Emotion in motion: Ethan Robert runs for 277 yards and scores 2 TDs as Naperville North beats Naperville Central for first time since 2017

The atmosphere. The pomp and circumstance. The friction of top-notch competition.

None of that escaped Naperville North’s Ethan Robert.

And with the backdrop of playing at North Central College, the senior running back put on a performance for the ages Friday night against archrival Naperville Central.

“You have to do great in a rivalry game,” he said. “I was playing on a lot of emotion.”

Robert was emotion in motion, gaining 277 yards on 35 carries and scoring two touchdowns as the Huskies cruised to 38-27 DuPage Valley Conference victory.

Naperville North (3-3, 2-1) earned its first win over Naperville Central (3-3, 1-2) since 2017.

Defense had been the calling card for the Redhawks, who had not allowed more than 20 points in a game.

“Our defense has been so good the whole year, and (Friday night) we played badly,” Naperville Central coach Mike Ulreich said. “We could not stop the run.”

On his second carry, Robert blasted through the left side of the line for a personal-best 80-yard TD run.

“I had great blocks in front of me,” Robert said. “The field opened up, and I just ran. It felt great to just get running.”

The college stadium and the massive crowd of 4,500-plus fans produced an electric atmosphere.

The early play matched the mood as the teams combined for three TDs in 1 minute, 36 seconds during a frenetic first quarter.

Northwestern-bound senior receiver Reggie Fleurima produced TD catches of 21 and 55 yards from Owen Prucha, giving the Redhawks initial leads of 6-0 and 13-7.

Robert responded, however, with a 24-yard TD run in the second quarter, igniting a 21-0 burst in the first half by the Huskies.

Fleurima, who played at Naperville North as a freshman, finished with five catches for 107 yards.

Prucha accounted for all of Naperville Central’s TDs with two strikes to Fleurima, a 64-yard TD pass to Tristen Hall and a 1-yard keeper. Prucha completed 19 of 34 passes for 313 yards.

The effort of Robert, junior quarterback Aidan Gray and the dynamic Williams brothers, Zeke and Luke, altered the balance of power for Naperville North.

Gray played a nearly flawless first half, completing 12 of 13 passes for 119 yards. He finished 16 of 18 for 155 yards. He had 13 consecutive completions.

His 1-yard TD on a keeper and daring 12-yard TD pass to Luke Williams in the back of the end zone pushed the Huskies to a 28-13 halftime lead.

“That long run Robert had was huge,” Gray said. “It really gave us a ton of energy the rest of the game.”

Luke Williams, a sophomore, intercepted Prucha at the end of the second quarter. Williams also had five tackles. He added four catches for 32 yards.

“This really means a lot,” Luke said. “Zeke played his sophomore year against Central, and they lost the game. I know he played for redemption, and so did I.”

Zeke Williams contributed three catches and five tackles. His most important play, though, came late in the third quarter.

After the Redhawks pulled within 28-20 on the opening possession of the third quarter, Gray responded by orchestrating a 14-play, 80-yard drive.

On fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line, Gray had the ball stripped out of his hands. Zeke Williams dove on the loose ball in the end zone for the TD.

David Olano added a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

“The defense really did their job, and so did the offense,” Luke Williams said. “In the first half, our defense was a little off. In the second half, we really shut them down.”