It looks like an arms race in the ultra-competitive West Suburban (Silver) Conference this year. Led by dual threat quarterbacks John Whitelaw and Tyler Warden, respectively, Hinsdale Central and Glenbard West are the prohibitive favorites to win the conference championship. Throw in Proviso West’s 6-foot-5 wideout Kyle Prater, one of the top players in the country, and it’s obvious that the conference will once again be competitive.
Lyons Township hopes to put its share of points on the scoreboard via the leadership and stellar play of senior quarterback Ryan Mitchell. The 6-foot-1, 180-pound Mitchell is poised for a big season, particularly under the guidance of new LT head coach Kurt Weinberg, who replaces retired coach Jack Derning.
“Ryan is a very athletic, fast and tough kid,” Weinberg said. “I’ve been anxious to see him fully in live action. He’s explosive, enjoys contact, and he has good skills set across the board. I’m excited about turning him loose to see what he can do.”
Prior to accepting the LT job, Weinberg was the head coach at Highland Park. He guided the Giants to a 53-39 mark during his nine seasons, including an 8-3 record and 35.5 points per game average in 2008.
Implementing a spread offense that will utilize Mitchell’s explosive speed and strong arm, Weinberg knows the real key to the Lions’ offensive success will be balance.
Along with Mitchell’s carries, the running game will revolve around senior running back Nick Brown, who Weinberg describes as a “Jerome Bettis-type” back, and offensive lineman Bill Bronec (6-3, 255), Tim Brockman (6-4, 235), Mike Harper (6-0, 270), Wesley Ott (6-4, 260) and Tom Callahan (6-5, 250). Mitchell will look for wide receivers JD Heinz, Jordan Hester, Keenan Deer, Christian Klotz and Dylan Fiedler in the Lions’ passing game.
“We’re picking up the offense even faster than I thought we would,” Mitchell said. “The best word to describe this offense is ‘explosive’. We have a lot of playmakers in guys like Nick Brown, Jordan Hester and Chris Klotz.”
Defensively, team captains Brookes Wittkamper, Jim Newsome and Jack Piecuch (other LT captains are Mitchell and Brockman) will lead a physical, athletic unit under defensive coordinator Mike Morrison.
First-year varsity players defensive linemen Blaise Davis and Guillermo Gonzalez, along with defensive backs Mark Sewall and Brian Kelley (also the Lions’ backup quarterback) provide depth for the LT defense.