Wheaton North rolls past Naperville North
In front of a homecoming crowd, Wheaton North dominated play and beat visiting Naperville North 45-3 Friday night.
It took a fake punt in the first quarter to start the offense, but once it started the flood gates opened. The 35-yard pass on fourth down led to a 6-yard pass from sophomore Wheaton North quarterback Luke Anthony to Michael Bloss for a touchdown. The Falcons scored on their next three possessions, all on Anthony passes.
"It felt great," Anthony said of the win. "Last week Naperville Central was really tough for the seniors, so it was great for them."
Up 28-0 at halftime, the Falcons didn't skip a beat in the second half. On the first drive of the third quarter, running back Doug Michalak powered the ball in for a 2-yard touchdown run. Kicker Nick Cairo added a 48-yard field goal and backup quarterback Alex Alkevicius ran in a 76-yard touchdown to push the lead to 45-0 in favor of Wheaton North.
The win didn't come without some punishment toward Anthony. The Falcons repeatedly left the quarterback open for big hits moments after releasing the ball for a completion. However, Anthony handled the hits well and said it is all part of football.
Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski said the difference in the game for his offense was its ability to run the ball.
"We were able to run the ball tonight, we were able to throw the ball tonight," Wardynski said. "When we can be balanced you know we can be a very good offense. It was nice to see us run the ball tonight."
Naperville North's lone scoring drive came in their only fourth-quarter drive. The Huskies put together a 14-play drive and finished with a 31-yard Milan Dosen field goal.
The Wheaton North defense was focused on keeping the Huskies' big-play offense in check, Wardynski said.
The most impressive part of the game for Wardynski was his team's ability to rally with a big performance after failing to qualify for the playoffs. The coach said his team was focused on having fun and playing good football to close out the last two games of the season. The Falcons finish next week at home against Lake Park.