Historic winning start for Glenbard East

Everyone on Glenbard East's football team knew you had to dig back in history - to 1999 - to find a football team that started its season 3-0.

This year's team is writing its own history, and became the first squad since that special 1999 Rams team to be perfect through the first third of the season after a 56-12 victory over East Aurora on Friday night.

The hosts, playing their third straight home game, scored 21 points in the first quarter, took a 42-6 halftime lead and rolled to the win in the Upstate Eight Conference Valley Division opener for both schools.

"We know what we've got and we're all in this together," Glenbard East quarterback Philip Abruzino said. "We know we can do big things. We've just got to put it together and make things happen."

Abruzino threw for 4 touchdowns and ran for two more in the rout and finished his night 13-21 for 196 yards despite only throwing one second-half pass.

"We just knew we had to come out and be who we are and forget about who was on the other side, and play like we were playing the best team in the state," Abruzino said.

East Aurora (1-2, 0-1) struggled against Glenbard East's multi-faceted offense. Of the team's weapons, Karon Keyes was most devastating on Friday. The senior caught seven passes for 132 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Keyes also returned a punt 70 yards for a third TD.

"He's a special athlete, so we try to use him as much as we can," Abruzino said. "He's a special weapon to have, but we've got five other athletes to go to, and that's nice to have."

Certainly, no team gets anywhere with just three victories in a season, but the Rams have done the best they can in winning each game they have played.

"We have a lot of chemistry," Keyes said. "We've been together with the same group offensively since freshman year, and we click and roll and we're going right with it. It feels great to get the crowd pumped up and the team hyped up."

Keyes' scoring plays were all big plays: the TD receptions were for 40 and 34 yards in addition to the 70 yard TD punt return.

"He's multi-dimensional and multi-talented," Glenbard East coach John Walters said. "When he gets a head of steam, he's hard to stop."

Glenbard East (3-0, 1-0) even got a special touchdown with its last offensive play. Devonta Owens headed toward the end zone from the Tomcats' 9-yard line, but was hit and fumbled the ball at the 1. The ball went into the end zone, and senior Rebecca Deluca-Lane fell on the ball to record her first high school touchdown.

"The team did a great job of preparing," Walters said. "They know we only get nine of them and every one counts. We've drilled into their head that you have to great ready to play every Friday and you can take no opponent lightly."