Warriors' world as Waubonsie Valley defeats Neuqua Valley

Welcome to Scott Kuehn's surreal world.

The Waubonsie Valley junior receiver's catch of an 8-yard touchdown pass from Tyler Castro at 5:49 of the fourth quarter secured victory for the previously winless Warriors over Neuqua Valley in the 10th playing of the Indian Prairie Classic football game, 28-26 at North Central College.

Up 21-20 with 6:18 left to play, Castro's 37-yard pass to Mark Hilgers got Waubonsie Valley a first-and-goal at the Neuqua 8. After an incomplete pass Waubonsie coach Paul Murphy took time. Kuehn took it from there.

"Originally, we were going to try to, I believe, run it in. But I told them the slant was there. It was just a rush after that," said Kuehn, who caught 7 passes for 57 yards while Hilgers caught 9 passes for 169 yards, including the 4-yarder that gave Waubonsie (1-3, 1-1) the 21-20 lead at 8:11 of the third quarter.

"It's the most surreal thing ever," Kuehn said after the Upstate Eight Conference contest. "To score in a game's great, but to score in the Neuqua game and have it be the last score of the game is just unbelievable."

Hold it, Scott. Neuqua Valley (1-3, 0-2) stormed back, Alex Lincoln hitting Nate Pena on a 43-yard screen pass, and then a 13-yarder to Robert Herzberger. Pena, who ran 23 times for 181 yards, gained 9 yards to set up Lincoln's 15-yard touchdown pass to Conner Yearian to cut Waubonsie's lead to 28-26 with 4:41 left.

Neuqua coach Bryan Wells went for the 2-point conversion. Lincoln threw to Herzberger, tripped up shy of the goal line by Perry Levin and Jason Lockowitz.

Waubonsie entered Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium with only 42 yards rushing through three games, but pounding back Kendrick Crayton left Neuqua just nine seconds left for the win. A long pass went incomplete, then Waubonsie stopped the final play, a hook-and-lateral.

"Obviously, you don't want to start 0-3 but, man, to get that first win against a rival and be the first Waubonsie team ever to beat them two years in a row, that's a great feeling," said Castro, who completed 20 of 29 passes for 258 yards and 4 touchdowns.

Neuqua led 20-14 late with 2:19 before halftime on Pena's second touchdown run of the second quarter.

Wells questioned the call on the 2-point conversion as well as an offensive pass interference penalty that negated an apparent Yearian touchdown catch midway through the third quarter.

"With the way they let them play everywhere else on the field," he said, "that was just ridiculous."