Glenbard North spoils Naperville Central's party

Earlier in the week Naperville Central coach Mike Stine said home-field advantage could be overrated. Glenbard North proved him right.

Junior running back Evin Natick rushed for 171 yards and 3 touchdowns while the Panthers defense forced 3 turnovers as Glenbard North defeated host Naperville Central 27-14 Friday night in Du Page Valley Conference play. The homecoming game was the first on Naperville Central' s brand new synthetic turf. The Panthers quickly spoiled the festive mood.

"We know how big it is to come out on your own field," Natick said. "We wanted to win it because we know how bad it can feel."

After recovering a Naperville Central fumble on fourth down, the Panthers went to work and compiled a 7-play, 53-yard drive on their first series of the contest. Glenbard North quarterback Tom Traficanti found senior receiver Mike Carev to give Glenbard North an early 7-0 lead.

The Panthers defense bottled up Naperville Central's ground and passing game, which led to their second score of the night early in the second quarter. This time it was Natick on a 2-yard run, giving the Panthers a 14-0 advantage.

"I've been practicing hard," Natick said. "It's still a work in progress. I have to get more in shape for the playoffs, but I felt good."

"Our defense stopped the run well and it's hard to keep their quarterback in check," Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said. "He broke the pocket a couple times and hit us for a long strike. Overall, our defense was great tonight."

Stine agreed.

"Their defense was very quick and physical," Stine said. "They put a lot of pressure on us and they're a good defensive team. That's why we were having trouble. You can't afford to make too many mistakes."

Glenbard North (8-1, 6-1) stormed out of the gates to start the second half. Natick burst ahead for a 55-yard run, and then finished it off with a 6-yard touchdown run, putting the Panthers in control, 21-0.

Naperville Central (7-2, 5-2) finally solved the Panthers defense on its first drive of the second half, scoring on a 2-yard touchdown pass from Nick Linne to receiver Hayden Daniels. But the momentum was short-lived after the ball sailed over the punter's head on Naperville Central's next drive and gave the Panthers a first and goal inside the 5-yard line. Natick responded with 3 short runs, the final being a 1-yard plunge into the end zone. The victory erased a poor Panthers performance the previous week and ensured a positive start for next week's playoff opener.

"It was really important to get a good stride going into the playoffs," Natick said. "This was a big game for us."