Wheaton Academy will open its 2026 football season under a new head coach after missing the IHSA playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Justin Swider, a 12-year assistant on the Warriors' staff, takes over for Jim Johanik, who compiled a 45-15 record in six seasons that included a Class 4A state semifinal appearance during the 2023 campaign. The Daily Herald reported Aug. 4 that Swider is among a wave of new head coaches across DuPage County this fall.
Swider is no stranger to winning at the West Chicago school. He has served as Wheaton Academy's head baseball coach since 2018 and guided that program to a 29-9 record and a Class 3A regional title in spring 2026.
Swider's philosophy is simple.
"We are going to play fast and physical football," he told Shaw Local's Friday Night Drive in the outlet's Aug. 9 Chicagoland Christian Conference preview. "We may not always be the biggest or the fastest but we will always compete and play tough football."
The Warriors finished 4-5 overall and 4-3 in conference play in 2025. A 28-27 loss to Aurora Christian in Week 8, when a two-point conversion attempt was stopped in the final moments, ultimately kept them out of the postseason on points.
Senior Logan Oros anchors the 2026 roster. The 6-foot-2, 220-pound linebacker, running back and wide receiver recorded 101 tackles and scored eight touchdowns in 2025, earning All-State honorable mention. Oros has committed to Western Illinois.
He is joined by senior quarterback Colton Miller, senior wide receiver and cornerback Tommy Sommer, senior running back and defensive end Ethan Brooks, and junior wide receiver and defensive back Kaden Larsen. Key newcomers include junior Joseph From (WR/DB) and junior Caden Bounds (OL/DE).
Shaw Local's Steve Soucie projects Wheaton Academy as a playoff qualifier in 2026, picking the Warriors to finish fourth in the CCC behind Bishop McNamara, Hope Academy and Aurora Christian.
Two games loom large on the schedule. The Warriors travel to Bishop McNamara on Friday, Oct. 2, then host Aurora Christian on Friday, Oct. 9, in a rematch of the 2025 heartbreaker.
The season opener is set for 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 21, at East Moline United. Wheaton Academy's first home game follows Friday, Aug. 28, against La Salle-Peru.
