VILLA PARK – Willowbrook senior linebacker Anthony Yannotti was one of the leaders during warmups in Monday’s first practice of the season.
At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Yannotti was an imposing figure in comparison to most of his teammates. Immediately after warmups, Yannotti shed his gold chain to symbolize the start of the practice.
“I took it off for practice,” Yannotti said, smiling. “Me and Sam Tumilty just jumped in to lead the team on the first day of practice. We both hang out a lot, and just wanted to start off practice.
“This year I’m a leader, so I have to put the guys in control who are not doing their jobs or what they are supposed to be doing."
Under coach Nick Hildreth, Willowbrook has become a consistent playoff team with lofty goals ever since 2012. The Warriors have won at least eight games in the last three seasons, highlighted by an 11-1 record last season.
Even though the Warriors lost a solid chunk of players from last season, Yannotti said expectations remain high.
Yannotti said he didn’t play on offense last year, but is scheduled to help out at tight end this fall. He worked on adding more speed and becoming more explosive to make a difference on both sides of the ball.
“Last year was a fun year, for sure,” Yannotti said. “Everything clicked and it was a real competitive practices and games. The games were a fun environment. The varsity is a much faster game and it takes a lot more harder work to succeed on that level than others. We’re used to winning and it’s become a nice little habit we want to keep going. We’re trying to make it as far as we can, take each game at a time and win.”
Willowbrook senior wide receiver Alessio Battaglia came off the bench last season. Led by Tumilty's prolific running and passing, the Warriors won all six games in the West Suburban Gold behind their high-octane offense. The Warriors averaged a robust 33.3 points per game. Battaglia is part of a solid wide receiver group that includes Deandre Holliday and Everett Stubblefield III.
“I’ve worked on being a better receiver this season,” Battaglia said. “I’m every excited to see what is to come for this year. I want to do what I can for the team. I’ve been working a lot in the weight room and put in time catching footballs to do what I can to play a big role on this team. I’m happy to play and help us.”
Hildreth said Yannotti and Battaglia are two players who represent the program in a positive way.
“As a football program, we always talk about being a reflection of the community and the school,” he said. “Those two guys are great examples. They give great effort. This is a fun group. They like to play and fly around and we’re trying to get the crisp pieces back in and get ready to play in full pads.”
Willowbrook’s football team practices during the first day of the season on August 12th.
Willowbrook’s football team practices during the first day of the season on August 12th.
