AT A GLANCE
Nickname Panthers
Colors Black and Old Gold
Stadium 990 Kuhn Road, Carol Stream
Enrollment 2765
Class 8A
Coach Ryan Wilkins (4th year, 20-14)
2007 record 9-5
Conference 4-3, 4th

Top returners
Evan Watkins    sr.    QB
Tyler Doll    sr.    RB
Andrew Zika    sr.    OL
Tony Heredia    sr.    OL
Mike Partipillo    sr.    OL
Keith Johnson    sr.     OL
Mike Fierro    sr.    DB
Charleston Soko    sr.    DL
Kyle Schwetz    sr.    DL
Steve Friedberg    sr.    LB
Jordan Brooks    sr.    FB
Andrew Ngyuen    sr.    WR
Tanner Bailey    sr.    DB
Tim Ruzika    sr.    WR
Nick Marks    sr.    DL

Promising newcomers
Emilio Pontarelli    jr.    TE
Nick Wozniak    jr.    OL

Season schedule
Aug. 29 at Bartlett, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 5 Crystal Lake South, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 12 Wheaton North, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 19 at Wheaton Warrenville South, 7:30 p.m.
Sept. 26 at Naperville North, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 3 West Chicago, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 10 Glenbard East, 7:30 p.m.
Oct. 17 at Naperville Central 7:30
Oct. 24 at West Aurora


Games to watch
Sept. 12 vs. Wheaton North Future Northwestern teammates Watkins and Falcons tailback Mike Trumpy collide
Sept. 26 at Naperville North Rematch of 2007 Class 8A state championship
Oct. 10 vs. Glenbard East Intra-district rivalry game
Oct. 24 at West Aurora Panthers knocked Blackhawks out of playoffs to ignite Cinderella run

FIVE-YEAR RECORD
    overall    conference    playoffs
’07    9-5    4-3    8A runner-up
’06    6-4    4-3    1st Rd.
’05    5-5    4-3    1st Rd.
’04    6-4    4-3    1st Rd.
’03    9-2    6-1    2nd Rd.


No tomorrow
Someone had to go home.
The final regular-season football game last fall had West Aurora coming to Carol Stream to face off with Glenbard North.
Both teams were 4-4, and an at-large bid in the Class 8A state playoffs awaited the winner.
“At that point we had to win to get in,” Coach Wilkins said. “We had nothing to lose and everything to lose at the same time. We came out on top.”
Riding the momentum of its hard-fought win over West Aurora, Glenbard North vanquished previously undefeated Whitney Young in the first round of the playoffs.
The run continued with wins over York, Fremd and top-seeded Mount Carmel to advance to the state championship game.
“If you look at our (regular-season) losses, they were all to playoff teams,” Wilkins noted. “They were by a total of 15 points. After the York game we were able to run the ball and our defense came alive.”

The ultimate arbiter
The Panthers’ victory over Fremd created a classic showdown, with far-ranging symbolic repercussions: a test against Catholic League powerhouse Mt. Carmel in the heart of the South Side.
“The DVC and the Chicago Catholic League Blue are the two premier football conferences in the state,” Wilkins said of the contest at Gately Stadium. “We were able to establish the run. We were able to chew up the clock, playing very physical.”
Glenbard North stunned the Caravan to reach the state-title game against league-foe Naperville North.
The Panthers’ unlikely run ended in Champaign.
“We wanted to treat it like any other week,” Wilkins said of the preparations against the Huskies. “It was a very disappointing ending for the seniors’ careers.”

Potent 1-2 punch
The Panthers return a dynamite backfield headed by Northwestern-bound quarterback Watkins and standout halfback Doll.
Glenbard North will employ an I-formation attack as Watkins directs the team in both a traditional under-the-center approach and shotgun.
“Most schools are going to multiple sets,” Wilkins said. “We like to run the football with play-action pass.”
Watkins and Doll are the bread-and-butter of the Panthers’ offense, their most significant impact players.
“(Watkins) is elusive for a kid his size (6-foot-6, 235 pounds),” Wilkins said. “He is big and athletic. He can throw it to anywhere on the field with his size and strength.
Doll uses a combination of physical prowess and intelligence as his primary weapons.
“He’s got a little more size to him this year,” Wilkins said. “His vision is very good. He knows the game of football.”

Future uncertain
The new season brings optimism with a sobering dose of realism.
“There’s no question that after taking second in state, we will be on (our opponents’) radar,” Wilkins said. “Our outlook right now is that we have a lot of work to do. We have to replace two all-state defensive backs (Justin Wahrman and Matt Ng). I don’t think there is a clear-cut favorite (to win the league).”

SENIOR SAYS
Evan Watkins
What was the key to your playoff run last season?
“At that point in the season everything started coming together. The team chemistry was very high. We really felt like we could go out there and get a win, no matter who we were playing.”

What makes the DVC such a competitive conference?
“The DVC is such a great conference. Three teams (Glenbard North, Naperville North, Wheaton Warrenville South) made it the state championship game last year. You can’t take any team for granted. You never know what to expect.”

What was the decisive factor in choosing Northwestern?
“It really came down to where I felt more comfortable and where I would fit in best. Big Ten football, you can’t beat that. The academics are great, and I will be playing in Chicago. Everything about Northwestern felt perfect at the time.”


BY THE NUMBERS
2,007 Number of passing yards by Evan Watkins (134-250, 21 touchdown)
348 Number of carries recorded by Tyler Doll last year
1,743 Yardage gained from scrimmage by Doll (13 touchdowns)
65-878-11 The Panthers need to replace Matt Ng, who had 65 receptions for 878 yards and 11 touchdowns.