This game will be remembered for a long time
After a while you stop believing what you're seeing.
There's no way a football game can be this good, right?
And it'd be tough to convince the 7,500 fans in attendance this was a regular-season matchup. Playoff fever was in full swing Friday night, a week before the postseason even begins.
Wheaton Warrenville South added to the legend of the DuPage Valley Conference with a heart-stopping 42-41 triple-overtime thriller over Naperville North that rivaled anything the DVC ever has seen before.
After the game … after the exhausted handshakes, the celebrations and frustrations, the only sure thing was that the Tigers were unbeaten DVC champions for a third straight season.
Anything beyond that -- starting tonight with the announcement of the playoff pairings -- is anyone's guess.
The looming second season seemed a world away Friday night. All anyone wanted to do was soak in perhaps the greatest game in DVC history.
"This seems even bigger than state last year," said Tigers kicker Dan Conroy. "It did not feel like a regular-season game whatsoever."
It'd be tough to sort through all the nuts and bolts of a game like this. The first quarter seems like it was played three weeks ago.
The one thing that will forever stand out is the gutty game-winning call by Tigers coach Ron Muhitch to go for a 2-point conversion and the win.
He sensed the rising confidence of his players -- and he also probably didn't want to give the ball back to Huskies quarterback Jordan Tassio, who scored on 10-yard runs to start the second and third overtime periods.
When Tigers quarterback Mike Piatkowski leaned into the end zone to convert the 2-point play, it was the moment. Kind of like the 1993 hook-and-ladder play WW South used to beat Naperville North is a moment still talked about today.
"It was probably the most emotional game I've ever played," said Tigers linebacker Sam Burke.
You sensed similar feelings on Naperville North's sideline, where the Huskies had no reason to hang their heads after an incredible effort.
They'll need to regroup quickly for a playoff run at the Class 8A state title, but that shouldn't be a problem for the focused Huskies.
"Just because we lost doesn't mean we can't go all the way to state and win it," said Huskies defensive lineman Kyle Lackner.
WW South, the 8A champions last year, likely will be in the 7A bracket when the pairings are announced.
That means there will be no rematch between the Tigers and Huskies. A shame, in a way, but also appropriate.
This one night of magic had enough memorable moments to last a lifetime.
Even if you saw it, you had a hard time believing it.