The names may change but the results tend to remain the same at Neuqua Valley.
Consider the way Nick Osikowicz celebrated his birthday Friday night at Metea Valley.
Osikowicz’s three touchdown runs helped propel Neuqua Valley to a 38-14 victory over Metea Valley in Aurora as the two programs began life in the DuPage Valley Conference.
Osikowicz’s 16-yard TD run with just over a minute-and-half gone in the first quarter capped a short three-play, 18-yard scoring drive for Neuqua Valley (1-0, 1-0) that was started with a Owen Piche 79-yard kickoff return.
On the Wildcats’ next possession following a Metea Valley punt, Stankoven, making his first career varsity start, led them on a 14-play, 71-yard scoring drive.
Osikowicz concluded the drive with a five-yard TD run as the Wildcats took a 14-0 lead while playing without four running backs as he and Jon Rhattigan had to pitch in.
“We really were able to push forward with our power run game,” Osikowicz said. “We were able to get to the second level.”
Osikowicz would later add in a 32-yard TD run late in the third quarter for good measure as Neuqua Valley raced out to a 38-7 lead.
“It’s much easier because they really open up the box,” he said of the presence of Piche and Isaiah Robertson making it easier to run. “So there’s not as many people inside since we have so many threats outside.”
Meanwhile, Stankoven and Robertson hooked up for 121 yards, including a 64-yard completion and a 20-yard, third-quarter TD.
Robertson’s 20-yard TD reception immediately followed his pick-six of Mustangs’ QB Conner Lovely being negated because of an illegal block.
Stankoven found Piche twice for completions of 31 and 27 yards, respectively, on the Wildcats’ final scoring drive of the first half.
That drive eventually resulted in a 27-yard field goal from Stephen Ruiz as Neuqua Valley took a 17-7 halftime lead.
“Jack and all the receivers — we’re coming together,” Robertson said of Stankoven, who threw for 179 yards. “We’re having a really good rhythm. It’s really important that we just keep working in practice to beef it up. It just went really well. We did good and the rhythm is coming together very nice.”
Prior to the Ruiz field goal to end the first half, Lovely led Metea Valley (0-1, 0-1) on a nine-play, 62-yard scoring drive that Maurice Burkley ended with a nine-yard TD run.
That momentum, coupled with receiving the second-half kickoff, gave Mustangs’ coach Ben Kleinhans some hope.
“For the way that first quarter went, to come in at halftime 17-7 — I would have taken that with the way that things were going,” Kleinhans said. “Felt really good about getting the ball to start the second half after we scored late, had some momentum.”
However, a bad exchange between Lovely and Burkley on the first drive of the second half led to a Neuqua Valley recovery and a Rhattigan one-yard TD run.
Alonzo Taylor-Jones added a four-yard TD run for the Mustangs early in the fourth while Lovely finished 14-of-29 passing for 168 yards and an interception.
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