Glenbard East shows it can win a close game

Defense was the tale of the tape Friday night as the Oswego East Wolves were outlasted at the hands of the Glenbard East Rams by a score of 14-7.

In a game that was a dress rehearsal for conference play, the Rams (2-0) looked more the part. They had it all, forcing interceptions and stopping the Wolves on two occasions.

Late in the second half, the Wolves were knocking on the door at the Rams' goal line but were denied three times. A missed field goal and the Rams took over both the possession and the momentum.

Their final stand came with less than a minute remaining in the fourth quarter, when they forced Wolves (1-1) backup quarterback James Kidd out of the pocket and got him to throw an interception to seal their fate.

Defensive coordinator Brian Fetterolf mentioned three aspects to the team that, if completed properly, would help it come away victorious.

"We talked about aligning right, knowing your assignments and making plays. If you could do those three things, you can do well and they did," he said.

This game could not have come at a better time for the Rams, who needed a close game heading into conference play after blowing out Willowbrook last Friday 41-14.

The Rams looked focused Friday night and primed for conference play, and Fetterolf echoed that viewpoint.

"Right now, they are flying high, they are feeling great, they feel that they can beat anybody. The juniors were 7-2 as sophomores, and they think they can beat anybody," Fetterolf said.

Running back Dominic Wilberton and quarterback Drake Pusateri both had rushing touchdowns for the Rams, and Devin Riley, a three-way player at quarterback, running back and defensive back, had a 25-yard touchdown rush for the Wolves.

The Wolves stuck around for a majority of the game, and while coach Tyson LeBlanc was proud of the way his team battled to the end, he said there are some things that still need tinkering.

"Our guys are always going to fight to the end. We talk about effort a lot, and that is never a question with our guys. We just need to make sure we clean up some of the execution aspects, and we will be all right," LeBlanc said.