Finale reckoning

Neuqua Valley receiver Michael Camire is hoping he and his teammates get a tighter grip on their season against Waubonsie Valley tonight. Of course, the Warriors are looking to right their own ship.
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Not since 1993 have Naperville North and Wheaton Warrenville South met in a game as significant as tonight's DuPage Valley Conference finale in Wheaton.

Fourteen years ago, North and WW South met in a Week 3 matchup of early unbeatens. North was the reigning Class 6A state champion, WW South the defending Class 5A state champ. North was ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, WW South No. 1.

In front of 8,000-plus fans at Grange Field, Tigers running back Bobby Nelson took a pitch from receiver Kasey Klaas 80 yards for a touchdown with 2:27 to play to seal a 14-10 win. Quarterback Tim Lester started the play with a 12-yard curl pass to Klaas.

"That was the infamous hook-and-ladder play, which (North coach Larry McKeon) will remember negatively because it happened right in front of their bench in the last minute of the game," WW South coach Ron Muhitch, an assistant for the Tigers at the time, said with lighthearted laughter. "It was like a prayer that was answered by the Tigers."

In a matter of hours, this year's heroes will take the stage in a meeting of 8-0 teams in what's believed to be the first conference finale of that kind. North is ranked No. 2 by The Associated Press, WW South No. 3. The winner claims the DVC crown.

The Huskies are the favorites, much like in 1993 when they entered the game on the heels of an upset of Joliet Catholic. The Huskies are averaging 41.4 points per game to the Tigers' 29.8 and allowing only 6.3 points per game to the Tigers' 10.

"I told the kids this week, nobody's sick, nobody misses school, nobody misses practice," McKeon said. "This is the week we get our helmets screwed on right."

North senior quarterback Jordan Tassio said his team opens the Saturday paper weekly to see how WW South and Mount Carmel - the AP's top-ranked team - fared the night before.

In most weeks, the Tigers have played the Huskies' next opponent. The Huskies have gained confidence each week by trying - and usually succeeding - to outdo WW South's performance against the same foe.

"They're a really good football club," Tassio said of the Tigers. "They're always well-coached, they always reload the athletes. We're going to play the best game of the year against them. They got a lot of playmakers. It's whoever executes the most and doesn't make the most mistakes."

Tassio credits McKeon and his coaching staff for encouraging the team to treat every game as if it were against WW South. So far, it has worked.

The Huskies have posted three shutouts and allowed only 26 second-half points. Basically, they've put away every opponent by halftime - other than Glenbard North - and have rested their starters by the fourth quarter.

"We've been waiting for this game all year, and now that it's here, I don't know what to say. It's going to be a great game," North senior defensive end Kyle Lackner said. "We better come out ready to play like we have been all year - offense put points on the board, and on defense, go for the shutout again."

Contact Brad Engel at bengel@scn1.com or 630-416-5289.