A 3-7 record against Neuqua Valley isn't what the Waubonsie Valley players cared about Friday night.
The Warriors are for more interested in the 2-0 mark they've posted against their District 204 rivals the past two seasons.
"This is the biggest sigh of relief I've ever had," senior defensive lineman Sherrod Stancil said after the Warriors 28-26 victory. "The biggest test for our team was to make sure last year wasn't a fluke and that Waubonsie is the better football team."
Stancil was one of the senior captains who stepped up earlier in the week, challenging their teammates to remain focused despite an 0-3 start. Mitch Ewald and Tyler Castro were the others.
"We've been here a long time and when you see a team go 0-3, you realize as a captain you have to say something," Stancil said. "If we didn't this team was going to go downhill."
The captains were responding to coach Paul Murphy, who said Friday he thought his seniors had been too quiet this season. He wanted them to provide some spark, which they did with words and actions all week.
Murphy took it a step further when the Warriors were getting ready to board the bus headed to North Central College. He told his players that if any of them didn't believe they could win, they shouldn't bother getting on the bus.
When asked if anybody stayed behind, he laughed.
"Everybody got on the bus," he said.
And when they got back on the bus after the game, they did so as victors. And as the first Waubonsie team to beat Neuqua in consecutive seasons.
No more words were needed.
What a great game on a beautiful Friday night in Naperville! It was fun to see soo many kids fully supporting their teams!!! Congrats to the Waubonsie Warriors!!!
too bad nvhs and wvhs are both sub-par teams, and may only win one game each this year. look for nchs to break into the top 20 of many "experts" rankings. if by chance central happens to beat or even come close this week against wwhs i would put them in the top ten.
WVHS winning 1 game this year? a bit of a dramatic prediction. after winning the neuqua game last year, they ran the table to win the UEC. the next big game for them will be Lake Park on October 3rd, but look for the big win over neuqua to propel them through the rest of the season and into the playoffs
they might win a few more. but they are no that good. lake park is not too bad. if they play a good game look for another "L" for wvhs.
If you look at Waubonsie's remaining schedule, Elgin, Lake Park, Bloom Township, South Elgin, and Larkin, it is probably as easy a schedule a team could ask for. Even if they did lose to Lake Park, Waubonsie is still fully capable of crushing the rest of the teams and finishing 5-4, good enough for a playoff birth. But considering the way Waubonsie's offense played in the Neuqua game, they should be able to finish 6-3. I understand that Donny Cheeks was probably at the game that Central beat WV 24-14, but the Warriors commited 20 penalties and couldn't catch the ball to save their life. Now that the offense has been improved, I expect a second half run from WV.
(Let's also remember that Central has to play Wheaton Warrenville South and Naperville North, and considering they play in the DVC, WV and NC's records should be similar come season's end)
you are most likely right in your assertation. wvhs has a very weak conference and an easy schedule in front of them. if they don't go 6 and 3 it will be a total debacle. nchs has a much tougher road ahead and they will probably come out 7 and 2. central also committed alot of penalties in the wvhs game and really should have won by 21. let us see how wvhs does against lake park, and then we can talk.
WV beat lake park 26-7 tonight donny cheeks.
let's talk