School rivalry not exactly heated

In the hours before two Glen Ellyn high schools had their first gridiron clash in two decades, the trash-talking between tailgating fans was more like arguing between siblings -- tender, but pointed.

"It's only a game," Glenbard South High School parent Mike Genovesi joked while surrounded by Glenbard West friends, "as long as we win."

The Glenbard West Hilltoppers and Glenbard South Raiders last played each other in the 1980s.

On Saturday, teenagers who had been childhood teammates on the Glen Ellyn Golden Eagles football team took opposite sides of the field.

Their parents, who had become friends cheering together on the sidelines, transitioned to an attitude of friendly competitiveness.

"We love him even though he's a Raider," parent Julie Detmer said of Genovesi.

Detmer is co-president of the West booster club along with her husband, Marty, who was a tight end when he played at West. Their son, junior Marty Detmer III, plays right guard on the varsity team.

The schools' booster clubs worked together to raise money for a trophy by selling commemorative tickets and "Crosstown Kickoff Classic" T-shirts, Julie Detmer said.

Her husband wore one of those T-shirts while his old football jersey lay splayed over his truck's windshield.

"It shrunk somehow," Marty Detmer said, feigning puzzlement.

The newborn rivalry has brought old fans back to the stands.

"We usually don't tailgate," said 1977 West graduate John Kelleher, who was a wide receiver as a teen. "The traditions start today."

Meanwhile, the sophomore teams -- whose games were canceled because it would've torn up the field for the varsity match -- didn't hold their trash-talking back.

"It's more fun when you know them," 15-year-old Raider Adam Czamanske said.

It's all besides the point for West parent John Bartlett, a 1974 graduate of the school who played varsity football.

"They shouldn't think about anything except executing," he said.