No. 20 Waubonsie Valley (5-2, 4-2 DuPage Valley) @ Naperville North (0-7, 0-6 DuPage Valley), 7:30 p.m.
Last week: Waubonsie Valley won at East Aurora, 49-6; Naperville North lost at Naperville Central, 41-10
Storyline: Waubonsie Valley and Naperville North meet for the first time as DVC opponents with Waubonsie Valley looks to officially clinch a spot in the Class 8A postseason.
Senior Max Ihry has four straight 100-yard rushing games for the Warriors while their defense is coming off surrendering just 83 total yards at East Aurora last week, which saw Connor Yukna pick off three passes.
Warriors’ quarterback Jack Connolly accounted for 119 total yards and four touchdowns while Ihry’s 143 yards against the Tomcats puts him at 797 yards for the year.
Naperville North, meanwhile, will look to rebound from its 41-10 loss at Naperville Central last week.
Quarterback Luke Cegles threw for a season-high 159 yards for the Huskies in the loss to the Redhawks while being intercepted four times, with three coming in the second half.
Cegles’ one-yard TD run early in the third quarter after the Huskies recovered an onside kick to open the second half was the only touchdown they could muster against Naperville Central.
Collectively, Naperville North ran for 124 yards last week as it came out throwing against Naperville Central and Jaylen Lockhart continues to lead the team with his 590 rushing yards on 96 carries.
Lockhart only carried the ball twice last week but Cegles found him for a 33-yard completion down the sideline, which set up Cegles’ touchdown run.
The two teams last met in a 2013 Class 8A first-round postseason game – a game Waubonsie Valley won 31-20.
Waubonsie Valley coach Paul Murphy on Naperville North: “I think you’re looking at a team that wants to get a victory, so they’re going to do whatever they think they need to do to try to beat us. So we got to prepare for both the pass and the run. We did get their film exchange of Friday night’s game and plus we saw them earlier with the film exchange with Metea, so we saw them run the ball. We’ve got both looks.
“We just got to be prepared for both and try to make them one-dimensional – either run the ball or pass the ball. They’re going to do whatever they think they need to do to move the ball on us, I’m sure.
“Their coaching staff will decide what’s best for them and that’s how they’re going to try to attack us and we just got to come ready to go like we have in all the other DVC games that we’ve played. If we do, we feel good about it.
“I think you got to tackle (Lockhart). If you give him a seam, he’s got some speed. He can hurt you, absolutely.”
Naperville North coach Sean Drendel on Waubonsie Valley: “They do a lot of good things. Max is outstanding on both sides of the football and they have a few linemen that just really get after you and their quarterback (Connolly) has got a lot of moxie. Then the young kid (Tanner Westwood) that they’re using a little bit to do a lot of everything is a talented kid, as well. So they present a lot of problems. They’re a very good football team and there’s a reason their record is what it is.
“They’re playing (Westwood) at slot and they’re using him in (different spots). I know he’s a quarterback by trade, but he’s a pretty talented kid that they’re using him a fair amount of time.
“They have other talent on offense, as well. They go when their offensive line goes and especially when they get Max going. That creates a lot of problems for a lot of people. He’s a big, physical back.
“(Ihry’s) just a great football player. He’s as good as they come in our league and playing on both sides of the ball. Depending on what game film you see, he impresses you on one side and then the next week, he’ll impress you on the other side. So I think he’s just a great football player.”
