s win over Lake Zurich, the defending 7A state champions, in week two. The victory snapped a 14-game win streak for Lake Zurich. Graham completed 12 of 19 passes for 151 yards in the win.
Junior Banuelos will replace Barrett in the South backfield while Justin Swider has been a capable replacement for Graham, leading the Falcons to two straight wins.
One injured player who is expected to play is Wheaton North’s All-State running back Mike Trumpy, who sat out last week’s game with an injured hamstring. Trumpy, who is the nephew for former NFL tight end Bob Trumpy, was on a roll prior to the injury. In the first three games of the season, Trumpy rushed for 714 yards, including 266 in a win over defending 4A state champion Addison Trail, 222 against Lake Zurich and 226 in a loss to Glenbard North. Trumpy unofficially has 932 yards on the season.
Bound for Northwestern, Trumpy ran for 1,644 yards and 19 touchdowns last season.
Muhitch’s Tigers have been one of the top teams in Illinois the past four years. South, ranked No. 2 in Illinois with a 6-0 record, has won 24-straight DuPage Valley League contests and has posted a 44-2 record in three and a half seasons with an 8A championship in 2006 and a runner-up finish in 2007.
One of the coaches who was part of that impressive run is Joe Wardynski, the current Wheaton North coach. In his first year as the head coach of the Falcons, Wardynski was an assistant to Muhitch for nine seasons and the defensive coordinator for the past four seasons.
The Falcons were 5-5 last year and returned only one starter on the offensive and defensive lines. However Wardynski has his team at 4-2 with wins over a pair of defending state champs.
Besides Trumpy on offense, the Falcons also have a returning all-area player in linebacker Jack DeAno, who had six interceptions last season.
South appears to have the edge based on common opponents. The Tigers edged Glenbard North 16-14 on a game-winning 45-yard field goal by Nick Immekus while Wheaton North lost to Glenbard North 35-14. The Falcons also lost to Naperville Central 28-13 while South won easily, 45-7.
In addition to losing Jarrett, South will also be without receiver Mack Tracey (broken wrist) and safety Kyle Blouin (mononucleosis).
5 Days 2 Friday