Waubonsie Valley’s Hung ‘grinds it out’ in key win over Metea Valley
Follow your blockers.
Junior running back John Hung learned that most valuable of lessons before he even played the position and it continues to serve him well for Waubonsie Valley.
Hung’s older brother Josh, who weighed an offer to play NCAA Division III baseball before accepting a scholarship for academics at Wisconsin two years ago, was a trailblazer for his sibling.
“He was kind of like the test trial for me,” John said of Josh. “It was his sophomore year of high school when he convinced my parents to let him play football. He played safety.”
That opened the door for John, who started in eighth grade at defensive end before moving to offense as a freshman.
“It was a tough sell,” he said.
But Hung, who has emerged as the lead back in topping 100 yards four times, keeps finding pay dirt for the Warriors. He ran for 157 yards, including a 7-yard insurance touchdown in the fourth quarter, during a 17-7 DuPage Valley Conference win Friday over neighborhood rival Metea Valley.
It allowed Waubonsie (3-4, 2-2) to keep possession of the Eola Bowl, a trophy that commemorates the series in which the Warriors hold a 14-3 lead.
More importantly, it should lock up a berth in this year’s expanded high school football playoffs, providing a big boost according to junior quarterback Nolan Alberson.
“That was our goal at the start of the season and we have a good group around us,” Alberson said. “We all knew we could do it. It was just a matter of executing.”
Alberson passed for 88 yards and ran for 84 more, including a 2-yard TD run with 4:53 in the third quarter that gave Waubonsie the lead for good at 10-7.
Senior kicker Matthew N. Rodriguez made a 23-yard field goal on the last play of the first half to give the Warriors the lead.
Junior quarterback Iggy Ammorortu answered with a 54-yard TD run to open the third quarter for Metea (2-5, 1-3), but Hung countered with 36 yards in the first half and 121 in the second half.
His parents, psychiatrist Dr. Robert Hung and his wife Kimberly, were leery of their sons taking up the sport.
“It’s funny now to hear my mom,” John said. “My dad bought her a book to learn football and she says she reads up on it. When we have the NFL on, she’ll be like, ‘I know what that is.’
“It’s kind of fun. She’s learning.”
So is her son, who is 5-foot-10 and 190 pounds.
“He’s been the guy we give the ball,” Waubonsie coach Adam Pucylowski said. “As the game goes on, it seems like John gets better. He’s been over 200 yards a couple times.
“He’s an awesome kid who works his butt off in the weight room in the offseason. I’m just really happy to have him.”
Pucylowski told his team the running game would be key against the Mustangs and Alberson would have to be involved as well.
“With some of the schemes that we’re seeing, in order to unlock the run game a little, Nolan has to carry the ball,” Pucylowski said. “Usually John just grinds it out. Nolan took some shots but he got back up and ready to go.”
“You can see the improvement in the Metea Valley program in the two years Pat (Sheehan) has been coaching there.”
Hung and Alberson found running room behind an offensive line of junior center Bobby Kus, sophomore guard Ethan Schaffer, senior guard AJ Forst, junior tackle Kajus Muralis, senior tackle Zachary Vizza and junior tight end Kyler Payne.
“Big credit to them, they opened it up,” Pucylowski said.
Hung pointed out that he thinks of himself as a hard hitter and power runner who can make jump cuts and be elusive, too.
“It’s great for me,” Alberson said. “The defense is going to key on John because he’s been a rock — just a rock. Our line is doing great and we open things up for each other.”