Glenbard West doesn’t lose focus
Any thoughts of a letdown disappeared on Glenbard West’s first offensive play from scrimmage.
And its third play. And its fourth and ninth plays, too.
With 4 touchdowns by the end of the first quarter, the Hilltoppers were well on their way to Saturday’s 49-0 nonconference football win over visiting Willowbrook in Glen Ellyn.
Coming off an exhilarating win over Wheaton Warrenville South on national television and coming a week before a huge West Suburban Silver Conference opener at Lyons Twp., Saturday’s matchup could have been a trap game for Glenbard West.
Instead, the Hilltoppers dominated from the opening kickoff.
“That was really a major thing for us this week, staying focused,” said Glenbard West linebacker Erik Strittmater. “It really came down to executing this week. That’s what we worked on. We just try to keep pressure on every play.”
Glenbard West (2-0) needed only 55 seconds in time of possession to build a 21-0 lead, and then a 5-play drive boosted the first-quarter lead to 28-0. Two second-quarter touchdowns built the margin to 42-0 at the half, putting the running clock in effect for the entire second half.
Avery Balogh scored on his only two touches — touchdown runs of 61 and 57 yards. Henry Haeffner connected with Dan Kiel on an 82-yard touchdown pass, and Justice Odom added a 5-yard scoring strike to Nathan Marcus.
Joey Zito scored on a 46-yard first-quarter run, and Deon Dumas wrapped up the first-half barrage with a 30-yard touchdown run. Mike Boyd scored Glenbard West’s final touchdown with a 4-yard third-quarter scoring run.
“I was happy with the way our kids played,” said Hilltoppers coach Chad Hetlet. “They could have easily lost their focus, but they played real well. I think we played well in all phases of the game.”
Glenbard West outgained Willowbrook (0-2) 415-16 in total yards as the Hilltoppers’ defense never allowed the Warriors into their territory. Willowbrook quarterback Steve Ferguson tried to get the chains moving with a short passing game, completing 9 of 11 passes for 24 yards.
“If they lose a game I’d be shocked,” Willowbrook coach Nick Hildreth said of Glenbard West. “They were that good. We couldn’t get anything going against them.”