Cam Hardy speaks with a confident tone, and it’s no slip of the tongue.
There is a different vibe around Naperville North these days.
“Our motto from the jump has been state,” said Hardy, a senior safety. “That’s all we’ve been thinking about these last couple months. You have to have that confidence on Friday nights.”
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Talk like Hardy’s isn’t normally associated with a program coming off back-to-back 2-7 seasons. It was the first time in 31 years North endured consecutive losing seasons.
The Huskies’ swagger, though, seems to be back.
North won its last two games last season, and finished a surprising second in June at the Red Grange 7-on-7. Hardy is one of 17 returning starters.
North coach Sean Drendel doesn’t mind a bit the bold words from his third-year varsity starter.
“Around here that used to be the talk every year,” Drendel said. “We used to be able to walk on the field and feel pretty confident. We’ve lost that a little bit the last couple years, but I think this group has that same attitude and confidence. It’s refreshing to see.”
Drendel, for one thing, has noticed a different Hardy.
He’s packed on 21 pounds to a chiseled 6-foot-1, 194-pound frame. Hardy coyly smiled in noting that the Huskies “have a lot of hitters this year.”
He’s one of them.
“I don’t know if he was overly confident last year, and I don’t know if he had great ball sense all the time,” Drendel said. “Now he’s stronger and more physical and faster. When he tackles you, he tackles you. When he drives on the ball to make a pick, he goes and gets it. His confidence as much as anything has increased.”
Hardy has a dynamic partner in the Huskies’ secondary again in senior Grant Ericksen, an all-conference player who led North in interceptions.
“He’s as good a football player as we’ve had,” Drendel said.
Ericksen, a slot receiver as a sophomore, got a taste of a return to the offensive side of the ball the last two games last year.
Ericksen and Hardy are both getting cameo appearances in North’s new-look offense that made a smashing debut at the Red Grange.
The Huskies this spring hired a new offensive coordinator in Mike Fitzgerald, who brought with him a spread offense. Fitzgerald previously was head coach at St. Francis for two years and offensive coordinator at Marist before that.
Led by senior quarterback Luke Cegles, the Huskies will air it out more. Mitch Lewis and Matt Malan are Cegles’ top two returning receivers, with Matt Montgomery, Eric Wright and Cross Robinson sharing the load in the backfield.
Cegles, who saw increased snaps as last year progressed, threw for three touchdowns in an upset of eventual Class 8A semifinalist Waubonsie Valley.
“It’s fast — it’s going to shock defenses,” Ericksen said of the new offense.
Lewis was one of a rash of North starters injured in the early going last year. Three of North’s first four losses came by one score, all but ending any playoff hopes.
Ericksen recognizes a fast start is critical to flipping the script.
“Last year went wrong before the season even started,” Ericksen said. “I don’t think you really saw what we are until the end of the year. We have a ton of talent that people don’t even know about. I think we’ll shock some teams.”
Joshua Welge is a freelance writer for the Naperville Sun.
NAPERVILLE NORTH
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Last season: 2-7 (2-6 DuPage Valley Conference).
Coach: Sean Drendel, seventh year, 27-33.
Players to watch: Grant Ericksen, senior, defensive back/wide receiver; Cam Hardy, senior, defensive back/running back; Luke Cegles, senior, quarterback; Mitch Lewis, senior, wide receiver; Jake Jegglie, senior, linebacker.
Schedule: (x-denotes DuPage Valley Conference game, all begin at 7:30 p.m.). Aug. 26: at Sandburg; Sept. 2: x-Metea Valley; Sept. 9: x-at Wheaton North; Sept. 16: x-at Lake Park; Sept. 23: x-Glenbard North; Sept. 30: x-Neuqua Valley; Oct. 7: x-Naperville Central (at North Central College); Oct. 14: x-at Waubonsie Valley; Oct. 21: x-Wheaton Warrenville South.