Neuqua Valley, Glenbard North look for style points in DVC finale
Many high school football teams hope to feature one quality running back. Glenbard North is glad to have two.
It'll be Neuqua Valley's job to contain them Friday in south Naperville, the first football game in history between the new DuPage Valley Conference opponents.
Bearing records of 6-2 overall and 5-2 in the DVC, both Neuqua Valley and Glenbard North have already qualified for the playoffs. Motivation can be found in enhancing playoff seed and positioning, momentum and a share of the conference title should Lake Park defeat leader Naperville Central.
"We both are very physical football teams, I think," said Neuqua Valley coach Bill Ellinghaus.
"Glenbard North has made a living on being physical and pounding the football. That's what they've hung their hat on, and we certainly have to control their offense in order for us to have success this week," he said.
Panthers linemen such as Jon Czernek, Joe Vazquez and Juan Jadue have the pounding part down. Behind them is the pick-your-poison tandem of running backs, senior Devion Hodges and junior Vittorio Tricase.
Tricase has run for 1,021 yards with 12 touchdowns while Hodges has gained 775 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns. Hodges ran for 225 yards and 3 scores in last week's 45-9 win over Metea Valley, the Panthers' sixth straight victory.
"I would say they're fast, deceivingly powerful and they also just understand what we're trying to do offensively - where's that one (defensive opponent) who's going to be free, and keep a path where they can distort that free hitter," said Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens.
"They don't rush things. Once they realize that they've got what they want they're very explosive."
Tricase and Hodges also play on defense, a linebacker and safety, respectively. Should one temporarily tire after a hard run, tough defensive series or special teams assignment - Hodges has scored returning a kickoff, an interception and a fumble recovery - the other spells him in the backfield, which also offers Robert Lee, almost strictly a blocking fullback.
By now Hodges and Tricase are on autopilot with substitutions.
"When one gets tired they'll switch on their own," Wilkens said.
To minimize the chances those two backs run rampant, Ellinghaus looks to also control the ball on the ground. Traditionally the Wildcats head coach favors a 60-40 percentage of run-pass plays but a couple complications have arisen, and not just last week's 28-21 loss to Lake Park in which the Wildcats ran the ball 21 times and quarterback Jack Stankhoven passed 33 times trying to make up a 21-7 deficit.
The first complication is a good thing: skill-wise Neuqua is loaded with junior Division I recruits Isaiah Robertson and Owen Piche at receiver, and Western Michigan-bound tight end Brett Borske. Robertson has caught 35 passes for 525 yards and 6 touchdowns and Piche - who also has run and thrown for scores out of the Wildcat formation - has 25 catches for 394 yards, 2 touchdowns.
While opponents focus on Piche and Robertson, who also star in the defensive secondary, the 6-foot-6, 235-pound Borske averages 22 yards a catch with 4 touchdown receptions.
The second complication is, like many teams in Week 9, Neuqua is banged up. Top running back Nick Osikowicz, who has run for 362 yards with 8 touchdowns and also has made a team-high 70 tackles at middle linebacker, did not play last week. That left DeVaughn Welch and Griffen Philgren to run for a respective 60 and 32 yards against Lake Park. Osikowicz's return would be a boon on both sides of the ball.
"We're hoping to get a couple guys healthy this week and we know we're going into another battle," Ellinghaus said. "When you're playing great competition week in and week out, there's no time to rest."