One start into what he hopes will be a long, productive year in his shot to quarterback Neuqua Valley’s offense, Jack Stankoven already is quite aware of what’s next.
“I know they’re gunning for us and we’re gunning for them,” Stankoven said. “It’s going to be a good game, as it is always every year. But I know we’re fired up to get them. It’s been (tough). They’ve had the majority of the wins (during) the few recent years, so I know this team is excited to get back out there and give it our best shot.”
“Them” would be Naperville Central, a program that has averaged 41.3 points over the course of the last three games of the series – all Redhawk victories.
A pair of lopsided victories over the Wildcats two years ago helped highlight the Redhawks’ eventual run to DeKalb and the 2013 Class 8A state title.
As the fourth-ranked Redhawks eye a return trip to DeKalb this November as an ultimate destination for the 2015 season to end, they welcome 24th-ranked Neuqua Valley to Memorial Stadium on Friday for the first time as conference foes.
A year ago – in just his second career start – Naperville Central quarterback Conor Joyce was efficient in completing seven of his 11 passes for 134 yards in a 19-0 Naperville Central victory.
With Kevin Clifford now at Illinois State, Joyce knew his responsibilities would increase greatly as a senior.
The fact the Redhawks (1-0, 1-0) could get a road victory at Glenbard North last week despite Joyce turning the ball over three times speaks volumes to the group they have and the expectations they have for themselves.
“There was a lot different feel,” Joyce said. “There were just a few poor decisions on my part, where I thought a play was going to open up and then I underthrew it. I overthrew two balls, which turned into picks, and the fumble was just bad ball control. But overall, for the most part, other than that – I think we played a pretty decent game on offense. It seemed a lot better, slower from last year.”
Joyce managed to find Iowa-bound Emmanuel Rugamba for a second-quarter touchdown as he threw for 170 yards in the 13-12 victory over the Panthers.
Much like the way Isaiah Robertson does for the Neuqua Valley offense, Rugamba provides a presence opposing defenses need to constantly be cognizant of.
“We’ll have to do some different things to help control him,” Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus said of Rugamba. “You don’t stop a player like Manny, just like I think it’s tough to stop a player like Isaiah and Owen (Piche) and Brett (Borske). It’s hard to stop those guys. I just don’t think that’s realistic. You just try to control them and keep it to a minimal – what they can do.”
That first career victory in the Redhawks’ road triumph over the Wildcats (1-0, 1-0) has seen nine more victories come Joyce’s way up to this point.
In order to get career victory No. 11, Joyce will rely on some of the experiences gleaned last Sept. 5.
“Last year, it was a pretty muddy game at their grass field and I remember it was just a tough game,” Joyce said. “They’re a good opponent and it was kind of tough to throw the ball because it was so muddy. But it was just a tough game and then it turned out who could run the ball better.
“Last year, I think we won the battle up front. That’s what it came down to (in 2014) and that’s what it’s going to come down to this year because they’re another great opponent. They have a lot of great weapons that they can get the ball to, so we just got to stand toe-to-toe with them.”
In the shoes now that Joyce found himself in a year ago as a first-year starter, Stankoven was efficient in completing eight-of-13 passes for 179 yards and a TD in a 38-14 victory at Metea Valley.
With Robertson and Piche on the outside and Borske – the Western Michigan-bound tight end – probing the middle of the defense, Stankoven knows he’s got ample help.
All eight of his completions went in the direction of either Robertson or Piche, including a 20-yard TD to Robertson, and he understands where his game needs to go from Week 1 to Week 2.
“I’d like to get more comfortable in the sense where I’m hitting (Piche) on the run, in the stride,” Stankoven said. “We’ve worked on that. We do that in practice all the time. We’re fine in practice. So I think just getting that first game out of the way, the second game will come easier to me.
“Then there’s a couple other plays I missed. I missed Borske on a pass and that was all on me because he was open and I just didn’t hit him. So just settling in, taking my time a little bit, not rushing the pass and hitting my receivers in stride.”
The one thing Stankoven didn’t do against the Mustangs was turn the ball over, as the running from linebackers Nick Osikowicz and Jon Rhattigan took pressure off of him to have to do too much.
While Stankoven threw for 179 yards, the Wildcats collectively ran for 174 yards and four TDs on the ground, with Osikowicz’s 80 yards and three touchdowns leading the way.
A year ago, Naperville Central forced Broc Rutter to throw two interceptions – including a 98-yard interception return from Rugamba with under a minute to play in regulation.
“For a first start, to be under pressure – he got under pressure quite a bit in that game – and he didn’t turn the ball over,” Naperville Central defensive coordinator Mike Ulreich said of Stankoven. “If you’re an offensive coach, that’s what you want out of that first game. I thought they did a nice job getting him rhythm throws early in the game. They got him into a good rhythm and he didn’t turn the ball over. So that’s what we’re trying to do this week.”
The unforgiving nature of the DuPage Valley Conference suggests Friday’s winner will have a leg up with a 2-0 start.
But the bigger scheme suggests all it means – win or lose – is there’s six more DVC games to go.
“It’s just the next game on the schedule,” Naperville Central coach Mike Stine said. “It’s Week 2. We’re used to playing them Week 2. It’s what we’ve done. Our mentality is to go 1-0 and last week doesn’t matter and two weeks from now doesn’t matter. It’s this week, preparing and Neuqua Valley’s that team.”
