Naperville North Huskies

Outstanding student-athletes at Naperville North include (back, from left) Tyler Jermann, Jack Krejci, Matthew Hasse, Jamie Schertz, Audrey Wilson, (front) Blisa Palluau, Chris Boswell and Emma Williams.
(Jean Lachat/Sun-Times)

September 8, 2009 BY TAYLOR BELL

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TOP SPORTS MOMENTS

1. First is best

Football coach Larry McKeon (226-67 in 26 years) won state championships in 1992 and 2007. His 1992 squad was 12-2, finished third in the DuPage Valley and didn’t have a Division I recruit. Team leaders were QB Ryan Furstenau, RB Brennan Young, RB Conrad Gacki, FB Charles Davenport, LB Mike Vakos and DE Dave Schearer. They beat Loyola 21-11 for the Class 6A crown.

2. Closest ever

In the closest finish in the history of boys state cross-country, coach Dave Racey's unbeaten 2008 team of Kyle Gibson, David McWilliams, Tyler Jermann, Mike Herbert and Bob Guthrie edged favored York by one point. It took 45 minutes to determine the outcome but the Huskies prevailed as Gibson finished fourth, McWilliams ninth, Jermann 16th and Herbert 31st.

3. Back-to-back

Coach Dan Iverson produced state champions in girls cross-country in 2004 and 2005. The unbeaten 2004 team was led by Shannon Phelan, Maggie DeBerge, Alli Grissom and Bekah Regenfuss. In 2005, Phelan, DeBerge, Elle Metz and freshmen Michelle Stratton and Marissa Speckmann finished second in conference, but set a record for margin of victory.

4. Seven shutouts

The 1998 boys soccer team was 21-4-3 and closed out its season with seven consecutive shutouts to win state. Coach Dave Bucher's team was led by goalie Blake Decker, Kevin Wickart, Greg Jehns, Tony DeFalco and Anthony Minniti, who scored the only goals in the last two games. Decker stopped a penalty kick in the regional final to keep the streak alive.

5. Stadium opener

After playing home football games at Naperville Central from 1975-87, North dedicated Harshbarger/Welzel Stadium in 1988. A crowd of 7,000 watched North win. ‘‘It was a thrill for the players, coaches and student body to walk out of the school and go to the game. It was the culmination of a lot of work to get it done,’’ former athletic director Neil McCauley said.

WHAT NAPERVILLE NORTH MEANS TO ME

By Sean Drendel: A 1990 graduate, and three-sport athlete, he played football at Eastern Illinois. Inducted into Naperville's Hall of Fame in 2006.

There is a saying about Naperville North that goes back to Stan Gruszka, who coached football and wrestling when I was there. He always said, ‘‘Once a Huskie, always a Huskie.’’ That's so true. It’s special to be a Huskie.

Naperville North is a very special place for me and our family. My two brothers and two sisters, all older than me, played sports there. My father was an assistant superintendent. There is a big-time family atmosphere at the school.

It comes from Neil McCauley, who was the athletic director for 26 years, and former principal Bruce Cameron. They created Naperville North the way it is today. They hired great coaches and built a great tradition in a wide range of sports — 16 state championships in 10 sports.

Football coach Larry McKeon, my mentor, brought in weight lifting. We never lifted before that. If you aren’t playing another sport, he said, you better be lifting. I didn’t enjoy lifting. So I played other sports.

But coaches such as McKeon, Carl Hunckler, Paul Ryan and Tom Vargos taught us that hard work pays off, that if you put time and effort in, there will be value in it, as an athlete and a person. Character counts, too. And everyone on the team matters. There are no cuts at Naperville North.

I want our kids to be enthusiastic and want to be there and help the team in any way they can. What sticks out about coach McKeon is he always ends a practice or game on a positive note. At the end of the day, we always say how great our kids did.

My greatest memory? I scored the first touchdown against Naperville Central on the new football field after it was dedicated in 1988. I still get a thrill when I look on the sideline and see so many former players. Once you are a member, you are part of a family at Naperville North.

NOTABLE ALUMNI

• Chris Brown: pro football player

• Levelle Brown: former pro football player

• Henry Domercant: pro basketball player

• Glenn Earl: former pro football player

• Dave Garnett: former pro football player

• Emily Giffin: best-selling author

• Jerry Hairston Jr.: pro baseball player

• Scott Hairston: pro baseball player

• Will Johnson: pro soccer player

• Jay Konrad: pro soccer player

• Justin McCareins: pro football player