Gallery • 3 Photos

Photo by Bella Nordman

The Naperville North Varsity Football team ready to dominate their first away game of the season as they walk onto the field

The Naperville North High School varsity football team continued their winning streak by defeating Glenbard North High School on Friday, Sept. 2.

The Huskies (2-0) defeated the Panthers (1-1) with a final score of 28-13.  

The game was a defensive battle, preventing both teams from making initial moves. However, the Huskies prevailed, scoring the first touchdown of the game late in the first quarter. This gave the team the momentum to finish the half 14-7. Senior quarterback Aidan Gray explains how the team’s defense improved throughout the game.

“Our defense played phenomenal on picking up our offense … so us being able to play fast on the defense, that’s how we knew we were in the spot we wanted to be,” Gray said.

The second half was off to a great start for the Huskies with two fumbles and one interception caught by the team. The strong defensive line also kept the Panthers from scoring. Defensive Coordinator Chris Arthurs speaks about how important preparation is for playing strong defense during tough games.

“We played really hard. We practiced really hard, and we knew it was going to be a tough physical game,” Arthurs said.

Though the season has just begun, games like these are incredibly important to the team. It sets the Huskies up for future success and improvement. Away games are a learning curve that often come with mental challenges as the team adjusts to a new environment, according to Head Coach Sean Drendel. He explains that the team fought through these challenges, and used the crowd’s energy as momentum. 

“Really impressed with our kids, how we just kind of fought through some stuff, this is a tough place to play. Fans rockin’, it’s always a good win,” Drendel said.

The Huskies were proud of Friday’s win, especially after losing to the Panthers last season. Junior wide receiver Luke Williams explains that he was glad to have a rematch, and used the team’s past loss as motivation this time around. 

“It was a revenge win from last year, for all our seniors, they told us, ‘Get that win back from last year.’ It was some motivation from them,” Williams said.

The team will play their next game on Saturday, Sept. 10 against St. Mary’s Preparatory High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. at Naperville North.