Rough start dooms Glenbard South

Riverside-Brookfield didn't waste any time taking the lead Friday night at Glenbard South.

The Bulldogs needed it.

Riverside-Brookfield scored on the opening kickoff and again on its first play from scrimmage, then held on to defeat the host Raiders 21-7 in a Metro Suburban Blue football game.

"Unfortunately it's kind of been our M.O. for half of our games," Raiders coach Ryan Crissey said. "Giving up big kickoff returns or turning the ball over. A big play (from scrimmage) in that first quarter. Momentum is so critical, when you start with your back against the wall, you set yourself in a position to be constantly fighting back, and that's difficult. That's difficult to do."

Nicolas Del Nodal gave the Bulldogs (7-2, 4-1) the momentum by taking the opening kickoff 88 yards for a touchdown. After Glenbard South turned the ball over on downs, the Bulldogs gave the football to Del Nodal again. This time he went 68 yards for a TD and a 13-0 lead.

One play from scrimmage, two touchdowns.

"He's a special athlete," Bulldogs coach Brendan Curtin said. "It was nice to kind of set the tone on the kickoff return and the one-play drive after that. It was a great start."

The Raiders (5-4, 3-2) looked like they might take the momentum back when they scored 14 seconds before halftime. Junior quarterback Jack Crouch found classmate Bryan Maroney in the back of the end zone for a 4-yard touchdown pass, cutting the score to 13-7.

They couldn't build on that in the second half, however.

"That was the thing with this game, it was ebbs and flows the whole game," Crissey said. "We could never get the momentum. We never could. It was almost like it was meant to be that way. But I'm so proud of how the defense performed. We need better effort, better execution out of the offense as a whole."

Riverside-Brookfield put the game out of reach with a touchdown with 2:38 to play in the fourth quarter.

Despite the loss the Raiders expect to get a playoff berth when the pairings are announced Saturday night.

"We feel really good," Crissey said. "It will be a nice opportunity. We'll see if the football gods are looking down on us again with the type of seeding we had last year. ... They're a perseverant group of kids."