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2009 All-DuPage Valley Conference
OFFENSE
Offensive Team Co-Captains: Nick Linne, Naperville Central; Leon Spears, West Aurora
Outstanding Co-Offensive Lineman: Mike Partipillo, Glenbard North; Roco Ammons, Wheaton Warrenville South

Running Back
*Evin Natick, Glenbard North senior
*Idris Hanidu, Naperville North senior
Leon Spears, West Aurora senior

Wide Receivers/Ends
Mike Carev, Glenbard North senior
*Hayden Daniels, Naperville Central junior
Richard Finley, Wheaton North junior
Greg McAndrews, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

Offensive Line
Nick Wozniak, Glenbard North senior
Mike Partipillo, Glenbard North senior
*Soern Osborne, Naperville North junior
Nolan Randall, Naperville North senior
Rocco Ammons, Wheaton Warrenville South senior
Chris Cortopassi, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

Quarterback
Jack Merrithey, Glenbard East senior
Nick Linne, Naperville Central senior
Reilly O'Toole, Wheaton Warrenville South junior

TE/Offensive All Purpose
Lee Skinner, Glenbard East senior
Cam Brate, Naperville Central senior
Mack Tracey, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

DEFENSE
Defensive Team Captain: Nick Lifka, Naperville North
Outstanding Defensive Linemen: Nick Abbate, Glenbard North

Defensive Back
Brandon Salemi, Glenbard North senior
Blake Zumpano, West Chicago senior
Carson Rajcan, Wheaton North senior
Shane Dierking, Wheaton Warrenville South senior
Caleb Bednarz, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

Linebacker
John Pullia, Glenbard North senior
Chris Wahrman, Glenbard North senior
Will Sayer, Naperville Central junior
*Nick Lifka, Naperville North junior
Jack Krejci, Naperville North senior
Jack Eshleman, Wheaton Warrenville South junior

Defensive Line
*Nick Abbate, Glenbard North senior
*Alex Schaefer, Naperville Central senior
*Matt Ives, Wheaton Warrenville South senior
*Tyler Becker, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

Specialist
Steve Jones, Wheaton North senior
Nick Immekus, Wheaton Warrenville South senior

*Represents unanimous selection

Tickets for Friday night's District 203 crosstown game at North Central College will be on sale at Naperville North and Naperville Central through Thursday of this week.

At North, tickets can be purchased at the main office. Central is selling tickets from its athletic office. Both offices will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Tickets cost $6 for adults and $4 for students. No reserved seats will be sold. Gates will open Friday at 4 p.m., an hour before the sophomore game begins. The varsity game is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 p.m. This is considered a home game for North.

Throughout this week, we'll have more on the crosstown in the print edition.

There will not be a ticket pre-sale for Friday night's game at Naperville North, according to Doug Smith, the school's athletic director. But before the Huskies take on Wheaton Warrenville South, the school will have a dedication ceremony for recently renovated Harshbarger-Welzel Field. It will begin approximately 30 minutes before the scheduled 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

Here's a first-look preview of what should be another classic DuPage Valley Conference game.

The official dedication of recently renovated Harshbarger-Welzel Field will take place on Sept. 25, the night Naperville North faces Wheaton Warrenville South.

"We're in the process of trying to pull everything together for that right now," North athletic director Doug Smith said the other day. "We don't have everything finalized but we're getting pretty close."

Beacon News writer Jim Owczarski breaks down West Aurora's place in the DuPage Valley Conference and its upcoming matchup against Naperville Central. The Blackhawks are pinning their hopes on an offensive line that averages 6 feet, 3 inches and 263 pounds.

Since joining the DuPage Valley Conference in 1997, West Aurora has gone 17-67. Here is how the Blackhawks have stacked up against their rivals over the years:

6-6 vs. Glenbard East
5-7 vs. West Chicago
4-8 vs. Wheaton North
2-10 vs. Glenbard North
0-12 vs. Naperville Central
0-12 vs. Naperville North
0-12 vs. Wheaton Warrenville South

This week Wheaton Warrenville South enters the National Prep Football Poll at No. 25 after a 34-26 win over Hinsdale Central. The poll, which has St. Thomas Aquinas (Fla.) ranked first overall, is distributed in part by the Associated Press.

Locally, Naperville North remained seventh in the Chicago Sun-Times rankings, while Naperville Central moved up to No. 15.

Here's an ambitious way to start the season: Wheaton Warrenville South -- the region's top-ranked team by the Chicago Sun-Times -- opens its nonconference schedule with Hinsdale Central and Maine South. Those programs are slotted third and second, respectively, on the same list and met in last year's Class 8A state title game won by Maine South.

According to EdgyTim, Mack Tracey will start at quarterback for WW South. The DuPage Valley Conference rotation matches the Tigers up against District 203 in Weeks 4 and 5. Wherever the versatile Tracey lines up, WW South will look to get the ball in his hands. He'll be a focus for Naperville Central and Naperville North defenses.

"Position-wise it's really no big secret now. I'm going to start at quarterback but I'm fully expecting to be moving around a bit like I have in years past," Tracey told EdgyTim.com. "I'm totally fine with doing that because if it helps us be a better team then I'm all for it. I played some quarterback and then moved over to receiver in our scrimmage last week and it went really well. Personally I just want to go out and play. If the coaches want me to be a slash type of player I'll do that as well. Whatever the team needs I'm good with as long as I'm playing."