Oak Park-River Forest 35, Glenbard West 14

Glenbard West is usually a very fundamentally sound football squad.

On Saturday at Oak Park-River Forest (2-1, 1-0), the Hilltoppers tossed the fundamentals right out the window in a 35-14 loss.

Levell Coppage ran for 165 yards on 25 carries for the Huskies and scored 3 touchdowns, breaking numerous tackles and making cutbacks when he got into the secondary. His shortest touchdown run was 24 yards when he took the handoff on a draw and broke a tackle at the line and then busted to the outside for the game's first score.

During the first series of the game, Coppage lined up at quarterback.

"It was a different look that we were trying to show," Coppage said. "I liked doing that because I can roll back and if my receivers aren't open, I can just tuck it and run. But I do have a nice arm, not just the legs."

Glenbard West coach Chad Hetlet said it didn't really surprise the Hilltoppers that Coppage lined up as the signalcaller for the first couple of plays.

"I wouldn't have minded him staying there all game long," Hetlet said.

The Hilltoppers (1-2, 0-1) were trailing 14-0 when they faced a fourth-and-11 late in the second quarter and opted to go for it. The move paid off as Andrew Baldwin found Matt Wetherell in the back of the end zone for a 19-yard strike to go into half only down 7 points.

To start the second half, the Hilltoppers ran the ball every play as Kane Keirnan carried the ball 5 times for 32 and a 5-yard score to tie the game at 14-all.

"We went into the half only down 7, so we knew that we would be able come back because we already came back from one halftime deficit this season," Keirnan said. "Once we got back in the game, Levell took over and broke some tackles and took a few to the house. It was rough."

With the game tied the Huskies faced a third-and-7 when Coppage got the ball in the backfield, was wrapped up and then broke free for a 33-yard score giving Oak Park a lead it would not relinquish.

With the game 28-14 the Huskies faced a third-and-5 with less than two minutes remaining and it was Coppage again running loose as he broke a tackle on the outside and then made a cutback for a 49-yard touchdown.

Hetlet said this was not what he expected from his team in its first West Suburban Silver game.

"We came here to win, not play a close football game for more than a half," Hetlet said. "We didn't block or tackle well. We are not a young team, so there is no excuse for this. When we don't block or tackle well, I am not doing my job. It was disappointing."