Glenbard N. Panthers seek another upset
The last time Glenbard North appeared in a quarterfinal playoff football game, it was a pit stop on the way to the state title game.
The Panthers can take a huge step toward repeating history with a victory over unbeaten Fremd on Saturday night in Carol Stream.
As a 14th seed on the heels of a pair of upset wins, Glenbard North (7-4) seeks the program's fourth berth into the semifinals against a second-seeded Vikings team aiming for its first trip to the Final Four.
The Panthers' key to getting to this point hasn't been a secret. Combine the workhorse running of junior Tyler Doll with an always-improving defense and it's easy to see how the Panthers have overcome any regular-season inconsistencies.
Another major improvement came between the first round and the second round of the playoffs. After committing four turnovers against Whitney Young, Glenbard North had no turnovers last week against York.
"It's amazing how sharp you can look when you don't turn the ball over," said Panthers coach Ryan Wilkens.
With 300 rushing yards in the playoffs, Doll has upped his season total to 1,400 yards. Quarterback Evan Watkins, meanwhile, completed an efficient 8 of 10 passes for 200 yards last week to push him over the 1,500 mark for the season.
Even more impressive, though, has been the performance on defense. With linebacker Adrian Leal at the heart of the unit, everything's fallen into place -- especially with the late-season move of tight end Jim Montgomery to the defense.
Matt Ng, another two-way starter, and Justin Wahrman, who snared his eighth interception last week, also anchor the defense.
They'll be charged with slowing a Fremd offense headed by a familiar name. Quarterback Mark Tolzien, who's thrown for 1,700 yards and 17 touchdowns, is the younger brother of current University of Wisconsin player Scott Tolzien.
Running back Mike Gyetvay, a 1,000-yard rusher, will miss the game with an elbow injury suffered last week. Derrick Walker and standout linebacker Nick Hillard filled in for the Vikings, who have 11 wins for the first time.
"Just like all season, we need to stop the run," Wilkens said. "Our defense has been doing a great job."
The Panthers play their second straight home game Saturday night, but playing in Carol Stream hasn't always given the team an advantage. After regular-season losses to Wheaton Warrenville South, Naperville North and Naperville Central, however, Glenbard North evened its home record to 3-3 with last week's win over York.
As both teams aim for a monumental victory, the atmosphere should be electric.
"There's definitely some excitement," Wilkens said. "With the ups and downs we've had all season, we're just focused on one game at a time. We're just trying to keep everything the same."