Oct. 24--The night called for running, but Conor Joyce threw anyway.
With targets like Iowa recruit Manny Rugamba, Matt Lehmann and several other legitimate threats, Naperville Central can afford to go against the grain.
Rather than slug it out with Lake Park's powerful defensive line on the ground, Joyce threw for 274 yards and three touchdowns -- two to Lehmann -- as No. 7 Naperville Central claimed its first outright DuPage Valley Conference title with a 28-7 road victory in Roselle.
The Redhawks (8-1, 7-1) also assured themselves a high seed in the Class 8A playoffs, which begin next week, while Lake Park (4-5, 4-4) came up just short of qualifying, one win away for the second straight year.
"We always go into the game knowing we want to do both, that is the game plan, and if one is doing better than the other, we will stick with it, which is what happened with the passing game tonight," Joyce said. "Credit to the line, they been doing an outstanding job allowing us to do that, and we have tremendous playmakers."
Lehmann, a 5-foot-8 senior, broke his fibula in the summer, but that seems like a distant memory now.
His legs certainly worked well when he caught a quick slant from Joyce and ran away from Lake Park's defense for a 47-yard touchdown that gave the Redhawks the lead for good at 14-7 in the second quarter.
Lehmann ran away from the defense again in the third, but only after making a tremendous leaping catch and sticking the landing on what he turned into a 33-yard touchdown and a 21-7 Central lead.
"It took him little bit of time to get back (to full strength)," Naperville Central coach Mike Stine said. "We knew what we had all along with him. He's fast and is a freak in the weight room.
"If you're going to double Manny, we'll look to Matt, and if we put them on the same side and you double both, we've got a lot of other guys who can make plays. We feel pretty blessed with what we have."
Mike Helfgot is a freelance reporter for the Chicago Tribune.
Player of the game: Matt Lehmann, Naperville Central, 5 receptions, 103 yards, 2 TDs.
Key performers: Naperville Central -- Conor Joyce, 19-for-25 passing, 274 yards, 3 TDs, TD run; Manny Rugamba, 6 receptions, 84 yards. Lake Park -- Jaron Fields, 64 rushing yards, TD pass.
