Downers S. takes advantage of Naperville N. turnovers
Naperville North’s football team knew it needed to play a complete game to upset Downers Grove South.
Unfortunately for the Huskies, they only got half.
The Mustangs took advantage of four first-half turnovers to beat Naperville North 37-24 in the opening round of the Class 8A playoffs Friday in Downers Grove.
Third-seeded Downers South (9-1) will play host to No. 6 Brother Rice (7-3), a 35-14 winner over Sandburg, in the second round next week.
“You’ve got to take care of the ball,” said Downers South coach John Belskis. “It’s critical. And when they turned the ball over we took advantage of it, and that’s what good football teams do.”
Two interceptions and two fumbles on its first five possessions put No. 14 Naperville North (5-5) in a deep hole. Downers South, with short fields to work with, first scored on Anthony Farinella’s 35-yard field goal.
When John Wauer — who snared an interception and recovered a fumble — scored on a pair of 2-yard runs, the Mustangs suddenly led 16-0 with 9:30 left in the second quarter. Quarterback A.J. Simoncelli, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 228 yards, boosted the advantage to 23-0 with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Kaylon Miller.
The Huskies drew closer at the end of the half, using a crisp two-minute offense to pull within 23-3 at the break on Ron Coluzzi’s 37-yard field goal.
By then, though, the damage had been done.
“You can’t turn the ball over four times in a game, let alone in the first half,” said Huskies coach Sean Drendel. “Our defense played their hearts out. Our kids battled. For all the tough things that happened all year, I was really proud of how we played the second half.”
Downers South gained more distance on the Huskies when Simoncelli found Miller for a 27-yard touchdown and a 30-3 lead on the first possession of the second half.
Naperville North quarterback Tyler Gehr, who missed last week’s game with a shoulder injury, then guided his team on an 11-play, 83-yard drive. Gehr, who threw for 132 yards and ran for 80, found Matt Stacho for a 17-yard touchdown.
The duo connected again on Naperville North’s next possession, this time on a 29-yard touchdown pass that narrowed the gap to 30-17 with 10:08 left in the game.
Downers South, however, stopped the Huskies’ momentum right there. Josh Williams, who rushed for 158 yards on 34 carries, dove in from a yard out to give the Mustangs a 37-17 lead.
Gehr’s third touchdown pass — this one a 33-yarder to Dan Puknaitis, who rushed for 91 yards on 13 carries — again pulled Naperville North within 37-24 with 4:52 left. The Mustangs killed just enough clock, though, to prevent the Huskies from trying to cap the comeback.
“Josh and I are kind of relying on each other,” Simoncelli said. “He runs the ball very well, and that opens up the passing game. If he can’t get anything going, I’ll open it up for him.”