Naperville North (2-6, 0-4 DuPage Valley) @ Glenbard North (3-5, 1-3 DuPage Valley), Friday, 7:30PM.
Last week: Naperville North lost at Wheaton North, 45-3; Glenbard North lost at Wheaton Warrenville South, 7-3.
Storyline: The meeting between the two programs back on Sept. 19, a 20-19 Glenbard North victory, must seem like ages ago as both programs have been eliminated from postseason contention.
The Huskies are coming off a 45-3 loss at Wheaton North, which saw the Falcons score 45 consecutive points to start the game.
Held to just 157 total yards offensively, all the Huskies could manage was a 31-yard field goal from Milan Dosen late in regulation.
While Naperville North, losers of six straight games, will miss out on postseason play for the first time since 1996, Glenbard North will be on the sidelines for the first time since 2002.
Ryan Wilkens, in his 10th year at the helm of the Panthers’ program, had led the Panthers to the postseason every year.
Workhorse running back Devion Hodges was held out of Glenbard North’s 7-3 loss at Wheaton Warrenville South because of an athletic code violation.
A Steve Adamatis field goal in the second quarter is all the Panthers’ offense could muster against a good Wheaton Warrenville South defense.
Naperville North will finish the season with its lowest number of wins in a season since the early 1980s. The Huskies went 3-6 in 1981 and 2-7 in 1982, one year before Larry McKeon’s arrival.
Naperville North coach Sean Drendel on Glenbard North: “I think anytime you play somebody twice, it’s not easy and in some ways, I don’t want to say it’s easier on the team that had lost because you’re going to make some changes and do some things differently.”
“I think the team that won, you’re pretty (confident). You like your game plan because you won the game. So I think it’s a tough matchup. It’s a tough matchup for both of us because we’re in the situation we’re not used to (being in).”
“Obviously, we haven’t responded correctly to being in that situation, so for our kids—it’s the seniors’ last game and you hope that they go out on a high note and play the way they’re capable of.”
