After a hard-fought battle at Benedetti-Wehrli Field Friday, Naperville Central defeated the Naperville North High School varsity football team on a late field goal.
The Huskies (1-1) lost to the Redhawks (2-0) by a score of 24-21.
Coming off of a blowout win against the New Trier Trevians, the Huskies were poised to make a powerful statement this Friday by besting their crosstown rival: Naperville Central. The Huskies got off to a hot start on offense with a quick touchdown pass from senior quarterback Jacob Bell (2) to senior wide receiver Quinn Morris (85), making the score 7-0 with 7:18 left in the first quarter. The Redhawks would respond with their own touchdown; however, a missed extra point resulted in a score of 7-6 with 5:15 left in the quarter.
During the second quarter, the Redhawks missed a field goal, while Bell and Morris kept their connection going, scoring another touchdown with 8:08 remaining in the half. The Redhawks would respond with their own touchdown right before halftime. The score going into halftime was 14-13, with the Huskies in the lead. Senior defensive lineman Donavan Howard (52) put pressure on the Redhawk offense throughout the entire half. Howard had a key fumble recovery which gave a spark to the Huskie defense.
“[The defense] always puts up a good battle,” Howard said.
Coming into the second half, the Huskies seemed as if they had kept their energy from the previous quarters. Bell linked up with senior WR Chico Thomas (82) for a monumental touchdown, putting the Huskies up 21-13 with 2:30 left in the third quarter. Those would be the final points scored by the Huskies that night. The rest of the game featured a Huskie offense that just could not get moving. Every single drive would end by punt or by turnover on downs. The Redhawk offense, on the other hand, couldn’t be stopped by the Huskie defense. With 10:13 left in the game, Naperville Central scored a touchdown and then completed a two-point conversion, tying up the score. With 1:24 left, the Redhawks made the final, decisive field goal. Senior defensive back Edward Mumford (33) detailed how the team would move on from the loss.
“Just gotta use this as fuel. Move on to the next one. That’s really it. There’s nothing else we can do. Just gotta look past it,” Mumford said.
Coming into the game, many Huskies were looking to avenge their crosstown defeat from last year. This loss will sting for the team, especially for those who played their final game against Naperville Central that night.
The Huskie offense has been host to great play from several wide receivers to start the season.
“They all played great, that’s what makes them a great group. We’re proud of Charlie Shinkle, Ian MacConnachie, and Nick Manzardo,” Head Coach Sean Drendel said.
The Huskies will play their next game on the road at Lincoln-Way Central on Sep. 13 at 7 p.m.
