West Aurora High’s football linemen won the school’s 2025 “Battle of the Big Butts” competition at West July 10.
Showcasing nearly 400 athletes in 79 teams from 25 suburban schools, the 26th annual event took place in and around Ormond Stadium.
Mike Runge, event coordinator and West assistant football coach, said “This event showcases the workhorses of our programs, the offensive and defensive linemen. While there are numerous 7-on-7 summer passing leagues for backs, receivers, and linebackers, our event enables linemen to compete both individually and as teams.”
Stations for varsity and frosh-soph teams were bench press, 40-yard dash, medicine ball throw, agility run, tractor-tire relay five-man sled and watermelon-eating.
Final team standings were West Aurora 1, first, 37 points; Geneva and Marengo, tied for second and third places, 35 points; Kaneland,fourth, 28 points; Wheaton North 1, fifth, 26 points; Yorkville, sixth, 24 points; Harlem 1, seventh, 20 points; Batavia, eighth,19 points; West Aurora 2, and DeKalb, tied for 13th, 10 points; Oswego 1, 14th, nine points; Oswego 2, 15th, 8 points; Plainfield North 1 and Marengo 2, tied for 16th, seven points; Rockford East, 17th, four points; and DeKalb 2, 18th, two points.
According to Runge, the event was organized in 1999 by Mike Powers, former assistant coach at St. Charles High School, when he joined West Aurora.
—Al Benson