Naperville Central 49, Glenbard East 7 

Clifford sets touchdown mark as Naperville Central rolls 
into the state title game 

By Chip Scoggins 
Tribune Staff Writer 

November 20, 1999 

Apparently the only ones who can stop Ryan Clifford from 
carrying a football are the officials. After scoring his state-record 46th touchdown of the 
season, Clifford tried to keep the ball as a memento, but 
the officials made him give it back for the extra-point 
attempt. Clifford grudgingly obliged but quickly grabbed the ball 
after the kick. It was the only thing that didn't go as 
planned for Clifford and top-ranked Naperville Central on 
Saturday.

 
Led by Clifford's five touchdowns, the Redhawks advanced to 
the Class 6A state championship game with a 49-7 trouncing 
of host Glenbard East, the 28th seed. 

Naperville Central (13-0) plays Schaumburg at 7 p.m. 
Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Champaign. It is Naperville 
Central's second appearance in the title game in four 
years. The Redhawks lost to Wheaton Warrenville South in 
1995. 

"Our goal was to get to the state championship and win," 
Clifford said. "(Glenbard East was) talking a lot of smack 
in the press. We read that. We wanted to go out there and 
pound on them a little. We did that today." 

No, the Redhawks pounded on Glenbard East (9-4) a lot. By 
the time the dizzying first half was complete, Clifford had 
rushed for 197 yards and five TDs and Naperville Central 
led 42-7. 

Clifford's final three carries of the first half went for 
touchdowns. He had scoring runs of 34, 18, 1, 62 and 1 
yards. Clifford's record-setting TD came with 2 minutes 59 seconds 
left in the half. The senior took a handoff up the middle 
and went untouched 62 yards for the score to break the 
record of 45 set by Highland's Billy Greenwald in 1989. 
Afterward, Clifford, who rushed only once for four yards in 
the second half, cradled the ball under his left arm. 
"I'm putting it in my case with all my other stuff," said 
Clifford, who has rushed for 2,398 yards and 47 touchdowns 
this year. "I knew I would get (the ball) after the game. 
But I wanted it right then." 

Clifford, as usual, was quick to note his gigantic offensive line, which gave him clear running lanes all game. "Our line is the key to the offense," Clifford said. 
"Usually, I'm not tackled or touched by the D-line or the 
linebackers. My job is to burn the DBs. It is so much fun. 
I can't even describe how much fun it is." 
The same goes for Naperville Central's linemen, who 
understand their importance in Clifford's record-setting 
season. "Ryan's name goes in the record book, but we're always 
going to look at it as all of our record," said 
6-foot-5-inch, 290-pound tackle Don Baskin. "It's not bad 
being a footnote to Ryan Clifford." 

Copyright 2000 The Chicago Tribune 

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