The Naperville North Huskies varsity football team lost their second game of the season, with Batavia’s running game and defense proving too much for the Huskies.

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Photo by June Sun

Zeke Williams (6) secures a pass in the fourth quarter. On the next play, Williams would catch another pass for an 88-yard touchdown.

The Naperville North Huskies (0-2, 0-0) were defeated by the Batavia Bulldogs (1-1, 0-0) by a final score of 35-7.

The Huskies struggled to create scoring opportunities throughout the night. The sole touchdown came from sophomore wide receiver Zeke Williams, who ran for an 88-yard touchdown. Despite being down by 21 points at halftime, the Huskies tried to stay in the game.

“I thought we battled,” Head Coach Sean Drendel said.  “I thought we kept fighting.” 

The defense was a highlight for Drendel, only allowing 14 points in the second half. Juniors Connor Corrigan and Ethan Hilgert and seniors Cole Loebig and Nico Cegles led the way for the Huskies tonight, providing energy and leadership on the field for the defense. 

“Our defense tried to keep us in the game in the second half,” Drendel said. 

Even with a rough start, the team remains optimistic about their work ethic and mentality and are looking forward to improving throughout the rest of their season.

“We just have to learn to get into our rhythm,” Williams said. “We just have to keep fighting because good stuff can happen when we keep fighting until the end.”

The Huskies will continue their season next Friday in Massillon, Ohio against the Perry High School Panthers. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 P.M.