Wheaton North edge Rams on late FG

Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski was already making plans for overtime. A penalty had just pushed his team back nearly 60 yards from the end zone with just 90 seconds remaining.

But he never had to put his plans into motion. Quarterback Justin Swider completed two big passes and ran twice, setting up kicker Steve Jones for a 27-yard field-goal attempt with 28 seconds remaining. Jones blasted the kick, and the Falcons edged host Glenbard East 24-21.

"I told the kids we were going to be in a dogfight, and it certainly was," said Wardynski, who hadn't had a game come down to a game-winning kick in several years. "It's been a while since I've been involved in one like this."

Swider was making his first start in place of Taylor Graham, who broke his ankle in last week's win at West Aurora. Graham had surgery on Wednesday and will miss the rest of the season.

Swider, a junior, threw for 96 yards with no interceptions and ran for another 63 - 18 of them on the drive to set up the winning kick.

"We do some things differently with Justin in the game, but he proved he can lead the team," Wardynski said. "It was a good win for us."

He praised Swider's mobility, which showed up on some designed runs as well as some impromptu scrambles.

Swider's biggest play, though, came through the air. His team was facing second-and-25 from its own 41-yard line when he threw a perfect pass to Chris Bradley at the right sideline, gaining 30 yards and stopping the clock. Five plays later, Jones added the winning points.

"We knew we were not going to take (Glenbard East) lightly," said Falcons senior Jack DeAno, who aided the final drive with a nice kick return and earlier ran back another kickoff 80 yards for a score. "We did just enough to beat them."

The Rams (3-3, 1-3 DuPage Valley Conference) showed their grit in the second half. DeAno's big return on the first play of the half put Wheaton North up 21-7, but then Glenbard East took over. Quarterback Jack Merrithey connected on 8 of 10 passes during one stretch and twice ran it in himself for touchdowns.

His second score, a 1-yard run up the middle that tied the score 21-21, came after he hit Lee Skinner with a 14-yard, fourth-down pass to set up first and goal. The crowd, like Wardynski, was geared up for overtime, but the bubble soon burst.

"It's one of the tougher ones we've had to deal with," Rams coach Dennis Lueck said. "We believed it was going to be overtime."

His team's special teams play, allowing numerous long runbacks, was especially damaging, he said.

Wheaton North (4-2, 2-2) also got a strong contribution from Randal Ellison, filling in for another injured starter-running back Mike Trumpy. Ellison ran for 62 yards on 14 carries and set up the Falcons' first touchdown, which Jhamal Johnson then ran in. Wardynski said he hopes Trumpy hopes to return next Friday, when the Falcons play at rival Wheaton Warrenville South.