NAPERVILLE, IL – Waubonsie Valley and Neuqua Valley meet every year during the regular season. The two had also met in the playoffs back in 2012, which did not go the way of the Warriors. Three years later, however, Waubonsie avenged that loss by defeating the Wildcats 21-14, in the 2nd round of the IHSA playoffs.
Neuqua got off to a fast start, scoring on their first drive of the game, then scored again midway through the second quarter, to take the 14-0 lead.
Things did not look good for Waubonsie; so much so, that the Warriors decided to go for it on fourth down in the red zone. Jack Connolly kept the football and scampered 15 yards to bring the Warriors to within seven at the half.
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Waubonsie came out strong in the second half with a plan to run the ball. Connolly struck once again, this time via a 9-yard pass to Jake Schroeder, tying the game at 14 apiece.
From there, Max Ihry took over, ending an 81-yard, fourth quarter drive with a 3-yard touchdown run, that gave the Warriors the lead for good, 21-14. Ihry finished with 189 yards on 36 carries.
“With Max, all you gotta do is just give him a little head start…our o-line did great all night. They just kept making holes for him, and, you know, that was just Max being Max.”
“We were able to switch some things around at halftime to block it a little bit different,” said senior offensive lineman Tyler Caldwell.
“I mean, we knew we were down a score,” said senior fullback Ihry. “We just had to get out there, and, you know, keep grinding.”
The Warriors advance for a rematch against Naperville Central on Saturday, November 14 for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff at Dick Kerner Stadium.