Downers Grove North stuns WW South

Downers North celebrates after recovering the onside kick to win the game against WW South.
(Terence Guider-Shaw/For the Naperville Sun)

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At least one Downers Grove North player disagreed with his coach’s decision to attempt a two-point conversion after pulling within one of No. 6 Wheaton Warrenville South with 1:39 left.

‘‘I wanted to go for one,’’ senior running back Jermal Jones said. ‘‘But the coach is a gambler.’’

After a pass-interference penalty in the end zone on Downers North’s first try for two moved the ball to the 1 1/2- yard line, quarterback Dan Sheppard ran over the left end to give the Trojans an improbable 8-7 Class 7A playoff victory Friday night in Wheaton.

For a brief instant, it appeared the officials might wave off Sheppard’s conversion try.

‘‘I didn’t even think it was that close,’’ Sheppard said. ‘‘But the first official didn’t give any signal. I was laying there thinking my career was over. Then the second official ran in and called it good.’’

Downers Grove North coach John Wander didn’t hesitate to go for the win.

‘‘Football is a team game,’’ Wander said. ‘‘I’d rather go for two and not make it than have one guy go for an extra point and miss. If 11 guys can’t make three yards, so be it.’’

Wheaton Warrenville South (8-2) broke a scoreless tie by taking the second-half kickoff and marching 57 yards on 15 plays after a 40-yard kickoff return by Mack Tracey.

The Tigers kept the drive alive by converting a fourth-and-10 from the Downers North 31-yard line on a 12-yard pass from Joe Furco to 6-6 junior Dan Hohenstein. Julian Banuelos (21 carries, 80 yards) capped the drive with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 7-0 with 5:05 left in the third quarter.

Downers North’s next two possessions ended with interceptions. But the second interception put Wheaton South at its 2-yard line, and the short ensuing punt gave the Trojans the ball at the Wheaton South 29 with 4:50 remaining. Eight plays later, Joe Tokarski scored from one yard out to set up the dramatic finale.

‘‘The kids didn’t allow any big plays,’’ Wander said. ‘‘When we stopped their first drive of the game ... it made our kids believe we could be on the field with them.’’