Rankings: October 2008 Archives

The message boards have been lighting up for Wheaton Warrenville South at Naperville North. It's No. 2 versus No. 3 for the DuPage Valley Conference title. According to the IHSA's latest projections, the two programs will be separated into different classes for the postseason.

After icing his ankle Tuesday night - a routine procedure - North quarterback Matt Manade was thoughtful and relaxed in a nearly 20-minute interview. Today we look at what the senior captain went through to reach this point, and what he might see across the line of scrimmage Friday night. Manade said the Huskies didn't start preparing for WW South until Week 9.

"We're always a team where you got to focus on the game at hand," Manade said. "You can't look too far ahead. Obviously, it's always in the back of your mind."

Now that it's almost here, who wins this game and why?

Today we look at wingman Pat Waite and how the quiet senior fits into Naperville North's system.

Taylor Bell focuses on recruiting prospects for Wheaton Warrenville South and Plainfield Central.

And in case you haven't seen it yet, Steve Tucker slots North second in his Chicago Sun-Times rankings.

Naperville North moved up to No. 2 in the Chicago Sun-Times rankings after Friday's 35-21 victory over Naperville Central, and from here the schedule is manageable.

Up next is West Aurora (3-3, 1-3), which is 0-11 against North since joining the DuPage Valley Conference in 1997.

The Huskies (6-0, 4-0) then travel to Wheaton North (4-2, 2-2) on Oct. 17. The question then will be which Falcons are available. Quarterback Taylor Graham reportedly broke his ankle and will miss the rest of the season. Running back Mike Trumpy, a Northwestern recruit, sat out last week's 24-21 win over Glenbard East with an injury - his status will be something to monitor as the Falcons prepare for No. 3 Wheaton Warrenville South on Friday.

By Week 9 the hype will be in overdrive for another DVC showdown. WW South might come into Naperville having won its previous 27 DVC games, as well as 35 consecutive regular season games. Meanwhile the Huskies could be defending a 13-game winning streak that includes a Class 8A championship. It would have started after a 42-41 triple-overtime loss to WW South last year in the regular-season finale.