The intense football rivalry is what inspired Naperville Central coach Joe Bunge to new heights of pregame motivation.
It was two years ago when his Redhawks were preparing for their annual crosstown feud with Naperville North that Bunge halted practice for a special stunt.
He placed a wig on a tackling dummy and torched the hairpiece.
“I want you guys to play like your hair’s on fire,” Bunge had said. “Think about it. How fast would you run and how crazy would you be if your hair was on fire?”
Led by current Illinois quarterback Tim Lavery, Naperville Central routed Naperville North 47-14. A year later, Bunge repeated the ploy and his fired-up Redhawks knocked off North 49-29.
As second-ranked Naperville Central (8-0, 6-0) prepared to visit No. 20 Naperville North (6-2, 5-1) Friday night, there were reports of smoke rising from the Redhawks’ practice field earlier in the week.
There’s nothing better than a good, old-fashioned rivalry–unless it also happens to decide a conference championship.
There will be seven games with title implications played this weekend, including the battle of Naperville that will decide the DuPage Valley title.
And actually, the best game of this blockbuster weekend will have something else at stake besides a first-place finish.
Catholic Metro White champion and top-ranked Providence (8-0) makes a dangerous visit to Catholic Metro Green champ and No. 13 Bishop McNamara (7-1), a trip that could end its 50-game winning streak.
This recent rivalry between schools of the Augustinian order of priests was solidified six years ago when Providence Principal Richard McGrath and former McNamara Principal Donald Lewandowski agreed to begin playing for the Augustinian Cup. The principals had been good friends in seminary.
And even though Providence coach Matt Senffner and Bishop Mac coach Rich Zinanni are good friends, there’s no love lost on the field.
“We play hard against them in summer passing leagues,” Senffner said. “This is all our kids have been talking about the last two weeks.”
No. 3 Lincoln-Way (8-0, 6-0) and No. 12 Sandburg (7-1, 5-1) have fashioned an immediate rivalry competing in the SICA Blue for three years, and they collide in Orland Park Friday night for the league title.
“Everywhere we go around school, everyone is asking the players if we can win the Lincoln-Way game,” said Sandburg’s 6-foot-5-inch, 275-pound offensive tackle Jeff Roehl. “It’s becoming a pretty good rivalry. Some of it started back in youth football when kids in Orland Park would play New Lenox.
“I know (Lincoln-Way quarterback) Cory Paus pretty well. We visited Iowa and Northwestern at the same time, and we were both at Notre Dame’s spring game. We’ll be able to talk to each other after the game is over.”
The talk of the town in Palatine is No. 5 Palatine’s showdown at crosstown rival Fremd (6-2, 2-2) Friday night. Although Palatine (8-0, 4-0) has clinched the Mid-Suburban North title, that hasn’t curbed anyone’s motivation.
“No matter what the records are, we’ll come at each other real hard,” Palatine quarterback Sergio Lund said. “I’m pretty good friends with (Fremd receiver) Andre Duncan, and we both know this is for bragging rights. We consider this a playoff week. We won’t have 10,000 spectators like the Naperville Central-North game, but it seems like everybody in town goes to this game.”
No. 6 Maine South (8-0, 4-0) journeys to Deerfield (5-3, 4-0) to stake its claim for the Central Suburban North title and automatic playoff berth. Maine South has been dominant of late, winning its last four games by a combined score of 163-6. The Hawks haven’t given up a point in October. A Deerfield loss eliminates the Warriors from playoff contention.
No. 4 Evanston (8-0, 4-0) is home against Waukegan (5-3, 3-1) Saturday, looking to wrap up the Central Suburban South championship and its first undefeated regular season since former Bear Emery Moorehead led the Wildkits to an 8-0 record in 1971.
The Kits will have to do it without leading rusher Siaka Massaquoi, who is sidelined with a badly twisted ankle. Sam Robinson, who had been the leading rusher at Weber the last two seasons before transferring to Evanston, will start at tailback. Waukegan, led by quarterback Jermaine Lewis, needs a victory or will miss the playoffs.
After getting upset by Lake Forest last week, No. 17 Stevenson (7-1, 5-1) must now defeat Zion-Benton (6-2, 5-1) Friday night in Lincolnshire to capture the North Suburban title.
Wilmington (8-0, 6-0) can clinch the Interstate Eight championship with a victory at home over Coal City (6-2, 5-1) Friday night. Wilmington’s leading rusher, Brady Wilkins, is out for the season with a broken collarbone.
