Naperville Central goes to the head of the class
It may have taken three quarters, but Naperville Central's football team ultimately delivered its statement game.
Quarterback Conor Joyce scored a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to rally the Redhawks to Friday's 20-8 DuPage Valley Conference win over visiting Wheaton Warrenville South.
With Waubonsie Valley losing and Neuqua Valley on its bye week outside the DVC, Naperville Central (4-1, 4-1) is now alone in first place in the conference. The Redhawks, who have their DVC bye next week against Batavia, are a half-game ahead of Neuqua Valley and Wheaton North.
"We needed to respond from that loss last week," Joyce said. "Wheaton South is a great team and we knew we had to come out and have a great game."
Coming off a disappointing 1-point loss to Waubonsie Valley, Naperville Central entered Friday night looking for a big bounce-back performance. WW South (1-4, 1-4), however, had other ideas and took an 8-7 lead to the fourth quarter.
The Redhawks unleashed a 17-play, 88-yard drive that ate nearly nine minutes of clock. Four plays into the fourth quarter Joyce capped it by scoring from 2 yards out to put Naperville Central ahead to stay at 13-8.
After forcing a WW South punt near midfield, Naperville Central scored again. Joyce's 44-yard pass to Emmanuel Rugamba set up the quarterback's 9-yard scoring run and a 20-8 lead.
Rugamba and Garrett Purdy snared interceptions on the Tigers' final two possessions to seal the victory.
"We've still got a lot of things to prove," Rugamba said. "We're still very close to being the team we want to be. I feel all things are possible right now."
Naperville Central scored on its first possession of the game when Joyce hit Rugamba for a 75-yard touchdown strike. Joyce completed 8 of 14 passes for 188 yards with 6 catches for 166 yards going to Rugamba.
WW South started Matt Dohse at quarterback after the junior missed the season's first four games with injury. He pulled the Tigers within 7-6 on his 2-yard scoring run, and then a busted play on the extra point led to Jack Maher's conversion pass to Michael Cluchey for an 8-7 lead.
That's where the score stayed until the Redhawks started to take control midway through the third quarter.
The Tigers are 1-4 and on the verge of elimination from playoff contention for the second straight year. Last season they responded with six straight wins to reach the Class 7A quarterfinals.
"We're in the same position we were this time last year," said WW South coach Ron Muhitch, whose team played without starting quarterback Mike Stebbins, running back J.J. Johnson and linebacker Will Bach due to injury. "The problem is we've got to get all our kids back to compete with our next opponent."
Dohse and Owen England combined for 101 rushing yards for the Tigers. Joyce and Jeremiah Wiggins combined for 90 rushing yards for Naperville Central.
"Every game with them is tough," said Redhawks coach Mike Stine. "That was a battle."
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