Naperville Central shows its mettle
Naperville Central's football team didn't talk about going 0-2.
"We talked about going 1-0," coach Mike Stine said.
The focus on the task at hand showed as the Redhawks used a relentless defensive effort to blank host Neuqua Valley 19-0 in a sense-of-urgency game between teams that both lost season openers.
The rain-soaked grass surface did no favors to either offense, but Naperville Central (1-1) did what it could while building a 5-0 halftime lead. A Kevin Clifford 1-yard touchdown run made it a two-score game at 12-0 in the third quarter, and Emmanuel Rugamba sealed the win with a 97-yard fourth-quarter interception return for a score.
"As a team you never want to lose a game," said Iowa State-bound Redhawks linebacker Bobby McMillen, who returned to action after leaving last week's game on a stretcher with a neck injury. "As competitive as we are we knew we were a better team than we were last week, and we had to show it this week."
Neither side had a turnover until the final three minutes of the game when the Redhawks snared interceptions on three straight possessions including two picks by Justin Wegner. A bad punt snap set up the Wildcats (0-2) at Naperville Central's 23 with just more than a minute left, but the possession ended on the next play with Rugamba's interception return.
"We came in Week 2 trying to play Redhawk football," Rugamba said. "As a team we came together and we knew that we had to bounce back because, personally, I thought this was the biggest game of the season."
The late turnovers were the reward for a stinging defense that limited Neuqua Valley to 115 total yards.
Twenty-six negative yards came on a bad punt snap late in the first quarter. Wildcats punter Tyler Bromer tried to escape the end zone when he tracked down the ball, but McMillen dragged him down for a safety.
A 12-play drive early in the second quarter took the Redhawks deep into Neuqua Valley territory, but they had to settle for Connor Assalley's 35-yard field goal.
Wildcats quarterback Broc Rutter completed 10 of 22 passes for 109 yards while Charlie Hunter rushed for 47 yards. Clifford countered with 95 hard-fought rushing yards. Conor Joyce's 115 passing yards, including long pass plays to Rugamba and Michael Kolzow.
"This track was not what we had hoped for, but it is what it is and you've got to be able to make plays," said Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus. "Once again, two weeks in a row now I'm saying they made more plays than we did. I don't fault our kids. Our effort's there."
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