Deep in Dundee-Crown’s “Bowl,” football coach Mike Steinhaus, a Mount Everest of a man at 6-foot-4 and built like he could still play tight end like he did back in the day at D-C and Ball State, summons leaders Tristan Gatenby and Kadin Malone.

If Gatenby and Malone flanked their head coach, they would be eye level with a middle button on his shirt. Size matters in football, alas.

Heart does too, so Steinhaus has trust in Gatenby (5-8, 175 pounds) and Malone (5-6, 165) to show their teammates they way, which includes maintaining positivity when the team’s win-loss record in recent years has included too much negativity.

“They do the work,” Steinhaus said. “They’re the ones in the weight room, on the field and in the classroom who do the right things.”

Squinting won’t be required if sitting high in the “Bowl” to spot Gatenby and Malone during D-C home games, the first of which is Aug. 29 against McHenry. Their love of the game should manifest on the field with either a crunching hit or a burst running the ball.

“I love the contact,” said Gatenby, a junior linebacker/running back.

Like his teammate Malone, a senior running back/defensive back, Gatenby loves football more than just about anything. It’s his only sport at D-C.

“I just like to train all year round and put my mind solely on football,” Gatenby said. “I love lifting, doing speed and agility in the offseason. It’s pretty much where my heart is. I love football.”

Gatenby doesn’t have to convince Malone why he thinks football is so wonderful. Malone plays basketball – he heroically hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to beat Prairie Ridge last winter – but football makes him smile most.

“It’s been my favorite sport since I was 5 years old,” Malone said. “The bonds, creating moments with your teammates. I really like it.”

Everyone loves winning.

Since going 6-4 in 2013, however, D-C is 17-79. The Chargers haven’t won four games in a season since 2018. They’re coming off a 2-7 campaign in 2024, and wins are difficult to come by in the formidable Fox Valley Conference.

The losses haven’t kept Gatenby and Malone away.

“Just the culture [needs to change],” Gatenby said. “We need to be even more competitive in practices, and we need to be more as a team and not divided like we have been in years past.”

As the season approaches, Gatenby has been encouraged.

“We’ve been cheering on each other in practice, making big plays, getting hyped,” Gattenby said. “It’s been a lot better.”

Malone knows wins help fuel camaraderie and more energized practices.

“Yeah, we got to get some ‘dubs’ [’W’s],” Malone said. “We’re very young, so every week is going to be very hard. But my linebacker, him right here [Gatenby], he’s coached them up. He’s a leader. I really think we could be better because we do got some big linebackers this year.”

Malone may be small but is shifty and figures to be a key element to the offense again as he enters his third season on varsity.

“Toughness,” Gatenby said of what Malone brings to the team. “Yeah, he’s fast. He see the holes develop, and he’s got experience.”

Gatenby plays with a tenacity that every football team needs, regardless of size.

“He’s just everywhere,” Malone said. “He’s tough. He’s always flying around. He’s a very good learner too, a fast learner. I really like that about him.”

Malone will line up behind new quarterback Ikey Grzynkowicz, who’s another good athlete. Grzynkowicz, who replaces the graduated Hayden DeMarsh behind center, stole a school-record 27 bases for the baseball team in the spring.

“He can bring a lot of things,” Malone said. “He can scramble, he can throw. Scrambling helps.”

“He’s got a lot of running ability,” Gattenby said. “Design runs.”

Two other baseball players, twins Ryan and Kyle Pierce, will contribute as wide receivers and defensive backs. Xavier Ingram provides muscle on the offensive and defensive lines, while Leon Metcalf is another veteran in the defensive secondary.

Let the season begin. Let the energy of the home crowd provide a boost.

“Everyone’s watching you,” Gatenby said with wide eyes in explaining his joy of football. “I just love how you play as a team. You got to rely on each other.”

Size means nothing.