Football: North Shore has 'Something Special'

Halfway through North Shore Country Day’s game against Hiawatha last Saturday, it was over.

The Raiders had piled up a 46-0 lead and all of the starters were relegated to cheerleading duties. The sophomores and freshmen added on another 17 points for a resounding 63-0 victory, moving the Raiders to 5-0 on the season and up a step on the .

Quarterback Steve Smith was 7 of 10 in passing for 111 yards and three touchdowns. Zach March had two touchdowns on punt returns to lead North Shore.

But it was early control that allowed North Shore to dig deep into its playbook.

“We did run our single-wing stuff too, which is good for our kids as they get more familiar with it,” North Shore coach Jim Deuble said. “You’re able to try a whole bunch of stuff.”

While there’s not much else to detail about Saturday’s game, a closer look at the first half of North Shore’s season will show how big of a turnaround this team has had compared to last year.

At 5-0, the Raiders have already matched their season win total from last year when they went 5-5, including a first-round playoff loss in Class 1A. Included in the current season's victories are three wins against teams North Shore lost to last season.

The last team to score more than two touchdowns against the 2011 defensive lineup was Alden-Hebron, which eventually lost 41-21 in Week 2.

The Raiders scored a total of 259 points last season, averaging a little less than 26 points each game. This year, they have already totaled 221 points, good for an astounding 44.2 points a game.

The defense hasn’t been a slouch either. After allowing almost 24 points a game last season, North Shore has given up an average of 11 points each game this season, posting two shutouts in its last three games.

Yet Deuble knows that seasons aren’t remembered for first-half performances. After North Shore takes on Christian Liberty Academy (0-5) next week, the Raiders finish up with three of the Northeastern Athletic Conference’s better teams.

“We’ve got to stay healthy and we’ve got to stay in shape," the coach said. “As we get to the last three games with [Chicago Hope Academy] being 4-1 and Longwood and Mooseheart being 5-0, we’re going to need our best players to be able to play a whole game.”

Halfway through the Raiders’ season, their goals aren’t complete. With four games left, North Shore hasn’t even clinched a playoff spot as conference rivals Longwood and Mooseheart are also undefeated. Nobody is leading the cheers yet. Those are reserved for November.

“Our kids realize we have something special here possibly and we’re going to keep working for it,” Deuble said.