Rivalry is superheated even
without DuPage Valley flag
Huskies-Warriors clash provides preview for 2015
By Steve Nemeth
This year’s non-conference meeting between Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley will be a DuPage Valley Conference tangle in 2015.
So is that going to make the showdown more notable?
Not at all, according to the participants.
First and foremost, while Waubonsie, Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley leave the Upstate Eight Conference’s Valley Division to become members of the DuPage Valley Conference, North’s Huskies have had ongoing regular-season matches with all three. More notably, they’re all part of the same cluster usually seeded within the same SuperSectional for IHSA postseason play.
“Playing them in the future really isn’t going to change much other than the match designation,” North coach Jim Konrad said with a shrug. “We always try to face the best teams in the area, and there’s the possibility of a matchup in the Best of the West Tournament or the postseason.”
The Huskies own a 1-0 win over Neuqua from the BOTW and host Metea later this year. North captured regular-season wins over Waubonsie during the past three campaigns, only to have the Warriors end the Huskies’ 2013 season in a sectional semifinal.
Waubonsie ran into DVC member Naperville Central in the BOTW and has faced North often, and the contests with Lake Park under the DVC will be a renewal of when the Lancers were also previously in the UEC.
“Playing them as a conference opponent means we’ll prep the same we have in the past,” Warriors coach Jose Garcia said. “We know they’re a quality program and we know we want to beat them. I’m certain we’ll continue facing some of the Upstate Eight programs just like we’ve faced DVC schools in the past.”
For years, the players have developed a familiarity from club programs, which often means teammates in one setting are now the opposition in the other.
“We always train to beat the competition,” Waubonsie’s Leo Mendoza said. “Whether it’s a conference opponent or a team you recognize players from club ball, you want to outplay them to enjoy some bragging rights. Of course that only lasts until you meet again.”
Coming out of the most recent matchup, both programs are more concerned with mirroring their 2014 starts: Naperville North opened the year winning three of its first four, while Waubonsie Valley began with a 3-0-1 ledger. Both are still in search of a first win on Tuesday when they return to their respective conference slates.
Former DuPage Valley member West Chicago switched to the UEC in 2013, while West Aurora and Glenbard East made the transition this year.
without DuPage Valley flag
Huskies-Warriors clash provides preview for 2015
By Steve Nemeth
This year’s non-conference meeting between Naperville North and Waubonsie Valley will be a DuPage Valley Conference tangle in 2015.
So is that going to make the showdown more notable?
Not at all, according to the participants.
First and foremost, while Waubonsie, Metea Valley and Neuqua Valley leave the Upstate Eight Conference’s Valley Division to become members of the DuPage Valley Conference, North’s Huskies have had ongoing regular-season matches with all three. More notably, they’re all part of the same cluster usually seeded within the same SuperSectional for IHSA postseason play.
“Playing them in the future really isn’t going to change much other than the match designation,” North coach Jim Konrad said with a shrug. “We always try to face the best teams in the area, and there’s the possibility of a matchup in the Best of the West Tournament or the postseason.”
The Huskies own a 1-0 win over Neuqua from the BOTW and host Metea later this year. North captured regular-season wins over Waubonsie during the past three campaigns, only to have the Warriors end the Huskies’ 2013 season in a sectional semifinal.
Waubonsie ran into DVC member Naperville Central in the BOTW and has faced North often, and the contests with Lake Park under the DVC will be a renewal of when the Lancers were also previously in the UEC.
“Playing them as a conference opponent means we’ll prep the same we have in the past,” Warriors coach Jose Garcia said. “We know they’re a quality program and we know we want to beat them. I’m certain we’ll continue facing some of the Upstate Eight programs just like we’ve faced DVC schools in the past.”
For years, the players have developed a familiarity from club programs, which often means teammates in one setting are now the opposition in the other.
“We always train to beat the competition,” Waubonsie’s Leo Mendoza said. “Whether it’s a conference opponent or a team you recognize players from club ball, you want to outplay them to enjoy some bragging rights. Of course that only lasts until you meet again.”
Coming out of the most recent matchup, both programs are more concerned with mirroring their 2014 starts: Naperville North opened the year winning three of its first four, while Waubonsie Valley began with a 3-0-1 ledger. Both are still in search of a first win on Tuesday when they return to their respective conference slates.
Former DuPage Valley member West Chicago switched to the UEC in 2013, while West Aurora and Glenbard East made the transition this year.