On Friday, October 17th, Naperville North’s varsity football team beat Lincoln-Way East on senior night.
The Huskies (5-3) defeated the Griffins (7-1) with a score of 14-6.
The first half was a defensive masterclass. Senior defensive tackle Gabe Hill (8) on special teams came in and made a massive block on a Griffin punt, which was then recovered by Junior linebacker Brady Marino (34). After a series of rushing plays by Junior running back Mason Hill (26) and Senior running back William Eloe (17), the Huskies managed to seal their first touchdown with 1:26 left in the quarter. Senior kicker Leo Taylor (27) completed the extra point, bringing the score to 7-0. The Huskies managed to lock down the fierce Griffin offense, forcing a Lincoln-Way East punt to end the period.
After the Griffins regained possession, Senior safety Griffin Jurjovec (3) stripped the ball. Senior safety Marko Pavlovich (33) recovered, setting up the Huskies at the 39-yard line. Moments later, Eloe broke through one of the state’s best defenses for his second touchdown of the night. After an extra point by Taylor, the Huskies were in the lead 14-0 with 6:25 remaining in the half. An unbelievable Huskie defense was able to hold the Griffins after they received a punt, allowing the Huskies to recover the ball for the rest of the second quarter. Eloe remarked on his team’s performance in the first half.
“We had the guys, we had the heart, it was just all about belief. We all had to buy in and we all had to believe to get this win,” Eloe said.
The Griffins came out strong after halftime making a nearly 70-yard series of back-to-back first downs. However, the Huskies didn’t give up. A defensive campaign spearheaded by Gabe Hill allowed the Huskies to force a Griffin field goal attempt which went wide. The Huskies recovered the ball on their own 12 yard-line but were shortly intercepted by the strong Griffin defense. The Griffins finally managed to break through the powerful Huskie defense for a touchdown with only 1:16 left in the period. The Griffins attempted a two-point conversion, which was stopped short by the Huskie defense, bringing the score to 14-6 with the Huskies still leading at the end of the quarter.
After the Griffins recovered the ball, they led an impressive effort, taking the ball all the way to the 11 yard-line. The Huskies allowed no room for error and stopped the Griffins short of goal again, allowing the offense, led by Mason Hill, to hold the ball for a majority of the period. The Griffins finally recovered the ball with 0:47 left in the game. With 84 yards to go, the Griffins had no chance against the dominant Huskie defense and were stopped by Jurjovec in the final moments of the game. Gabe Hill commented on the Huskie’s remarkable defense.
“We kept playing as a Brotherhood and that’s why we won,” Hill said.
For the first time in four years, Lincoln-Way East lost a regular-season game. Before the game, the Griffins were ranked third in Illinois. The Huskies were ranked fifty-fourth in Illinois. On senior night, the last home football game of the season, Naperville North varsity football overcame one of the greatest challenges they will face this season. Against the odds, the Huskies clinched a win against a team over 50 ranks above them. Drendel detailed the quality of the Lincoln-Way East football team.
“They’ve been the gold standard of public-school football for a while. We talk about opportunities all the time. You need belief in your teammates, and it worked out tonight,” said coach Drendel.
Next week, the Huskies will play in the annual Crosstown Classic at North Central College against Naperville Central High School on Friday, October 24th. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
