Glenbard North knocks out Naperville C.
Every defense facing Glenbard North's football team knows it must load up to stop the run.
But just wait until playoff opponents get a look at Friday's game tape.
Quarterback Mark Ng and the Panthers' passing game came up with all the big plays in a 21-14 DuPage Valley Conference win over Naperville Central in Carol Stream.
While Glenbard North (8-1, 6-1) will roll into the Class 8A playoffs virtually guaranteed a first-round home game, Naperville Central (4-5, 3-4) will miss the postseason for the first time since 2002 and for just the third time since 1989.
Overcoming an inconsistent night for the Panthers' vaunted running game, Ng completed 11 of 21 passes for 238 yards and 3 touchdown passes to account for all the Panthers' scoring. Glenbard North scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally to victory, the game-winning pass going to Evin Natick on a second-and-24 play from the 25-yard line with four minutes, 40 seconds left to play.
“The offensive line did a great job,” Ng said. “They gave me enough time to throw the ball and the receivers made the catch. You can't ask for more.”
Naperville Central trailed 7-0 in the second quarter but scored in the second and third quarters to grab a 14-7 lead. Hayden Daniels lofted a 22-yard pass that Ian Lewandowski dove to grab in the end zone to put the Redhawks in the lead heading to the fourth quarter.
Like so many other games this season, though, the Redhawks couldn't pull out the close one. Four of their losses were by a combined 14 points and their 51 playoff points attest to their tremendous strength of schedule.
“I do believe we're one of the 32 best teams in 8A, but you've got to beat a good team,” said Naperville Central coach Mike Stine, whose team played without two starting offensive linemen due to illness. “We weren't able to do that. Every game except the Wheaton South game we were right there with two or three minutes to go and we just couldn't make a play down the stretch.”
Ng opened the scoring with an 89-yard second-quarter touchdown pass to Zachary Graczyk, but the Redhawks tied it on Daniels' 6-yard scoring run. Daniels closed his high school career by throwing for 108 yards, rushing for 51 and catching a 7-yard pass.
“We had our ups and downs, but we just had too many mistakes, too many penalties,” said Daniels, referring to the Redhawks' 10 penalties for 70 yards. “The ball just didn't roll our way this season.”
Perhaps the game's biggest play came on Glenbard North's first fourth-quarter touchdown. On fourth-and-13 from the Redhawks' 22, Ng found Austin Siperly who caught 6 passes for 105 yards for the game-tying touchdown.
Phil Jackson and Natick combined for 127 rushing yards on 30 carries, 90 yards coming from Jackson.
Naperville Central had a chance to get the ball back in the final minute, but a roughing the punter call gave Glenbard North a first down and the Panthers ran out the clock.
“After the (49-6) loss we took to (Wheaton) South, and the way we responded tonight, our minds are right,” said Panthers coach Ryan Wilkens. “We're going in the right direction.”