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Joseph Polley

Both the offensive line of Naperville North and the defensive line of Libertyville face off in the beginning of the second quarter in a down to the wire game. “ Just two teams that are really good, two really good programs going at each other” Head Coach Tim Budge said.

On Wednesday, September 5th, the Libertyville Varsity football team suffered their first loss of the 2025 season. Naperville North ended up getting the better of the Wildcats in a 21-14 defeat at Libertyville High School.

Even early on in the 1st quarter it was obvious it would be a grueling ground and pound type of game. Both teams prioritized running the football from the get-go. Running the football worked out for the Naperville North Huskies with their leading rusher William Eloe (17)having 128 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on the ground. The dominance of  Naperville North when running the football made the Huskies able to control the pace of the game and always seem one step ahead of Libertyville.  

“Our guys showed a lot of heart, and that’s the kind of leadership they’ve shown all year. It’s just that they don’t get down easy. They just keep fighting.” Head Coach Tim Budge said. 

The Wildcats were not as proficient in running the ball. Senior Adian Weaver (21) had nearly 60 yards on the ground and brought in multiple receptions for 21 yards. 

The first touchdown of the game was scored late in the 2nd quarter with 3:16 left in the half. A redzone pass from Trevor Wallace (2) put the first points on the board for either team. 

However, a pair of touchdowns from Running Back William Eloe and Wide Receiver Jack Zitko put Naperville North over the Wildcats going into halftime. The game was scoreless from both teams after the first quarter until Quarterback Trevor Wallace rushed into the endzone for a touchdown. 

The game went into overtime with the Huskies getting the ball first. On one of the very first plays of OT, William Eloe got his 2nd rushing touchdown of the day. The Wildcats were not able to respond in overtime and came out with a tough loss. 

“Two evenly matched teams. I told the guys their effort was unquestioned. I mean, they battled all night. Naperville [North] battled. So we just came up a little bit short.” Said Head Coach Tim Budge.

Libertyville is back at home next week against Stevenson.