The streak will continue.
For the fourth straight season, the DuPage Valley
Conference is guaranteed to have a team playing in a
state championship game.
The only thing to figure out is whether it'll be
Wheaton North or Naperville Central.
The rivals meet tonight at Memorial Stadium in
Naperville to decide who will represent the DVC in the
Class 8A title game.
"There's so many great teams in the DVC," Wheaton
North junior quarterback Zach Ullrich said. "From Week 3
on, every game is like a playoff game. There's so many
teams in the DVC that could have been here, but it's us.
You benefit from playing in such a tough conference."
Naperville Central comes in favored as the No. 1
seed.
The Redhawks are ranked 18th in the nation by USA
Today, 19th by RivalsHigh.com and 14th by
Studentsports.com. They've won 37 of 38 games the last
three years, the only blemish being last season's
quarterfinal loss to Naperville North.
The Redhawks (12-0) beat No. 20 seed Wheaton North
35-14 in Week 5, but they realize that was an awfully
long time ago.
"They were pretty good the first time, but they're
much better now," Naperville Central senior linebacker
Dave Atkinson said. "You can tell by their scores that
they've gotten so much better."
Upstart Wheaton North (9-3) is the latest in a string
of DVC teams that have made a surprise playoff run,
joining the ranks of Glenbard North and Glenbard East
the last two years.
In the semifinals for the first time since 1988, the
Falcons eventually hope to nab their fourth state title.
They sent a message last week with a 61-6 thumping of
Warren in the quarterfinals.
Falcons coach Matt Foster can't pinpoint his team's
playoff surge but says it's a culmination of several
factors, including health.
For the first time since the fifth week of the
season, Wheaton North has just about a complete roster.
"There's just a great chemistry on the team, it's
hard to describe it," he said. "They've grown in so many
ways."
One bonding issue has been the inspiring story of
Falcons senior David Ryan, who was diagnosed in the
summer with an inoperable brain tumor.
In a letter given to the team late in the regular
season, Ryan revealed his goal to walk on the field for
the Falcons' final game.
This playoff run, Foster said, is the team's way of
giving Ryan more time to reach that goal.
"They're pulling for him," Foster said. "He's a vital
member of our team."
The Falcons have improved immensely from the first
meeting with the Redhawks, starting on their offensive
line where they've returned some key injured players.
Ullrich has his favorite target in senior receiver
Mark Slocum, balancing the ground game of tailback A.J.
Harris and fullback Andy Cvengros.
Defensively, junior lineman Bob McLearen, linebacker
Nick Van Someren and defensive backs Brett Bollweg and
Nate Hardwick lead the unit.
They have the unenviable task of slowing down a
Naperville Central offense that found new life after
starting tailback Kyle Griffith went down in Week 6 with
a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
Jason Paquette switched from fullback to take over
that spot, and has gained 1,176 yards and scored 18
touchdowns.
It's the perfect complement for quarterback Phil
Horvath and receivers Tyke Spencer and Dan Passarelli.
The offensive line features two all-DVC picks - Rob
Bentley and Brendan Baskin.
Defensively, the Redhawks have all-conference players
at virtually every position. Behind a quick defensive
line, inside linebackers Nick Ehrlich and Mike Lucas
have run roughshod on offenses.
"It's going to be fun to see Wheaton North for a
second time," Horvath said. "It just shows how strong
our conference really is."
After tonight's game, we'll finally know who will be
the 12th DVC team since 1990 to play for a state title.
"We're excited," Cvengros said. "I think we've
improved 10-fold since the first game. We're ready to
take on anyone right now." |