By Bobby Narang
Batavia and Wheaton Warrenville South High Schools were fighting for two different things on the football field Friday, Oct. 13.
The Batavia Bulldogs already had clinched a playoff berth by virtue of winning six of their first seven games this season.
But, Batavia was seeking to win the DuKane Conference championship outright, with a win on the Tigers’ home field in Wheaton to seal one of their main goals for the season.
Meanwhile, the Tigers were looking for a signature victory that would hand their first fifth win of the season, all but sealing a playoff bid. A loss would put all the pressure on a Week 9 game at St. Charles East.
The Bulldogs reached their objective on a fall-like evening by scoring one touchdown in each of the four quarters en route to a 28-14 victory over the Tigers at Red Grange Field.
The Bulldogs (7-1, 6-0) will be host to Glenbard North Friday, Oct. 20, in their regular-season finale.
Batavia head coach Dennis Piron spent a few minutes after the game chatting with Wheaton Warrenville South head coach Sean Norris and told how hard his team played on Senior Night.
“Wheaton Warrenville South played hard and was really well-prepared and well-coached and their kids were highly-motivated and on the rise and have continued to improve, but we knew what to expect,” Piron said. “We thought it would be a good football game. We didn’t mind grinding it out a bit. We try and be as diverse as we can, but we like to always be a power football team. When the time came to do that, we did. I’m proud of the boys. We were very physical. The tapestry of this season has been an amazing thing.
“Our linemen on both sides of the ball are such bright and hard-working kids. We tell them to win the trenches. We weren’t able to bounce (wide) offensively. In all phases, we did a nice job.”
The Bulldogs won the battle at the line of scrimmage, while relying on their bend-but-don’t-break defense. The Tigers made the game interesting but struggled rushing the ball, finishing with 49 yards on the ground.
Wheaton Warrenville South running back Matt Crider carried the ball 23 times for 50 yards and scored a one-yard touchdown.
“They were a really sound defense, covering the gaps and all the holes and they did a great job,” Crider said. “Their defensive line was tough. Our O-line was pushing. We tried our best. I’m so proud of our guys. We fought until the end. We will fight this week in practice and get ready for St. Charles East.”
Batavia quarterback Ryan Boe, a North Dakota State University recruit, passed for 88 yards and a touchdown and ran for 32 yards and a TD.
Boe put the game away with a lengthy drive in the fourth quarter, helped by two key plays that extended the possession. His seven-yard pass on fourth down to Patrick McNamara gave the Bulldogs (7-1, 6-0) a first down with just under six minutes left. A few plays later, Boe had a three-yard run on fourth down with just over two minutes left. Batavia running back Nathan Whitwell closed out the lengthy drive with a four-yard touchdown with 2:12 remaining. Batavia running back Charlie Whelpley finished with 10 carries for 49 yards.
“We expected to make more plays than we did, but our offensive line played great and we relied on our power run game, which saved us just being able to pound the ball,” Boe said. “Our coaches did a great job on that last drive.”
The Tigers (4-4, 3-3) had a solid game from quarterback Luca Carbonaro, who tossed a touchdown pass in the second quarter.
Norris said the home defeat puts his team in a must-win game at St. Charles East, if they want to make the playoffs.
“They got some short fields and with their experience at quarterback and their offense, they took advantage of it,” Norris said. “I do think our defense responded really well. We made a few mistakes. On offense, we had some opportunities but didn’t capitalize.”