A special season for a special family: The Zvonars from top-ranked Lincoln-Way East

It’s been a special season for Lincoln-Way East football.

The Griffins enter the playoffs 9-0 and are a favorite to win their fourth state championship, but it’s even more special for four guys named Zvonar. They’ve spent all season together, not just as coach and players, but as father and sons.

Rob’s the father who coaches. He brought the Griffins program to life when the school opened and infused it with a combination of enthusiasm and strategic excellence, exemplified by their – and his – 241-44 record across 24 seasons. They’ve made the playoffs every season there have been playoffs, and in the spring of 2021 – the COVID-delayed and shortened season without playoffs – they went 6-0.

Colton and twins Trey and Tyson are the sons who play. They are not on the roster because of their last names. They are on it because they can play.

“Every now and then, I’ll get a moment with my wife and get a little sentimental, but we call that rat poison. We’ll do that in December around the Christmas tree.”

—  Rob Zvonar, L-W East head football coach

For them, for Rob Zvonar and for wife and mom, Kristin, it’s not just a special season, but a dream season.

“It’s been a little surreal,” Coach Zvonar said, “an incredible experience. Honestly, I’m still really into the day-to-day coaching. I coach ‘em hard, like the rest of the kids. Every now and then, I’ll get a moment with my wife and get a little sentimental, but we call that rat poison. We’ll do that in December around the Christmas tree.

“We don’t overdo it at home. I’m still their dad a little more at home. But when we step between the lines, there’s nobody [getting on them] more than me. They’re all held accountable to the same standard, and they’ve embraced it. But we’re going to look back, and no doubt, it’s going to be the most special time in my career.”

Colton, a sophomore, came up to the varsity during last year’s playoffs as a freshman, but has seen regular action at linebacker this season.

“It’s awesome, the experience we get to have together,” Colton said. “We have our business at football, and at home it’s not as much about football. He teaches me, and he treats me like everyone else.

“At home, it’s regular talking. Once in a while he might bring up football, but usually it’s us being us and being a family. We spend so much time at football every day, sometimes you’ve just got to relax.”

Tyson, also a linebacker, was banged up in Friday’s Week 9 win over Naperville Central, but wouldn’t trade the experience for anything.

“It’s awesome,” Tyson said. “Ever since we’ve grown up, from 5 years old as ballboys, just coming through the program, it’s awesome to be playing on the varsity team. But it’s bittersweet, because (the playoffs) is the last time we’ll be together.”

Trey, a starting tight end and the taller of the twins – he’s 6-foot-4 to Tyson’s 5-foot-9 – calls playing for his father for the better part of four years “such a blessing.”

“Freshman year I got pulled up with Tyson a little bit,” he said. “We were doing the scout stuff, and sophomore year I started on the varsity. So for the last three years, it’s been a blessing to have him around. The family, the football stuff with the coaches I’ve known my entire life, it’s been awesome.

“My brothers get a little more of the screaming in the coaching, because they’re on the other side of the ball on defense,” Trey said, grinning. “I’m on offense, and [Dad’s] almost blood brother, Coach Joel Pallissard, has done awesome with me. He’s almost another father figure to me.”

Trey Zvonar has caught enough passes and blocked well enough to be committed to Miami (Ohio). Tyson, his twin, is as much a wrestler as he is a football player and may earn a scholarship in that area.

Kristin Zvonar, Rob’s wife, is the eye of this football hurricane, keeping everyone on track. A former volleyball player and coach, she met Rob when they were at what is now Lincoln-Way Central when he coached under Rob Glielmi for seven seasons, but connected romantically when they met again at a conference while she taught and coached at Wheaton North.

“I outkicked my coverage and am blessed we’ve been able to keep it a family thing throughout the years,” Rob Zvonar said. “She’s really the one who’s been the heart and soul of the whole deal. She’s allowed us to do this and promoted it. I’ve got to pay her back down the road somehow. I’ll never really be able to repay her.

“She loves being a boy mom. She’s by far the best athlete in the family. There’s no doubt who the D3 guy (at Illinois Wesleyan) was, and who the D1 athlete (at Oklahoma State) was.”

Friday night, after arranging a photo of Rob, Trey, Tyson and Colton with the conference championship banner, she was encouraging Tyson – by now on crutches – to go to the training room to have his injury further diagnosed.

“She’s been a football mom her whole life,” Colton said. “You can hear her almost every play. She supports us, still makes our lunches. Some people’s parents don’t pack their lunch, and I think it’s great that my mother does.”

Family secret: Tyson loves her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

As for the postseason, interviewed separately, the elder brothers sounded like they were next to each other.

“As a whole, I feel we keep everything 6 inches in front of our face, one day at a time,” Trey Zvonar said. “Just build off every single game. The payoff is much better when you go day-by-day grind through the hard days and work through the easy days. It’s been fun.”

Said Tyson Zvonar, “We’re hoping to go out with a win. Hopefully we’ve got five more games, but we have to take it one at a time and keep it 6 inches in front of our face every day and every week.”

Sounds like something a coach might say.

Just not over family breakfast.