By Bobby Narang
The Wheaton North High School football team looked in trouble late in Friday’s game.
A muggy night, almost 90 degrees, led to several football games in Chicago canceled because of the heat.
Still, Wheaton North and Lake Park managed to overcome the conditions, even though several players suffered from cramps and injuries throughout the long game. Just as the weather conditions started shifting – an impending thunderstorm – the Falcons turned up their offense another gear on the blue turf at Bob Monken Field.
Running back Mac Murray sparked the late turnaround, finishing with 212 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Falcons to a 24-15 victory in the DuKane Conference opener for both teams.
“Today our inside runs were there,” Murray said. “We had a sophomore lineman get pulled up, named Will Howser, and he was working his butt off. Just loved to see a ton of effort out of everybody, and it was a great day.”
The Falcons (3-0, 1-0) rode the legs of Murray to remain in the undefeated column. He dominated the ball to help the visiting team chew up valuable clock time.
After Lake Park (1-2, 0-1) capped an impressive 90-yard drive with a touchdown on its first possession, the Falcons tied the game on quarterback Burke Neibch’s 51-yard touchdown to Adam Schilling. Murray gave his team a bigger lead with a one-yard touchdown run for an 18-7 edge.
“I’m very proud of what the line did,” Wheaton North coach Joe Wardynski said. “We needed a drive there at the end, and we were able to put one together and punch another score in and get the separation that we needed to get a two-score lead.”
Five years ago, the Falcons won the Class 7A state championship but missed the playoffs last season with just three wins. Three games into the 2026 season, the Falcons have matched last season’s win total heading into Friday’s key road game against St. Charles North.