Fans spirited, but not rewarded

Everyone was feeling the pressure at Glenbard West High School's first home playoff football game in four years.

Doug McCutcheon was responsible for the hot dog supply of the entire south end of the stadium during the Hilltoppers match-up against Chicago's Morgan Park High School.

"The other guy's got brat duty because they flare up, and he's a firefighter," McCutcheon said. "I got this job because it's my grill, and my daughter Grace's basketball team is doing this as a fundraiser; it's no special skill."

While the Glenbard West fans packed into the stadium likely went home full, they didn't go away happy, as their team lost 34-27 after leading most of the game.

Joey Vivoda, a Glenbard West senior, was also feeling the pressure during the Class 7A playoff game. Dressed as "Banana Guy," he said his biggest fears were forgetting a cheer and ripping the skintight costume.

"I want to be able to wear it during basketball season," he said. "So I've got to take care of it throughout the football season. I'm doing pretty good today. I haven't spilled anything on it."

Carol Dawrant and Edna Villareal had one of the toughest jobs at the game -- keeping young boys from playing pickup football games on the sidelines.

"I warn them, and they don't believe," Dawrant said. "I have to take the footballs from them, but I give them back at the end of the game."

At Saturday's game, the boys got wise to the importance of the game and stole back their footballs when the pair weren't watching.

"I've been doing this 13 years," Villareal said. "That's not a new trick. I just told the police to take care of it from now on."

Some folks came up with inventive ways of dealing with the pressure. For Nate Odum, who was watching his younger brother Theo Odum play, it was a new yo-yo.

"It goes everywhere with me lately because I gotta do something during these games besides pace," he said. "I'm a coach, with coach's tendencies, and that means we don't sit down during the game."