Falcons are back and eager to run
Junior running back Mike Trumpy has run for 1,638 yards already this season.
Whether it was a yard short or a point short, the most narrow of margins has denied Wheaton North a spot in the playoffs the last two years.
Back in the postseason for the first time since 2003, the Falcons are ready to hit the ground running -- literally.
Led by junior running back Mike Trumpy, the area leader with 1,638 rushing yards, the Falcons (5-4) travel tonight to Chicago's Gately Stadium to take on Morgan Park (8-1) in a Class 7A football opener.
The No. 7 Falcons qualified after last week's 44-21 win over West Chicago to end a string of disappointments.
"Winning last week was great, especially after the last couple of years," said Falcons coach Matt Foster, whose teams were 4-5 the last two seasons. "Last year we lost a game by a point to keep us out. The year before, we were a yard short of a winning touchdown that kept us out.
"Getting back in the playoffs is just great for the program," he said.
The Falcons will ride Trumpy as far as they can. He's posted a string of 200-yard games this season, and that kind of ball control will be needed to play keep away against an explosive Morgan Park offense headed by quarterback Victor Scott and running back Preston Griffin.
The Falcons have the personnel it takes to sustain drives. It starts with 6-foot-4, 295-pound lineman Nick Adamle, who's committed to Northwestern, and the quarterback tandem of senior Eric Terrazas and sophomore Taylor Graham.
The defense boasts a Division I lineman as well in Kevin Whitt, who's headed to the Air Force Academy. A deep set of linebackers is backed by defensive back Jack DeAno and his area-high 6 interceptions.
The Falcons last made the trip to Gately Stadium in 2001 when they beat Simeon en route to a 9-4 record and a state semifinal berth.
That began a string of three straight playoff appearances -- the kind of streak they'd love to build again.
"It should be a great experience," Foster said. "They've got a strong team, but we feel we're up to the challenge."