No more dancing for Naperville North
Sean Drendel didn't think twice about the decision.
Even on one good knee, Naperville North's football season would end or play on in Matt LaCosse's hands.
LaCosse was stopped short of the goal line on fourth down in the game's final seconds, sending Homewood-Flossmoor into the Class 8A football semifinals with a 35-28 win Friday in Naperville.
“There's an old saying,” said Drendel, the Naperville North coach, “that you got to dance with who brought you. Matt's been our guy all year. He's a fighter and he played his heart out.”
LaCosse could barely walk after getting leveled late in the first half. The Huskies senior quarterback missed one series but returned to guide three game-tying touchdown drives after halftime, running for 82 yards and throwing for 84 more.
But he was tripped up by H-F linebacker Denzel Wilkins on the fourth-and-goal play from the 2. A courageous comeback came up a yard short.
“I was supposed to score,” LaCosse said, “and I didn't. The blocking was fine. I should have broken the tackle and scored. I didn't have the normal speed I usually have. But when I was running I didn't feel it.”
H-F running back Malik Norman, who lit up Waubonsie Valley for 233 yards in a double-overtime win the Friday before, was at his pinballing, juking best again.
Norman ran for 176 yards on 32 carries, but his most brilliant moment may have been a 70-yard touchdown reception early in the fourth quarter on what looked like an innocent middle screen pass.
Norman's fourth touchdown, a run from a yard out with 2:54 left, pushed the Vikings (10-2) ahead 35-28.
Was another overtime in his thoughts as he watched the Huskies' final march to a first-and-goal at the 3-yard line?
“Nah, I had faith in my defense,” Norman said. “I knew they were going to come up big sooner or later.”
That stop puts the Vikings in the state semifinals, where they will play Mt. Carmel, their first semifinal appearance since 2007. Coincidentally that H-F season ended at the hands of Naperville North.
Naperville North (8-4) trailed 14-6 at halftime, H-F scoring twice on short Norman runs. Both touchdowns came on short fields after Huskies turnovers.
Naperville North turned it over three times in the first half and H-F twice, but after a Vikings' three-and-out to start the second half the teams traded touchdowns on six straight drives until the goal-line stop at the end.
“It was one of those games,” Norman said, “the first team that got a stop was going to win.”
Huskies senior running back Antonio Owens epitomized the tale of two halfs. His fumble on his first carry led to H-F's first touchdown. But Owens was spectacular in the second half. He ran for 182 yards on 22 carries and 3 touchdowns and caught a 53-yard pass. His 3-yard touchdown run with 9:59 left in the fourth tied it for the final time, at 28-28.
Owens had 144 of his rushing yards after halftime, the Huskies repeatedly turning to their “jet sweep” with big success.
“We just got things clicking in the second half,” Owens said. “I wanted to bounce back after that fumble I had in the first half. I have to give credit to my O-line and the receivers who were blocking. Even when the defense read the play correctly they kept blocking hard.
“We had a great run this year. If I don't play football anywhere else, playing here was a blast.”