It’s interesting what a team with its back against the wall — largely from its own doing — can accomplish.
Waubonsie Valley, staring at being eliminated from playoff contention, played one of its best games of the season Friday night in a 42-35 victory at Naperville North.
Waubonsie (4-4, 4-3) has made the playoffs 10 consecutive seasons and 12 of the past 13. Warriors coach Paul Murphy thought he had the team’s attention all week, but couldn’t be sure until the players hit the field.
The result?
The Warriors scored touchdowns on their first two drives. The first was on a 2-yard carry by senior quarterback Tanner Westwood, the second a 15-yard scamper by senior running back Nate Ashford.
Murphy had his answer. The yearlong battle with consistency was won for one night,
“When your back is against the wall, you find out about the character of the kids,” Murphy said. “Is making the playoffs important to them? Are they going to be the group that screws up (the tradition), because they didn’t give the right effort?
“We tell them, ‘Guys, we can live with you giving 100-percent effort and it not working out. That happens in life. All we ask is you give us everything you got, on every second of every play, and then believe in what we’re asking you to do.'”
Waubonsie clinched the win in dramatic fashion with just 30 seconds left. Tied 35-35 on Naperville North’s 39-yard line, senior tight end Charles Robinson called for the ball.
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“Chuck just came into the huddle and said, ‘Let’s run this route,'” Westwood said. “I heard it and said, ‘All right, I’ll get you the ball.’ Chuck ran a great route, got open on a double move and I just put the ball where it had to be. He broke a tackle and ran right in.”
The 6-foot-4 Robinson, a Northern Illinois recruit, also had two interceptions despite spraining his right ankle late in the first half. He knew the Huskies (5-3, 4-3) would expect a play toward the sidelines given the lack of time.
Robinson thought a post to the center of the field would catch North off guard. And after Westwood found him at about the 15, he waltzed into the end zone and was proven right.
Westwood completed 18 of 26 passes for 230 yards and two TDs, adding 75 yards and another TD on the ground. Ashford ran for 134 yards and three TDs, contributing another receiving TD early in the fourth quarter.
Robinson added five catches for 111 yards for the Warriors, who stay on the road to face Wheaton North (6-2, 5-2) in the DuPage Valley to close out the regular season.
“Wheaton North is a playoff game,” Murphy said. “If we stay healthy, I think we’re going to be really dangerous.
“Our confidence level is going way up now, because now they know what I’ve been preaching to them is fact. You can preach all you want, but until something good happens, they don’t believe. Now they do.”
Senior quarterback Drake Davis completed 14 of 20 passes for 268 yards for Naperville North, including two TDs and two interceptions. He added 49 yards and a TD on the ground.
Wide receiver Ryan Laurenzo had six catches for 142 yards and two TDs, while running back Brett Zdrubecky added 18 carries for 82 yards and a TD for the Huskies’ high-powered attack.
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Rich Mayor is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.
