The Wheaton Warrenville South Varsity football team defeated rival Wheaton North Falcons 31-6 on Friday, Oct. 4, leaving Red Grange Field with their third win of the season. There was a lot of excitement surrounding this cross-town rivalry. Head Coach, Sean Norris, had the Tigers prepared and ready to take on the Falcons in the opening kickoff by making small adjustments to their strategy. The Tigers have had their ups and downs throughout the season, but this game brought Wheaton Warrenville South up to 4-3 overall, and 40th place in Illinois.
It was a great night for football with WWS fans coming to support our team in masses. WWS took an early lead in the first quarter because of successful passes and one rushing touchdown. Just over halfway into the second quarter, the Tigers landed another touchdown followed by an extra point by Brendan Hary. The offense, led by quarterback (QB) Luca Carbonaro, was able to connect with Kirby Christensen, for a 47 yard pass with only 42 seconds left before halftime, giving the Tigers a 21-0 lead.
Their starting strategy earned them a quick lead. “Their mentality was exactly that,” reported Norris. “They were saying we need to grow and get better and embrace the challenges against Wheaton North.”
A slow third quarter brought one field goal for the Tigers and carried WWS to a 24-0 lead, but it was the fourth quarter where the action stepped up. Running Back, Owen Yorke stepped into the spotlight with a rushing touchdown followed by another successful point scored by Hary, bringing WWS to 31 points. The Falcons stole one touchdown with two minutes left in the game, but with a missed point, their efforts were not enough for a comeback.
Norris acknowledged how the athletes had to prepare differently for the Crosstown match, saying: “It was a rivalry game.
They knew they couldn’t really sulk in past experiences but had to move forward; they had to work hard, they had to look at some of the challenges, and we all looked at some of the mistakes we made and got better and grew from it. Every time we play each other, it’s always a tough game.”
Both teams played with heart and passion throughout the game. This victory was one of the greatest of the season for the Wheaton Warrenville South Tigers.
