Here come Tigers and Huskies, down the stretch

The picture became a little more clear Friday night for the DuPage Valley Conference front-runners.

Defending champion Wheaton Warrenville South and preseason favorite Naperville North both notched key victories over the two football teams considered most likely to challenge for the crown.

The challengers, meanwhile, now face a much bigger challenge just to keep up.

With WW South's 26-7 win over Naperville Central and Naperville North's 37-7 victory over Glenbard North, the race is starting to look more and more like a two-horse gallop to the finish line.

The showdown between the Tigers and Naperville North looms Week 9 in Wheaton, a possible dream matchup between unbeatens that moved a step closer to reality with Friday's outcomes.

"These last two weeks were monumental for us," said Tigers defensive lineman Phil Traynor, also referring to last week's 13-7 win over Glenbard North.

The regular-season finale, however, is still a few weeks away. In the heart of a DVC schedule loaded with potential land mines, the Huskies and WW South both face their crosstown rivals in the next two weeks.

Nothing's a given in a nine-week regular season. It's true that both teams cleared significant hurdles, but any week can bring the unexpected.

Naperville Central, for example, was an underdog to the Huskies last year but pulled off a thrilling victory.

Could it happen again? Perhaps, although Naperville North is obviously anxious for next week's shot at the Redhawks.

The Huskies returned 14 starters from last year's team. That's 14 players who remember the sting of that 30-27 heartbreaker at North Central College.

Naperville North, like WW South, will do everything in their power to avoid a stumble on their path to a DVC championship game.

Aside from talent, the one thing Naperville North and WW South share in abundance is focus. It's no coincidence these teams have won the last four DVC titles.

As much as they might like to flash forward to a winner-take-all Week 9 showdown, much can still happen in the next three weeks.

"One step at a time," said WW South running back Francis Adarkwa. "We just have to keep climbing that ladder and keep getting better."

kschmit@dailyherald.com