It has been a dream season for Mike Costantino and Naperville North, and the Huskies senior hopes it’s a long way from being over. Once-beaten Naperville North opens the Class 8A football playoffs Friday against Alton.
“The most satisfying thing has been how our team has come together,” said Costantino, a 6-foot-3-inch running back. “I knew we had the players and we had the right chemistry. We worked hard in the off-season, and it has paid off.”
The No. 11-ranked Huskies went 8-1 in the regular season, finished second in the DuPage Valley Conference and beat crosstown rival Naperville Central in the process.
“That was the first time we seniors beat them,” he said of the Redhawks. “We beat them good. It was a nice payback.”
Costantino’s performance on the field and strong work ethic have been a big element in the team’s success.
“He’s just a pleasure to work with,” said Naperville North coach Larry McKeon. “He’s a hard worker every minute of the time he’s out there. He’s got one gear and that’s full speed.”
Costantino has been the Huskies’ big playmaker for the last two seasons. He has averaged around 10 yards per carry and collected nearly 800 rushing yards.
“We rely on Mike to get the big yards for us when we need them, and he really hasn’t let us down,” McKeon said. “Every time he gets a touch, he carries the ball 2 yards farther [than last year]. He’s by far our most consistent kid on offense.
“Mike has made great improvement on catching the football and blocking,” McKeon added. “He’s become a very good blocker. People don’t notice that stuff, but coaches do.”
Costantino said a horrifying injury to teammate Mark Rochwick helped bring the team closer.
Rochwick, a lineman, suffered a head injury in a game in early September, underwent surgery to remove a blood clot in his brain and was hospitalized for two weeks.
“We bounced back from that,” Costantino said. “Mark’s doing fine right now. He’s almost back to normal. He just can’t play. He’s back in school, and it’s good to see him.”
A singular thrill for Costantino has been playing with his younger brother, Bill, a junior.
“It’s been awesome,: he said. “Growing up, we always talked about playing together” on varsity.
Costantino plans to continue his football career in college, but he’s not sure exactly where he will land. Mid-American Conference and Big Ten schools have expressed interest.
The Huskies know little about their opening-round opponent, visiting Alton, but Costantino said his team, as usual, will be prepared.
“You can’t look past Alton,” he said.
The Redbirds won their last three games and finished 4-3 in the western Illinois-based Southwestern Conference. But it was Alton’s 6-3 overall record that helped it reach the postseason and a No. 6 playoff seed in its quadrant.
Naperville North, the No. 3 seed, suffered its only loss in early September when it dropped a 30-19 decision to conference champ Wheaton North.
After that game, the Huskies rattled off six straight victories, including a 41-20 triumph over Naperville Central. In that span, Naperville North averaged 40 points per game while giving up just below 9 points on average.
Friday’s victor meets the Neuqua Valley-Lockport winner in next week’s second round.
