Naperville C. finally set to play on home turf
All in one night, Naperville Central will celebrate homecoming, Senior Night and the 10th anniversary of the football program's 1999 Class 6A state championship.
At the heart of the entire event, however, is the Redhawks' first home football game of the season. The team spent the first eight weeks on the road eagerly awaiting the completion of the artificial surface being installed on the stadium field.
Naperville North sacrificed last spring's stadium events so the site could be ready for the Huskies' first football game. Naperville Central, however, began work after graduation, forcing the football team to hit the road this season.
As the Redhawks take a 7-1 record into tonight's game against Glenbard North (7-1), it's tough to argue with the time away from home.
"From my point of view, I think home-field advantage is overrated," said Redhawks coach Mike Stine. "I've always thought it was easier to keep the players focused when you play on the road."
Still, the excitement for the first home game has been building all season. The football team practiced on the new field several times in the past few weeks and went through its pregame routine on the field before the cross-town game at nearby North Central College.
The Redhawks hope that claiming an eighth win against the Panthers will earn the team additional home games in the first round of the Class 8A playoffs and beyond.
"The kids will be fired up about playing on the field, but it's not something we're talking about," Stine said. "For us it's just a football game and our focus is on beating Glenbard North."
Blue over Gold: Not surprisingly, big schools were decidedly better than the smaller ones in head-to-head play during the first year of the Suburban Christian Conference.
The second and final week of crossover play between the larger-enrollment Blue and smaller Gold schools took place last week. The Blue ended the crossovers with an 8-2 advantage.
Only Aurora Central Catholic - whose 2009 official enrollment of 798 would have had the Chargers in the Gold, but they agreed to play up one year - took a loss on the field. The Chargers, whose last conference win came in Week 8 of the 2007 season in the Suburban Catholic Conference, lost to St. Edward and Immaculate Conception. Both Guerin and Chicago Christian were awarded forfeit wins in the weeks they would have played Driscoll.
Montini, St. Francis, Marmion and Marian Central each went 2-0 against the Gold. There weren't a whole lot of close games, though the margin of Montini's 41-8 win over Gold divisional representative Aurora Christian was somewhat of a surprise. Marian Central beat St. Edward 48-7.
On the other hand Marmion needed a last-minute touchdown this past Friday to beat Chicago Christian 23-20. And Marian edged Immaculate Conception 14-7, but though the Knights will be unable to defend their 2008 Class 2A championship, they are used to the tough SCC competition.
St. Francis coach Greg Purnell would like to see them all under one umbrella, crossovers or not.
"I think the crossover games should count as conference games," Purnell said. "I don't think there's that much difference. Look at Wheaton Academy, Aurora Christian and St. Edward - they're all going to be in the playoffs. Why couldn't those games count as conference games.
"I think only having four or five teams in a conference doesn't give you good representation," he said. "It makes the crossovers mean more and what's the difference - you're all in the same league anyway, and we all have the same multiplier."
Streaking: In the midst of a postgame celebration, Wheaton Warrenville South senior Nick Immekus found the slightest hint of disappointment.
In the Tigers' 35-7 DuPage Valley Conference victory over Glenbard North last week, Immekus booted his first kickoff of the night into the end zone to notch his 23rd straight touchback. His next kick, however, came just shy of the end zone to end the streak.
"I guess he just wanted to put the coverage team to work," Tigers coach Ron Muhitch said with a laugh.
Immekus put in plenty of work of his own during the game. As a 6-foot, 240-pound returning starter to the offensive line, Immekus played a critical role as the Tigers dominated the line of scrimmage.
WW South rushed for 177 yards led by running back Matt Rogers' 109 yards on 21 carries. Quarterback Reilly O'Toole added 68 yards on 14 carries.
"It was really a testament to see who had the best line in the DVC," Immekus said. "Give Glenbard North credit, they've got a great offensive line. But we really came out to play."
Immekus, by the way, pounded his final four kickoffs into the end zone to start a brand new streak of touchbacks.