After North Central College recovered an onside kick in the fourth quarter of Friday night’s Division III championship game, ensuring the Naperville-based team would be taking home its second title in four years, one of the loudest cheers at Empire Burgers + Brew came from Troy Hammond.
Seated in the middle of the bar and wearing a 2019 championship hat and sweatshirt, Hammond threw his hands into the hair and yelled in excitement. After nine years as NCC president until his retirement this year, he not only knew many of the players he was watching on ESPNU, he’d seen the team grow from good to dominant.
“It’s a great program. It’s great for Naperville. It’s great for the college,” Hammond said of the undefeated team, his smile lighting up his face like the Christmas lights outside.
First-year head coach Brad Spencer — a 2004 North Central graduate and longtime assistant — has continued a “tradition of character and culture, of team before self,” Hammond said. “The program has thrived under that leadership. It makes for a good future for North Central and thus for Naperville.”
As snow dusted downtown Naperville, people dressed in red and white were sprinkled throughout the packed house at Empire to view the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, which the team lost last year. There were also watch parties at The Lantern, Hizemans and Tapville Social.
“It has been a wonderful way to bring people into our downtown to experience the wonderful dining and shopping that we have in our central business district, especially during the busy holiday season,” said Danielle Tufano, executive director of the Downtown Naperville Alliance, which helped plan the events.
“Our restaurants, specifically the bars that have been able to show the games, have especially seen a jump in foot traffic as fans come in to cheer on their hometown college football team at a local establishment.”
“He’s the GOAT!” a watch party attendee called out as All-American running back Ethan Greenfield scored to give North Central a 21-0 lead early in the fourth quarter. Nearby, servers brought customers G.O.A.T. burgers (goat cheese, spicy candied bacon, honey).
But Mount Union, a powerhouse program in its own right, mounted a comeback, making fans a little more tense than they expected to be. The room quieted when the Ohio college scored with 30 seconds left to make it a 28-21 game. But then came the onside kick and subsequent cheers, mixed with a sense of relief.
“We’re so happy!” exclaimed Rieko Tomomatsu, of Warrenville, who teaches Japanese part time at North Central.
Her husband, Kaz, who was decked out in Cardinals attire like his wife, said he played high school football in Japan. They’ve been in the area for 10 years.
The couple said they planned to attend the parade welcoming the victorious students back to Naperville.
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“I was here when they sucked bad so it’s nice when they do extremely well,” said Paul Brandt, a chemistry professor at North Central. “I’m a fan of too many other teams who do badly.”
It’s particularly great to watch students of his play for — and win — a national championship, he said.
“It was really electric to watch,” said North Central junior Elias Finazzo, seated at a table with some friends he grew up with in Naperville. “I got a little nervous at the end. It’s cool to see the team pull through.”
He plays on the golf team and knows a few of the football players, whom he planned to welcome back to town after the big game in Annapolis, Maryland.
“All the guys I know are so close,” he said. “Their chemistry together is what makes them so good.”
Giles Bruce is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.