Sandburg (4-5, 3-4 Southwest Suburban Blue in 2014) @ Naperville North (2-7, 0-5 DuPage Valley in 2014), 7:30 p.m.
Storyline: Redemption begins anew for Sean Drendel and Naperville North as the program looks to officially put its 2-7 record from 2014 into the past.
Juniors Luke Cegles and Dylan Fadden have been competing with senior Vic Slopecki for the right to quarterback the Huskie offense as it returns schematically to what it knows best: the double-wing.
Under Larry McKeon, the double-wing helped lead the way to 12 10-win seasons, six DVC crowns and a pair of state titles in 1992 and 2007.
Senior running back Mikey Caldarrazo is sure to welcome that change back from the spread as he returns as both the Huskies’ leading returning rusher and receiver.
Whereas the Huskies saw their postseason streak of 17 straight years get snapped after dropping their last seven games last year, Sandburg missed out on postseason play for the first time since 2007.
The Eagles went 4-5 in 2014 and had playoff hopes alive as recently as Week 9, but a 41-0 shutout loss at Bolingbrook ended those hopes.
Eagles’ coach Dave Wierzal’s high-water mark in his eight years at the school is an eight-win season in 2010, matching Drendel’s best at Naperville North as part of an 8-4 year in 2010.
Sandburg and Naperville North opened both the 2003 and 2004 seasons opposite one another, with Naperville North winning both games by a combined margin of 54-12.
The two programs last met on Aug. 27, 2004 with the Huskies pulling out a 21-9 victory.
After the Week 1 visit from the Eagles, Naperville North concludes its schedule with eight straight DuPage Valley Conference games.
Drendel on Sandburg: “We used to play them every year, so we know the type of kids they have are very similar to us. The type of school is very similar to us. High education. You’re talking about very similar schools and we’re both going to compete. We’re both a little bit down, but we got to get better and we know that.”
