Homecoming fireworks fire up Naperville N.

Those who looked to the sky above Naperville North on Friday night may have witnessed the halftime fireworks show to help fuel excitement for the Huskies' homecoming game against Glenbard East.

Those who kept their eyes on the ground, however, were treated to several fireworks of a different kind, as Naperville North's running game lit up the scoreboard for the Huskies to the tune of 3 touchdowns on their first three drives.

The show on the ground added up to a 21-0 Huskies halftime lead, and an eventual 35-0 drubbing of the Rams on opening weekend of play in the DuPage Valley Conference.

Naperville North (3-0, 1-0) wasted little time getting things started as the Huskies tacked their first touchdown on the board just 2:05 into the contest. On second-and-8 from their own 45, Huskies running back Jack Roberts bounced his first carry out to the right sideline, escaping a diving tackle and motoring in for a 55-yard score.

A 1-yard touchdown plunge from Richard Painter and a 5-yard score from Nick Mlady kept the home team perfect through three drives before steady rains turned the field into a virtual mud puddle.

Scoring early "was huge, especially because the field kept getting worse and worse and conditions made it harder and harder to move it down the field," running back Pat Waite said. "It was big to get ahead early, because that was our goal and that was what we wanted to do."

Naperville North's ground game provided a relatively stress-free welcoming gift for quarterback Matt Manade, who made his first start of the year after sitting out the nonconference slate with an injury. The 6-foot-2 senior attempted just 9 passes, completing 7 for 108 yards while providing a solid presence in the Huskie backfield.

"It was great to have him back," Naperville North coach Larry McKeon said. "He does a really good job, he knows where he's going, and he's our boss.

"Getting him back was a real plus for us."

Glenbard East (2-1, 0-1) threatened to cut into the Huskies' 21-0 lead in the second quarter, moving the ball inside the red zone before eventually losing a fumble.

"You can't keep giving a good team second chances, and that's what we did with the turnover situation," Rams coach Dennis Lueck said.

Waite's 2-yard touchdown run gave Naperville North a 28-0 lead before Mlady capped the scoring with a physical 52-yard touchdown dash down the right sideline.