Depending on how you learn from it, adversity can only make you stronger.
Home losses to Lake Park and Glenbard North to finish the regular season provided Neuqua Valley quite a bit of it – courtesy of a combined five turnovers.
A fumble from Isaiah Robertson on the game’s first possession Saturday night in 19th-seeded Neuqua Valley’s Class 8A first-round game with 14th-seeded Hinsdale Central provided a little more.
But you didn’t expect Robertson to go away, did you?
Two Robertson touchdown catches, along with touchdown runs from Nick Osikowicz and Greg McClellan, led the way as Neuqua Valley posted a impressive 29-26, road victory over the Red Devils.
The newly-minted DuPage Valley Conference Co-Defensive Captain of the Year hauled in seven passes for 100 yards and the two TDs.
The victory moves Neuqua Valley (7-3) into a second-round home date next Saturday with 30th-seeded Waubonsie Valley (6-4), which upset third-seeded Edwardsville, 20-17, in overtime.
Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley last met in the postseason in a 2012 Class 8A state quarterfinal – a game won by Neuqua Valley, 23-20, on a late Ryan Mulhern field goal.
Wildcats’ senior quarterback Jack Stankoven finished nine-of-11 passing for 124 yards with the two TD passes and an interception.
Osikowicz, meanwhile, led the ground game for the Wildcats with 111 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.
While Neuqua Valley went into halftime up 14-13, Christian Bobak’s second TD run of the game put Hinsdale Central up 19-14 early in the second half.
But a 27-yard TD pass from Stankoven to Robertson and an ensuing two-point conversion put the Wildcats up 22-19 with 4:34 to play in the third.
About midway through the fourth, McClellan recovered his own fumble and ran eight yards to give Neuqua Valley a 10-point lead to hold at 29-19.
On a night that saw seven players get a rep at running back on the way to churning out 209 rushing yards, the Wildcats found the balance that had eluded them the past two weeks.
Robertson’s fumble led to a Hinsdale Central field goal to open up the scoring at 3-0 with 9:55 left in the first,
Stankoven offered quite a response by proceeding to lead the Wildcats to an 80-yard scoring drive – ended by a 17-yard touchdown reception from Robertson.
A botched snap on a punt deep in Red Devils’ territory helped set up the Wildcats’ offense again.
They would take advantage by going 15 yards on six plays to take a 14-3 lead as Osikowicz found pay dirt with 1:29 left in the first.
The Wildcats turned the ball over three times in the first half, but the Red Devils could only manage six points off the turnovers.
Bobak’s two-yard touchdown run early in the second was the only first-half TD Hinsdale Central came up with.
Bobak finished with 134 yards and two touchdowns on 24 carries for the Red Devils while Kareem Muhammad caught five passes for 78 yards and a TD.
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