Naperville North upends York

A football game that looked like it'd go down to the wire turned into a fourth-quarter celebration for Naperville North.

The Huskies dominated the second half in a 29-10 win over visiting York in their second-round playoff showdown, advancing to the Class 8A quarterfinals for the first time since winning the 2007 state title.

Ninth-seeded Naperville North (8-3) will play host to No. 4 Homewood-Flossmoor (9-2), a 34-28 double-overtime winner over Waubonsie Valley and a team the Huskies beat in the 2007 semifinals. They also lost to the Vikings in the 1994 6A final.

“We just need to get back in practice and do the same things we've been doing every week, and try to keep moving forward,” said Huskies running back Antonio Owens, who had a rushing and receiving touchdown.

Naperville North scored 23 straight points, including 20 in the second half while taking advantage of four turnovers by the top-seeded Dukes (9-2).

Three straight Rob Coluzzi field goals nudged the Huskies to a 15-10 lead midway through the third quarter. Naperville North put the game out of reach with about four minutes left in the fourth quarter when Brandon Sharie intercepted Dukes quarterback Jim Nudera and returned it 39 yards for a touchdown.

After holding the Dukes on downs deep in their own end, Owens capped the scoring in the final two minutes with a 16-yard touchdown run.

Naperville North's defense held the Dukes' vaunted run game to 82 yards, including 60 by leading rusher Ryan Kent.

“Unfortunately, we didn't show up in the second half,” said York coach Bill Lech. “We couldn't get the run going, and we knew we were going to have a hard time running the ball.”

Naperville North started the scoring in the first quarter with a 9-yard pass from Matt LaCosse, who rushed for 77 yards, to Owens. York answered right back as Nudera threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ken Boesenberg for a 7-6 lead.

York extended the lead to 10-6 at the start of the second quarter on Sean McDaid's 44-yard field goal, but Coluzzi narrowed the gap to 10-9 just before the half.

Huskies linebacker Nick Lifka intercepted Nudera early in the third quarter, setting up Coluzzi's 20-yard field goal that came after 2 touchdowns were called back on penalties.

A short punt by York on its next possession and a 29-yard return by Ryan Kelsey led to Coluzzi's 22-yard field goal and a 15-10 lead.

The teams traded possessions until Sharie's decisive interception return.

“First of all I was just thinking I've got to catch the ball,” Sharie said. “After that I saw no one in front of me and just ran as fast as I could.”