Neuqua Valley: September 2008 Archives

Waubonsie Valley is coming down off an emotional win against a District 204 rival to face 0-4 Elgin on Friday night. But the Warriors (1-3) can't afford to overlook Elgin - they've given themselves a chance to be in the playoff conversation and need to bank another win.

"Don't let their record fool you," Waubonsie coach Paul Murphy said. "They got some pretty good skill kids on offense that scare the heck out of you, that can go the distance."

Look for Waubonsie quarterback Tyler Castro, who went 19-of-28 for 265 yards and four touchdowns last week against Neuqua Valley, to set up in the spread offense and make Elgin chase receivers all night.

"(With) a small roster, 30-something players, I'm sure (Elgin's) got guys going both ways," Murphy said. "We're 80-something players. We got to wear them down and just make them play for 48 minutes and make them go that distance and we think we can wear them down."

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."

Kenneth Clay is The Sun's guest blogger. Mr. Clay, a sports writer for Waubonsie Valley's school newspaper "The Voice," is a junior. His views do not represent those of The Sun's and are entirely his own.

It is all the talk around town - Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley going head-to-head tonight in the heart of downtown Naperville at North Central College to compete for bragging rights.

As always the football rivalry between the two schools remains heated with trash talking coming from both sides. The taunting for this highly anticipated match up started as early as last February, when the Neuqua men's basketball team devastatingly defeated the Warriors in the semi-sectionals to end the Waubonsie's great season. Characteristically, Waubonsie's fans just wouldn't stand for it and immediately chanted,"Wait until football! Wait until football!" Ever since then Facebook groups have started and are full of school pride and trash talk against the opposing school.

The Upstate Eight Conference will expand and realign into two six-team divisions beginning in the fall of 2010.

The conference announced the anticipated move on Thursday and it took into account several geographic considerations. Metea Valley, which in scheduled to open in the fall of 2009, will become the conference's new 12th member and join District 204 rivals Neuqua Valley and Waubonsie Valley in the UEC South. The division will also include East Aurora, St. Charles East and St. Charles North.

The UEC North will be made up of Bartlett, Elgin, Lake Park, Larkin, South Elgin and Streamwood.

What's your early take? How will this impact these UEC programs?

Neuqua Valley senior Will Konovsky got some good news this week about his injured right knee. According to the family, an MRI showed no ACL tears nor damaged cartilage. He has a "severe bone contusion" from hyperextending his knee, but Konovsky should return to action in two to three weeks.

Waubonsie Valley will enter Week 3 at 0-2, staring down last year's UEC co-champion St. Charles East, followed by the Warriors' arch-rival Neuqua Valley in Week 4. Ideally, Waubonsie would like to win both of these games, but they must win at least one.

To enter Week 5 without a win would be a real morale killer for a team with a lot of potential. Not to mention, it would mean the Warriors must run the table to even be playoff eligible.

But surviving the next two weeks won't be easy. The Warriors had a tough time containing the run against Prairie Ridge, which will be key to stopping St. Charles East running back Wes Allen this Friday. And what can you say about the 204 rivalry? It's always intense, emotional and a momentum builder. After the Warriors beat Neuqua last season, they didn't lose a game until they met Hinsdale Central in the playoffs.

So, football fans, if you're forced to pick only one, which team - St. Charles East or Neuqua - does Waubonsie have the best shot against? Which victory is most important for the Warriors, both in terms of UEC title hopes and going unbeaten to finish the regular season?

Neuqua Valley receiver Josh Schaffer had an ice pack on his ankle in the fourth quarter Friday night. But, despite a limp as he left the field postgame, the injury didn't look serious enough to keep the Western Michigan recruit out of next week's game at Lake Park.

That's good news for the Wildcats. And good news for Schaffer's fan club. As he was leaving the school, two girls walking in the parking lot shouted, "We love you Josh."

Neuqua's defense took a beating against Naperville North last week. The Wildcats allowed more than 500 yards of offense, including nearly 400 on the ground.

While some of that can be explained as an adjustment period to its new defense, Neuqua coach Bryan Wells said that's only a small part of it.

Neuqua Valley defensive end Will Konovsky said after practice today he'll miss the Wildcats home opener against Plainfield Central on Friday night.

He and the team are hoping that's all he'll miss.