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Warren, Glenbard North suspended due to lightning

On the Warren football team's first offensive possession Friday at Glenbard North, Juan Dela Cruz made a beautiful catch in traffic of a third-down, 36-yard bomb by quarterback Phil Hird.

Moments later, nearby lightning was sighted and halted the game.

Then again. And again.

"The timing couldn't have been any worse (for us), but we've got to regroup and be ready to play tomorrow. That's all we can do," Warren coach Bryan McNulty said.

The 0-0 game will resume Saturday in Carol Stream with 9:47 left in the first quarter and Warren at the Panthers' 41-yard line.

Glenbard North coach Ryan Wilkens said the starting time will be announced at 8 a.m.

Especially with other games suspended, an officiating crew needs to be secured.

"That's the issue," Wilkens said.

Warren won the coin toss and deferred receiving the ball. The Panthers' one possession was a three-and-out - two runs by Jordan McQuarter and an incomplete pass.

Once the field and stands were evacuated, players returned to the locker rooms and fans moved to the school's field house, just outside the building or their cars.

"We were talking to our kids most of the time," Wilkens said. " (Glenbard North athletic director Matt Bowser) and I were like, 'What's the time?' We can't have the community out until 1 o'clock in the morning."

Glenbard North's last suspended game was at home against rival Glenbard East in 2015. Trailing by 7 points when play stopped just before halftime, the Panthers scored 34 unanswered points the following day and won 41-17.

Wilkens recalled another weather-related suspended game against Naperville Central as well as the memorable 2011 home game against Naperville North that was resumed Saturday because of a power outage.

"It's happened to us too many times," Wilkens said.

Warren's last suspended game was with Mundelein in 2015, a 63-20 victory resumed on Saturday because of lightning.

This time the Blue Devils will be coming from another roughly 80-minute bus ride from Gurnee.

"This is just a maturity thing," McNulty said. "We just have to be able to gather ourselves and get ready to play tomorrow."

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