The Naperville North High School varsity football team triumphed in their pivotal homecoming game against Waubonsie Valley High School on Friday night. 

The Huskies (5-3) defeated the Warriors (1-4) with a final score of 28-19. 

North finished the first half with a dominant 21-0 lead, leading many to believe it would be an easy win. Waubonsie came back stronger in the second half though, scoring their first point in the third quarter. After a final touchdown by the Huskies in the last quarter, Jacob Tzo brought the score to 28-19 following a 69 yard run at the end.

Junior cornerback Luke Keough discussed his general thoughts on the game. 

“I thought we played well; in the second half we didn’t come out as strongly and we let off a few points that we shouldn’t have, but overall I think we did a good job,” Keough said. 

Due to the school cancellation and threat earlier that morning, some wondered if the game would happen at all. Head Coach Sean Drendel believes the events didn’t affect the way the team played. 

“We talked about it, and that’s part of the world that we live in right now and as teenagers, [they] have learned how to bounce back from things better…I’m super proud of our kids, they did a great job of handling a tough situation,” Drendel said. 

In order to qualify for the playoffs, the Huskies needed to win this game, their fifth win in total. This win marks the first time in four years that North is eligible for the DuPage Valley Conference Championship. Ryan Liberio, a senior linebacker, commented on how this added to the team mindset.

“This was the game we needed to get into the playoffs, so everyone was very serious about it. Everyone was just ready to win,” Liberio said. 

The Huskies will play their last game before the playoffs on Oct. 22 against a TBA team. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00pm at a TBD location.